Chicken, rice, turmeric and ginger bowl: a SIBO-friendly recipe

When you follow a SIBO diet, the question that comes up every day is "so what do I eat today?". Many easy recipes include onion, garlic, store-bought sauces or legumes, and the safe choice always ends up being grilled chicken with rice, with no flavor at all.

This bowl from The Invisible Mosaic starts from that same safe base, but gives it a different flavor with two spices: ginger and turmeric. It takes 20 minutes to make and works just as well for eating at home as in a lunchbox.

Why it works on a SIBO diet

• White rice is one of the best-tolerated grains in the low-FODMAP phase: it digests well and ferments very little.
• Chicken provides no fermentable carbohydrates.
• Ginger and turmeric replace onion and garlic as the aromatic base, with no fructans.
• There are no store-bought sauces, which often hide onion and garlic powder under the label of "spices" or "flavorings".

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2 fresh chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 150 g white rice
• 1 small piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Cook the rice according to the package instructions.
2. Sauté the chicken in a pan with the oil, the ginger and the turmeric, until it is cooked through and golden on the outside.
3. Serve the chicken over the rice.

It's that simple. If you want to add vegetables, sautéed carrot goes very well: the book includes a bowl variation with chicken, rice and carrot.

If you have histamine intolerance: freshness is key

Chicken itself is not a high-histamine food, but histamine builds up over time in meat and fish, even in the fridge. That is why the book's label says "with very fresh chicken":

• Buy the chicken the same day or the day before you cook it, or freeze it as soon as you get home.
• Eat the bowl freshly made. If there are leftovers, freeze them as soon as they cool down rather than keeping them in the fridge for several days.

A note on turmeric

Turmeric has good scientific backing as an anti-inflammatory, but its active compound, curcumin, is poorly absorbed on its own. It improves a lot with fat (which is why the sauté includes olive oil) and with black pepper, if you tolerate it. Even so, it is best seen as one piece of the whole and not a magic solution: what counts is a sustained eating pattern. We explain it in our article on myths about gluten, SIBO and histamine.

Remember: the low-FODMAP phase is temporary

SIBO diets usually have a restrictive phase followed by a guided reintroduction of foods. Keeping the restriction indefinitely can worsen the imbalance of the microbiota. Always do it with the support of a professional.

More recipes like this

The Invisible Mosaic, by David Lerner, includes about 30 recipes labeled according to their suitability for Hashimoto's, SIBO, histamine and gluten sensitivity, plus a 4-week plan and quick-reference tables by condition.

Looking for a warm dinner? Try the pumpkin and ginger soup.

This article is for informational purposes and does not replace the advice of your doctor or a registered dietitian, especially if you have a diagnosis or are undergoing treatment.