---
title: IBS food and symptom diary: free printable template
url: https://stoollog.com/ibs-food-diary
description: A free IBS food and symptom diary to print: food and drink, symptoms and how bad, Bristol stool type, stress, sleep and medicines. A page a day.
---

[IBS](https://stoollog.com/blog/ibs-food-and-symptom-diary) · Free to print

# IBS food and symptom diary

A page a day to print: what you ate and drank, any symptoms and how bad they were, your stools and anything else going on. The NHS suggests keeping a diary of what you eat and any symptoms you get.[1](#src-nhs-ibs-diet)

[The stool diary](https://stoollog.com/stool-diary-template)

## How to fill it in

- Write things down as you go, with the time. It's hard to remember later what you ate on Tuesday.
- Under symptoms, note things like bloating, cramps, wind, or needing to rush. For how bad, circle M (mild), Mo (moderate) or S (severe).
- For stools, write the type from the [Bristol stool chart](https://stoollog.com/bristol-stool-chart).
- Alcohol, caffeine, spicy or fatty food, and stress and anxiety are among the things the NHS says can trigger flare-ups, so they're worth writing down too.[2](#src-nhs-ibs-symptoms)
- Bring it to your GP. Diets that cut out foods, such as low FODMAP, should only be advised by a healthcare professional with expertise in diet.[3](#src-nice-cg61)

Each day prints on its own page. Print as many as you need.

Day 1 · Date: ________________

| Time | Food and drink | Symptoms | How bad | Stool (Bristol type) | Stress, sleep, period, medicines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |

Day 2 · Date: ________________

| Time | Food and drink | Symptoms | How bad | Stool (Bristol type) | Stress, sleep, period, medicines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |
|  |  |  | M · Mo · S |  |  |

Free diary from stoollog.com.

## Or keep it on your iPhone

Stool Log logs food, drinks, symptoms and stools in a few taps, and after a couple of weeks shows possible links between foods and your stools, for you and your doctor to look at.

[Get Stool Log on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6748586544?ct=tool_ibs_diary)

## Sources

1. NHS. [Diet, lifestyle and medicines for IBS](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs/diet-lifestyle-and-medicines/), 2025.
2. NHS. [Symptoms of IBS](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs/symptoms/), 2025.
3. NICE. [Irritable bowel syndrome in adults: diagnosis and management (CG61), recommendations](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg61/chapter/Recommendations), 2017.

This diary is general information, not medical advice. Reviewed 2026-11-05.