Three Quick (and Tasty!) Gut-Friendly Lunches
For a long time after I got sick, cooking was my nemesis. It wasn’t always that way. I come from a family that loves to cook, and for whom the kitchen has always been the heart of the home. Growing up, kitchens meant good smells, laughter, coziness, and love.
In my Uncle C’s kitchen, you could always hear his choruses of “Eat, eat!” and “Diet? Never trust a word with ‘die’ in it. Now eat!” Upon entering his house, his first question was always, “Are you hungry? Come, come!” There was always something on the stove, and there were always snacks in the fridge.
My mother was a school cook, back in the days when schools gave kids home-cooked meals. In our neighborhood, she was renowned for her from-scratch pizza crusts and the cakes she made from scratch without using measuring tools. The whole neighborhood would show up for dinner when they smelled her pizza cooking. Or when my dad barbecued.
And so on. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins; we all cooked and baked. Holidays were ridiculous food extravaganzas. No one thought about IBS, GERD, CKD, celiac, or thyroid problems — and when I started having them, no one knew quite what to do.
Personally, cooking started to feel like a joyless chore. Family gatherings got awkward; some were dismissive, some were disrespectfully curious, while others pretended like nothing was different at all. I felt like an alien in my own family.
I’m not going to dwell on just how much it can hurt when food-related illnesses and allergies suck the joy out of the kitchen. When something as simple as sharing a meal with people you love becomes a minefield — and when those illnesses start to change a family’s dynamic. If you’re here, you probably already know a bit about that.
Instead, I’m going to talk about three base recipes I’ve found that gave meals some normalcy back, while still being gentle enough to eat on ‘unhappy gut’ days. After years of trial, error, and a few tears over failed meals, I’m finally finding ways to make my kitchen feel like home again.
When your gut’s in flare or healing from a flare, meals can feel like a balancing act — something filling enough to get you through, but gentle enough not to stir up trouble. Over time, I’ve found a few simple meals that never let me down. They’re quick, kind to digestion, and made entirely from whole, safe ingredients. They blend in beautifully — no one would guess they’re gut-friendly.
These three recipes — Oat & Flax Wraps, Banana Pancakes, and Gentle Rice & Veggie Bowl — are what I often reach for. Each takes less than 15 minutes, and all can be adapted depending on how steady your gut feels that day.
Recipe 1 – Oat & Flax Wraps
Why it works: Soft, flexible, high in natural fiber and protein, and free from additives or preservatives.
Ingredients:
75 g rolled oats (ground into flour)
25 g ground flaxseed
Pinch of salt
250 ml water
Method:
Blend oats into flour.
Stir together oat flour, flaxseed, salt, and water. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Pour into a hot, lightly greased pan and spread thin. Cook ~4 minutes on one side, ~2 on the other. (Note: Pan must be hot before starting to help keep batter from sticking.)
Serving ideas:
Fill with scrambled eggs, crumbled tofu, or diced cooked veggies.
These wraps are wonderfully versatile — soft enough for sensitive digestion but sturdy enough to hold fillings. They freeze well, too.
Recipe 2 – Banana Pancakes
Why it works: Naturally sweet, easy to digest, and surprisingly satisfying for a quick lunch or snack.
Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1 egg
Drop of vanilla extract
(Optional) 1 tbsp rice flour for extra stability
Method:
Mash the banana until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla.
Heat a non-stick pan on medium; pour small rounds of batter.
Cook until golden on both sides.
Serving ideas:
Enjoy plain or with a spoonful of safe yogurt or a teaspoon of butter.
Add a sprinkle of cinnamon if tolerated.
I love these on gentler days when I want something light but comforting. They’re also a great way to use up a lone overripe banana.
Recipe 3 – Gentle Rice & Veggie Bowl
Why it works: Soft, balanced, and endlessly adaptable. Perfect for resetting a sensitive gut day.
Ingredients:
Cooked white rice
Soft-cooked zucchini or carrots, cubed
A sprinkle of dill or basil
2-3 drops sesame oil (seriously, no more!¹)
Method:
Warm rice gently with soft-cooked vegetables.
Mix with sesame oil and herbs to taste.
Serving ideas:
Add a poached egg or a bit of white fish for protein if desired.
This is my go-to comfort meal. It’s mild, nourishing, and easy to digest — a little bowl of calm when my gut needs peace.
In conclusion, gut-friendly doesn’t have to mean joyless or restrictive. These three lunches remind me that gentle food can still be delicious and satisfying. Rice bowls are in vogue these days, so mine doesn’t stand out; on flare days, I fill it with safe veggies, and on stronger days, I can add in some peas, baby spinach, or root veggies. My wraps are a great “always safe” base, and what you fill them with depends on where your gut is at that day. Finally, pancakes are an eternal favorite, and I might be prejudiced, but I think my version is better!
While cooking and I may never play perfectly in tune again, we’re learning new melodies together — and that’s progress.
¹Sesame oil is rich in polyunsaturated fats, which oxidize easily when heated or digested in excess, producing compounds that can irritate the gut mucosa. A small drizzle (2–3 drops) of sesame oil is below the threshold that triggers digestive irritation for most sensitive guts.
