First rule of thumb is if you try something and it causes no pain stay with it. You'll go insane second guessing yourself. For example i can now have black tea, chocolate, tomato, onion and garlic but can't take mango and yesterday I tried coconut flour and that bit me badly. I can use every other part of the coconut. As to your questions. If unsure of any one ingredient test it alone and see. It is all trial and error sadly.
1) Can see no problems with these at all.
2) I was off cheese only for the first couple of months I had this. Maybe small amounts and gradually increase them.
3)Not sure about the vinegar. Took me over 18 months to try. Am ok with it now. Again try and see.
4)Lemon juice should be fine. I tried it after a year or so but my naturopath assured me it isn't like orange (which I can't eat)
5)I would avoid all commercial dressings. Maybe lemon juice/vinegar and olive oil for now. Keep it simple and add with time other flavours. You could maybe add honey now.
6) good question and one I never asked. I was too scared for nearly 2 years but now chew peppermint gum now and then.
I gave up coffee and don't see me trying it any time soon. I also have IBS and I don't want to upset that beast either. I do drink tea and I can eat chocolate again. I started with a couple of squares a day. I eat dark chocolate and can now eat enough to eat choc brownies.
ANd yes when things are playing up with my gut I go super bland until it settles.
Cas

Thanks Cas. Yeah, I figure that most of the food stuff is different for everyone, and can be different at different times (i.e. if ok vs having a bad day). I seem to be ok with small amounts of coffee and chocolate (thank goodness, since as mentioned i won't give those up), but have yet to try things that even my dr said to avoid such as tomato and citrus. Good that you've found some of thsoe things are ok for you. I remember trying mango early on and it also didn't go so well (didn't realize this would be a hard one). Interesting about the cocunut flour for you.

1) Great...so roasted veggies should be ok then in a touch of olive oil. That's one of my staples for dinner. Will try a small amount and see.
2) Thanks for the tip about the cheeses. i've had small amounts of say cheddar, but not one of the strong ones.
3) This will be a hard one to avoid as I often used it in say, homemade salad dressing.
4) Yeah, I thought too that lemon juice is citrus and should be avoided. Plus it seems acidic as well.
5) If lemon juice is ok, then that does open up options for salad dressing
6) Was wondering about gum for the extra air plus if it tricks your stomach that food is coming so would it produce acid? I have tried gum but for very short times as I wasn't sure.

Am sorry you suffer from IBS too. That complicates things. I had colitis as a teenager. Then had colon removed so my stomach hasn't been normal pre-gastritis.

It sucks doesn't it. When I first came to this site I only had gastritis and felt guilty as so many of us have multiple issues. It took a year but sadly I joined the party.
Don't get me started on mango. It WAS my favourite fruit but now it is poison to me. I've tried it three times and the last time was just as bad as the first time two years ago. I won't bother again. Same goes for oranges. It took years to get tomatoes back and they were only food I really prayed would return to me.
Good luck.

I hear you with mango. I tried it early on, thinking it's a soft sweet fruit (like bananas) so should be ok and even help, but also paid for it afterwards. I'm fine avoiding spice since I never liked that, but it's harder when it's things you eat regularly. I do hope to eventually be able to get back to garlic, tomato (not a big eater, but it's a healthy sauce base when it comes to pasta), and the vinegars are a staple ingredient for me when it comes to salad dressing or on veggies/wraps.

I'm sure the goodies you want will come back in time. The strange thing is mango juice is supposed to be good for digestion but after my attempts I'll not try it again. I did eat a lot of curries etc before but not hot ones. I make my own versions using various combinations of ginger, turmeric coriander and coconut milk. I now also add tomato sometimes.
See how you go using lemon instead of vinegar if you can't handle the vinegar yet. You can use lemon instead of wine in risotto also. ( a tip I learned from Rachel Ray lol)
Take care,
Cas

Thanks Cas. Appreciate the advice and sharing your own experience. It's encouraging that some of the foods may be able to be eaten again. Hate the thought of never being able to eat these things again and be even more limited that I already am (e.g. since I don't eat meat or chicken)

do you eat tofu? I couldn't at first as it can be hard to digest, well soyabeans can be. I eat it now as I don't eat a lot of meat.

Yeah, I do eat tofu. Haven't tried it per se, but on my better days have tried meat simulated products (e.g. veggie bologna) made with soy which went ok.
I haven't tried anything like beans, but didn't eat a lot before anyways. I imagine though that they may be hard (although I do have bran cereal, which is ok if I take a small amount...take a normal size bowl and the nausea comes)

This is such a balancing act isn't it. I mean some foods are ok in small amounts and finding the limit is always sooo much fun...NOT. Normally for me its the IBS that has issues with quantities of some ingredients. And avoiding or limiting hard to digest foods is best for now at least.