In recent years, the low FODMAP diet has gained popularity for being effective in treating IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and easing symptoms in patients with digestive issues. As most restrictive diets, low FODMAP leaves out most of the commonly consumed foods. However, there’s a variety of low FODMAP vegetables, fruits and nuts that can be incorporated in this diet.
What are FODMAPs?
FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols, which are the types of carbs (sugar, starches and fiber) that can cause symptoms such as stomach pain, gas, diarrhea and bloating. The low FODMAP diet is simply a way of reducing the intake of these carbohydrates, thus minimizing the uncomfortable symptoms of IBS.
“Several clinical trials have reported that reducing high-FODMAP foods achieves adequate symptom relief in approximately 70% of IBS patients. In a recent meta-analysis, Marsh et al. reported the efficacy of a low-FODMAP diet on the functional gastrointestinal symptoms associated with IBS and IBD, and found a significant improvement in symptom severity and quality of life scores compared to patients receiving a normal Western diet.”
Altobelli, E., Del Negro, V., Angeletti, P. M., & Latella, G. (2017). Low-FODMAP Diet Improves Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms: A Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 9(9), 940.
Access the study here.
The low FODMAP diet usually works best when used for a short term (2-6 weeks). This is the ideal time frame to test what foods are good for your gut.
Vegan & Vegetarian
You can follow the low FODMAP diet even if you’re a vegan or a vegetarian. At first glance, there are a lot of meat, fish and dairy products on the low FODMAP food list, and it seems like it isn’t suitable for vegans. However, this diet allows plenty of low FODMAP vegetables. There’s also a variety of fruits, grains, legumes and cereals that you can enjoy. So yes, you can definitely follow a low FODMAP diet plan with vegetables and avoid animal products at the same time.
This diet can be also altered to suit anyone that eats only raw food, as well as people with lactose intolerance, gluten sensitivity and other food tolerance issues.
What Can You Eat on the Low FODMAP Diet?
One of the most common questions about low FODMAP vegetables: “Is broccoli low FODMAP?” This is a tricky one. The broccoli stem is high in FODMAP contents, but the floret is actually low FODMAP. So yes, you can have broccoli on this diet – but make sure you avoid the stems. As long as you eat only the florets you’ll be fine!
Another popular question is: “Is sweet potato low FODMAP?” The answer is: only in small servings. It’s estimated that a large portion of sweet potato contains a high amount of FODMAPs, so to avoid any uncomfortable symptoms, you should eat only small servings of sweet potato. To be precise, a ½ cup serving is considered to be low FODMAP.
How about cabbage? Cabbage is one of those vegetables that many people avoid because it can cause digestive issues. So, is cabbage low fodmap? Yes, it is. It can cause issues only when consumed in large amounts, so, similar to sweet potato, it’s best to have it in a ½ cup serving.
Low FODMAP diet plan with vegetables
Sticking to a vegan diet while remaining low in FODMAPs might be difficult, but not impossible. There are plenty of low FODMAP recipes vegan and vegetarian, that you can incorporate in your diet plan.
Here’s a list of low FODMAP vegetables to add to your meal plan:
- Broccoli (florets only)
- Broccoli stems (½ cup)
- Basil
- Bean sprouts
- Arugula
- Bamboo shoots
- Beets
- Potato
- Bell peppers
- Green beans
- Celery
- Tomato
- Cucumber
- Zucchini (1 cup)
- Sweet Potato
- Lettuce
- Pumpkin
- Olives
- Choy sum
- Green onions (tops only)
- Kale
- Spinach
- Ginger
- Chives
- Eggplant (1 cup)
- Alfalfa
- Cherry tomatoes
- Chili pepper
- Endive
- Swiss Chard
- Spaghetti Squash
- Black Beans (1/4 cup)
- Mushrooms (oyster)
- Corn (1/4 cup)
- Seaweed
Now that we know what low FODMAP vegetables we’re allowed to have, let’s look into some meal ideas. You can combine these with low FODMAP legumes, cereals, grains and if you’re not vegan or vegetarian – meats, eggs and dairy products.
Low FODMAP breakfast ideas:
- Banana blueberry smoothie
- Oatmeal with banana and raspberries
- Overnight coconut buckwheat porridge
- Low FODMAP blueberry pancakes
- Pineapple and ginger kale smoothie
- Chia pudding
- Banana and peanut butter porridge
- Chocolate smoothie with coconut and strawberries
- Raspberry lemon scones
- Peanut butter granola
- Banana oatcakes
- Peanut butter muffins
- Sweet potato toast
- Omelette with veggies and potato
- Poached eggs on toast
- Egg muffins with veggies
- Spinach and feta frittata
- Tofu scramble
- Hard boiled eggs and vegetables
- Gluten free grilled cheese sandwiches
- Gluten free waffles
- Shakshuka
Low FODMAP lunch ideas:
- Tomato and leek frittata
- Gluten free pasta salad with tomatoes, basil and fresh ricotta
- Quiche with veggies
- Ratatouille
- Chickpea salad with spinach, tomatoes and mozzarella
- Quinoa salad with feta, cucumber and bell peppers
- Kale and swiss chard sauté
- Quinoa tabbouleh
- Veggie burgers with spinach, bell peppers, rolled oats and eggs
- Gluten free spaghetti Bolognese
- Grilled salmon with veggies
- Tuna sandwich
- Low FODMAP falafel
- Roasted pumpkin and broccoli buckwheat salad
- Chicken quinoa salad
- Tuna macaroni salad
- Caesar Salad
- Ham, cheese and spinach toasted sandwich
Low FODMAP dinner ideas:
- Maple glazed turkey breast
- Grilled chicken with vegetables
- Low FODMAP Chili
- Brown rice noodle and veggie stir fry
- Beef and rice casserole
- Chicken tikka masala
- Vegetable soup with meatballs
- Risotto with spinach pesto
- Beef and potato stew
- Lamb casserole
- Low FODMAP mac and cheese
- Turkey shepherd’s pie
- Chicken enchiladas
- Potato eggplant curry
- Chicken shawarma
- Chicken and vegetable pie
- Fried rice with veggies
- Seafood chowder
The ideas above are just a small glimpse into the variety of low FODMAP foods. Maintaining this diet for up to 6 weeks shouldn’t be a problem – you’ll be inspired to cook healthy meals and best of all, you’ll get to ease your IBS symptoms. So go for it: stock your kitchen pantry with these low FODMAP foods and eat your way to a healthy gut!