Low FODMAP Meal Plan

If you have irritable bowel syndrome or unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms after eating, you may have come across the low FODMAP diet in an attempt to improve your digestive troubles. 

While the low FODMAP diet does eliminate potentially gut-disrupting foods, it can often be difficult to follow—especially in the beginning. 

Fortunately, we’re here to help—keep reading to learn more about what FODMAPs are, tips for low FODMAP meal prep, and an easy-to-follow low FODMAP diet meal plan. 

What Are FODMAPs?

FODMAP is an acronym for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols.

FODMAPs are all types of carbohydrates that can trigger digestive symptoms in some people, as they are often poorly absorbed by the small intestine.

Specific types of carbohydrates with high FODMAP levels include fructose, fructans, lactose, galactans, and polyols. 

FODMAPs are found in many common foods, especially certain fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and legumes. 

Some of the most common high FODMAP foods include:

• Fruit: Apples, apricots, avocadoes, blackberries, cherries, dates, fruit juices, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, prunes, ripe bananas, and watermelon
• Vegetables: Artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli stalks, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, garlic, green onions, leeks, mushrooms, onions, and shallots
• Dairy: Cream cheese, cottage cheese, ice cream, milk, ricotta cheese, and yogurt
• Grains and legumes: Beans of all kinds, cashews, chickpeas, hummus, lentils, rye, wheat and wheat-containing foods (bread, pasta, cookies, crackers)
• Other: Almonds, high-fructose corn syrup, inulin fiber, pistachios, sugar alcohols (erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol)

As most, but not all, of these foods are nutritious and contain healthy amounts of fiber, it’s not always recommended to be on a low FODMAP diet plan for life.

Many people find digestive comfort after following this elimination diet for 4-6 weeks, then reintroducing foods one at a time.

Tips for Low FODMAP Meal Planning

Although the list of high FODMAP foods to avoid may seem daunting, there are some helpful tips for making a low FODMAP meal plan:

• Rather than coming up with entirely new meal ideas, think about your favorite or most commonly consumed foods and tweak some of the ingredients. For example, if you love spaghetti with garlicky marinara, you could eat brown rice spaghetti with a garlic- and onion-free pasta sauce. 
• Garlic and onions tend to trigger some of the most unpleasant IBS symptoms, but you could use garlic-infused olive oil if you don’t want to miss out on the flavor.
• Educate yourself on how to read labels, and keep a cheatsheet on your phone about which foods and ingredients are high FODMAP to avoid while grocery shopping. 
• Prepare large batches of low FODMAP meals in advance so you can avoid the stress of thinking about what to cook for a few days at a time. 
• For each meal, try to have one protein, one or two types of low FODMAP vegetables (see below for a list), and one low FODMAP carbohydrate source. 

Low FODMAP Grocery Staples

Although the list of high FODMAP foods to avoid seems long, there are also plenty of low FODMAP grocery staples to add to your list. 

Many prepackaged or ready-to-eat foods can be challenging to eat because of the variety of ingredients and potentially high FODMAP ingredients. 

Some of our favorite on-the-go, low FODMAP snacks are GoMacro Bars, with 7 of their 15 bars being Certified FODMAP Friendly.

Other low FODMAP foods include:

• Fruits: Bananas (unripe or green), blueberries and raspberries (small amounts), cantaloupe, kiwi, oranges, and pineapple 
• Vegetables: Bok choy, broccoli florets (not the stalks), carrots, cucumbers, green beans, lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, and zucchini 
• Proteins: Chicken, eggs, fish, seafood, turkey, red meat, tofu, walnuts, and seeds
• Dairy: Almond milk, lactose-free milk and yogurt, soy milk, and hard cheeses 
• Grains: Rice (brown and white), rice noodles, gluten-free pasta, gluten-free bread, quinoa, and oats
• Fats: Avocado oil, butter, olive oil, and garlic-infused olive oil
• Snacks: GoMacro Bars, peanut butter, hard-boiled eggs, low FODMAP nuts (walnuts, peanuts, pine nuts, macadamia nuts), rice cakes with peanut butter, popcorn, or mozzarella string cheese (in small amounts). 

Example of a Low FODMAP Meal Plan

FAQs About Low FODMAP Meal Plans

Key Takeaways

• FODMAP is an acronym that stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols—all of these are types of carbohydrates that can be poorly absorbed in the small intestine, causing digestive discomfort. 
• The low FODMAP diet can be challenging to follow, as the list of high FODMAP foods is long and comprises many food groups. 
• There are plenty of meals that can be made out of low FODMAP foods, with a focus on proteins, gluten-free grains, healthy fats, low-fructose fruits, and low FODMAP vegetables.