Read this before you buy another tub of protein
5 reasons gym food and a sensitive stomach don’t mix
Shakes, big bowls of oats, “high-protein” bars, diet yogurt. If your stomach argues with all of them, there are five reasons. Each one has a fix, and two meal plans are built on those fixes.
See the plans, from $19From $19. Instant PDF. 30-day money-back guarantee.
This page is about food. The plans are recipes and meal plans. They are not medical advice and they do not treat any condition. If you have ongoing gut symptoms, see a doctor first.
The five reasons
Maple Oat and Rice Porridge. The Build Plan, page 11.
“Safe” servings were set for normal plates
A food counts as low only up to a certain serving: about half a cup of oats, one piece of fruit. A training breakfast runs two or three times that.
In the plans: the oats stop at half a cup, and rice, lactose-free milk and whey isolate make the bowl big. About 850 calories and 50 g of protein.
The Build Plan, page 83
“Safe” foods add up inside one meal
It has a name: stacking. Several limited foods on one plate can add up past the line, even with each one inside its own serving.
In the plans: one fruit per meal, two a day, and no limited food doubled on a plate.
The Safe Gainer Shake. The Build Plan, page 49.
Protein products are built on the things you avoid
Whey concentrate carries more lactose than isolate. Inulin, chicory root, maltitol and sorbitol are all FODMAPs. The shake, the gainer and the bar each fail on a different one.
In the plans: one powder rule, and a 755-calorie shake with 53 g of protein to use in place of a mass gainer.
Sirloin, Roast Potatoes and Green Beans. The Lean Plan, page 33.
Diet food is the worst offender
Sugar-free gum, flavored “high-protein” yogurt, cottage cheese and protein bars carry the same ingredients. You eat “clean” and feel worse.
In the plans: The Lean Plan uses no diet products. Protein stays high and you eat every meal. Main meals run 465 to 595 calories.
The Label Cheat Sheet, page 3
Garlic and onion hide under other names
On meat, poultry and meat-based stock, a US label can list garlic and onion powder as “natural flavors.” Sausages, deli meat and stock cubes are the usual places.
In the plans: flavor comes from garlic-infused oil, scallion greens, ginger and tamari. Each recipe lists the labels to check, and the Label Cheat Sheet comes free.
A full day that adds up
A 3,500-calorie day from The Build Plan
| Breakfast | Maple Oat and Rice Porridge | ~850 |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-morning | Popcorn, Peanut and Dark Chocolate Mix | ~440 |
| Lunch | Ginger Soy Beef Rice Bowl | ~920 |
| Dinner | Pork Chop, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans, with Maple-Roasted Carrots | ~960 |
| Evening | Vanilla Chia Pudding with Strawberries | ~330 |
| Total | ~211 g protein | ~3,500 |
The Lean Plan does the same at about 1,800, 2,100 and 2,400 calories. Calories and protein are estimates.
Next to the budget low-FODMAP cookbooks
| Build and Lean | Five budget cookbooks we read | |
|---|---|---|
| Meals sized for training | Yes | No |
| Days added up to a calorie level | Yes | No |
| Says which foods are limited and what to add | Yes | No |
| Help with labels | Yes | Rarely |
| Travel and batch-cook ratings | Yes | No |
Based on five low-priced low-FODMAP cookbooks we read in October 2026.
Every recipe lists the labels to check. One prep session batch-cooks 12 lunches and dinners for the fridge and freezer.
Low-FODMAP meal plans for people who train
The Build Plan is for gaining. The Lean Plan is for losing. Both work the same way: open the plan, cook the meal, check the total.
- 64 recipes in each book, with main meals sized for training
- Week plans at three calorie levels, already added up
- Limited foods kept inside their serving on every plate
- A batch-cook prep session and a shopping list
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Instant PDF,
93 pages each - 30 days to decide,
or your money back - One payment,
nothing to cancel
In every order
- Free
The Label Cheat Sheet - Included
Week plans - Included
Batch-cook prep plan - Included
Shopping list
For a refund, email [email protected] within 30 days. The Lean Plan is not for under-18s, pregnancy or breastfeeding, or anyone with a history of disordered eating.
Straight answers
Will it work for my stomach?
We can’t promise that. Stomachs differ. The plans are low-FODMAP meals with the portions worked out, and the 30-day refund covers you if they aren’t for you.
Is this a treatment for IBS?
No. These are recipes. Do the low-FODMAP diet itself with a doctor or a FODMAP-trained dietitian.
How long do I eat like this?
The strict phase is 2 to 6 weeks, then you add foods back. The books cover that step.
Tonight’s dinner can be the easy part
Open the plan, cook the meal, check the total.
See the plans, from $1930-day money-back guarantee. Instant PDF.
