So many people are finding relief from digestive problems by eating LOW FODMAP, but it really is a different way of cooking and eating. It is a restrictive diet, but with a bit of planning, it can become routine. Here is a good way to get started with basics.
Many people start to find relief by avoiding gluten, lactose, onions, garlic, honey and tree fruits.
Try it and see how you feel.
BREAKFAST
Toast: Low Ingredient Gluten free breads or Cereals (Udi’s, Dempsters)
Hot Cereal: Oatmeal (can find wheat free oats if needed for Celiac Disease)
Eggs (if tolerated)
Low Lactose Cheese: brie, camembert, cheddar, Colby, cottage, feta, Fontina, Havarti, mozzarella, Parmesan, Pecorino, Swiss
Lactose free Milk/Greek Yogurt/Sour Cream
Nut butters: almonds, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts
Jam (blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, loganberry, cranberry)
Banana Pancake
mash 1 ripe banana, 1 egg, 2 Tbsp gluten free flour, touch of cinnamon/vanilla (optional) cook at medium heat
serve with a spoon full of lactose free yogurt, berries and a drizzle of real maple syrup
LUNCH/DINNER
Low FODMAP Pasta Sauce (without onions/garlic)
You can use this sauce as a base for chili or any tomato based dish. The trick is adding flavoring without onions/garlic. Caramelized carrots and fennel does the trick.
Put a few cloves of whole garlic into a bit of olive oil and simmer for a few minutes then remove the garlic. It is okay to do this because the FODMAP;s are water soluble so you will just get the flavor in the oil without the FODMAP’s.
You can also use garlic infused olive oil.
Then add aromatics that are low FODMAP ie carrots, fennel (eat the stalk, bulb but not the hard white centre)
Dice the carrots and fennel and simmer in oil to slowly brown it (caramelize just like onions)
Can add a little wine as well
Add canned, fresh or jarred tomatoes
If using meat in your sauce, take veggies out of pan and slowly brown the meat)
Add caramelized veggies back to pan
Add fresh or dried oregano, basil, parsley
Salt and pepper and simmer.
Finish sauce with some kale or spinach and mashed up chick peas for protein if you didn’t use meat.
Breaded Foods
Thin sliced chicken, tofu or fish coated with rice flour
Put into a couple of whipped eggs and then throw into a bag of gluten free rice bread crumbs
Spritz some olive oil on top of chicken pieces or put each piece in a little plate of oil before putting in pan
(this makes it crunchy)
Can freeze these now or cook first in oven 350 for 35-40 minutes, and then freeze some extra pieces.
Vegetables (generally cooked veggies are better tolerated)
Potato Wedges: can toss in oil or put on a nonstick pan.
Best to start at 350 for 1/2 hour and then once almost cooked through, turn up to 450 for 20 – 30 minutes>
Quick way to do it is to put in oven at high heat at 425 for about 20 minutes.
Roasted Peppers, Zucchini, Eggplant, Parsnips, Carrots
Grill or roast in oven.
Add 1/4 up of wine, stock or water after removing vegetables from pan, in order to get the flavorful pieces stuck to bottom
Fish (suggest heavy Iron Grill Pan or BBQ)
Marinades:
Mix gluten free Tamari and sesame oil and marinate fish from 10 minutes to overnight
(add liquid smoke to marinade if you like the flavor)
Need pan to be very hot, put flesh side down first and sear lines on your fish
Don’t touch it until you have char lines on bottom, then flip with metal spatula
Put a little dijon and maple syrup on top side of fish, at the very end of cooking.
You can use same marinade with tofu, tempeh, chicken.
Home made low FODMAP Salad Dressing
Three major components to every salad dressing:
Oil: olive oil, sesame oil, walnut oil, nut butter
Sweet: maple syrup/brown sugar/white sugar (but not honey, agave)
Acid: low FODMAP Rice Vinegar, lemons, limes, orange juice, apple cider vinegar (usually ok even though apples are high FODMAP)
Touch of dijon mustard or tamari
A bit of water will thin out salad dressing slightly and stretch it
Try salad dressing with whatever food you are going to serve it on.
A bit of salt and pepper
Pickled foods like a small pickled jalepeno can be a problem for some. It really is different for most people. So can try a small amount.
SNACKS
Toasted Flavourful Nuts
Mix raw almonds, pecans, walnuts with olive oil, smoked paprika, touch of cumin/coriander/dried cilantro. Bake in oven at 200 – 350 depending on how much time you have (15 minutes to a few hours). Stir a few times.
Low FODMPA Humous (without garlic/onion)
Blend together one can chickpeas or lentils, lemon juice, 1 Tbsp tahini (sesame seeds), salt/pepper, 1 or 2 roasted red pepper plus the liquid from jar, a little olive oil (can us garlic infused oil), fresh cilantro and a little water if needed to make it smooth. Serve with Mary’s Crackers.
