Low FODMAP Lunch: Delicious Ways to Build a Gut-Friendly Meal!

Following a low FODMAP diet can be a challenge, so planning ahead can be crucial in making mealtime easier. Prepping for your low FODMAP lunch can help with variety and keep you feeling more satisfied through the afternoon. 

What is Low FODMAP?

If you have digestive concerns, you may have heard the term low FODMAP. FODMAP is an acronym for Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, and Monosaccharides And Polyols. These are long names for carbohydrates (sugars) that travel through the gut partially undigested and then ferment in the colon. This fermentation causes unwanted digestive symptoms in IBS individuals such as diarrhea, constipation, gas, and bloating.

Essential Ingredients for Low FODMAP Lunches

When building a low FODMAP lunch, I like to use the myplate method as a reminder of the importance of balancing your plate with all primary macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. To further break this down, ideally a breakfast has a protein, carbohydrate (starch+fruit), fat, and dairy if desired. Whereas a lunch ideally has a protein, carbohydrate (starch), fat, vegetable, and dairy/fruit if desired.

When embarking on the low FODMAP elimination phase, some foods under each macronutrient groups will be restricted. Below are broken down sections to aid in putting together your meals during this dietary approach.

Protein

Most proteins do not have portion limitations in regards to the FODMAP’s. when it comes to animal proteins, all cuts are low FODMAP as well. For example, chicken thigh and chicken wings are both low FODMAP. The exception to the rule for portion sizes would be some of the legumes. Choose cooking methods such as grilling, roasting, searing, and baking. Breaded or fried foods can contain FODMAPs in the breading or seasonings used.

• • Poultry: chicken, turkey
  • Red meats: beef, lamb, bison, pork, etc.
  • Bacon
  • Plain deli meats
  • Any seafood
  • Firm or extra firm tofu
  • Tempeh
  • Canned lentils (1/4 cup)
  • Canned drained chickpeas (1/4 cup)
  • Eggs 
  • Dairy products such as lactose free yogurt/cottage cheese, cheese, and protein isolate powders.
  • Nuts and seeds: all except pistachio, cashew, and large amounts of almonds.

Carbohydrates

Despite not being a full gluten free diet, most of the carbohydrate choices will be gluten free. The exception to this would be spelt sourdough bread so check your local bakery if the gluten free options aren’t doing it for you!

• • Gluten-free grains (rice, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, corn)
  • Low FODMAP breads such as schar, or canyon bakehouse
  • Gluten free pasta: barilla is my favorite!
  • Gluten free tortilla
  • Potatoes
  • Sweet potatoes (1/2 cup raw)

Vegetables

To some, the vegetable options may not seem the most abundant on this dietary approach. They aren’t wrong! Especially when it comes to the vegetables that you can eat freely without any concern over the portions. Many vegetables are portion sensitive so please keep that in mind when choosing your meals. This food group is also one to remember the concept of FODMAP stacking. FODMAP stacking is pairing multiple low FODMAP foods together that can become high FODMAP and cause symptoms. 

• • Carrots
  • Cucumber
  • Cabbage—varying portion sizes depending on the type but typically safe at ½ cup servings.
  • Eggplant
  • Edamame (1/2 cup)
  • Hearts of palm
  • Green bell pepper (1/2 cup)
  • Green beans
  • Leafy greens such as romaine, iceberg, arugula, collard greens, and spinach.
  • Oyster mushroom
  • Olives
  • Tomatoes
  • Radish

Fruits

Just like vegetables, fruits can become high FODMAP based on portion sizes and ripeness of fruit. Choose from these options below!

• • Unripe banana
  • Berries except for blackberries. Raspberry portion of 1/3 cup.
  • Dragon fruit
  • Kiwi
  • Melon
  • Orange
  • Pineapple

Dairy and Dairy Alternatives

As you may know by now, the low FODMAP diet is not dairy free, but it is lactose free. Because cheese is very low in lactose, most of the cheeses are low FODMAP in small servings aside from the soft ones. By soft I mean, cottage, ricotta, and cream cheese which ironically enough have lactose free alternatives! The abundance of lactose free products on the market has increased in the last few years, but if you have trouble finding them, dairy free options can take the place! 

• • Butter or vegan butter
  • Dairy free cheese (my favorite brand is violife and follow your heart)
  • Hard cheeses (cheddar, parmesan, etc)
  • Lactose-free milk
  • Lactose free Greek yogurt
  • Lactose free cottage cheese
  • Nondairy milks: Almond, coconut, flax, macadamia, rice, and quinoa milks

Low FODMAP Lunch Ideas

• Stuffed Peppers
• Tofu Zucchini Rice Bowls
• Your favorite low FODMAP salad ingredients with a tasty low FODMAP dressing 
• Turkey sandwich on a low FODMAP bread with 1/8th avocado, lettuce, tomato
• Sushi rolls
• Salmon avocado “boats” (lettuce wraps)
• Tuna salad with GF crackers and low FODMAP fruit
• Pasta Salad
• Chicken wrap made with chicken, cheddar cheese, bell pepper, and carrots in a Trader Joe’s brown rice wrap
• Chicken and cheese quesadilla made with a gluten free tortilla
• Shrimp and broccoli stir fry with soy sauce, minced ginger, and sesame oil
• Mason jar salads
• Low FODMAP beef tacos
• 2 oz of Applegate roasted turkey, cheddar cheese stick, ½ cup raspberries, handful of rice crackers
• Low FODMAP protein bar, lactose free yogurt, sliced cucumbers with rice vinegar, 1 clementine
• 2 tbsp peanut butter, gluten free pretzels, 2 hardboiled eggs, 4 medium strawberries

Meal Prep Tips

Planning Ahead

Planning and prepping meals can feel daunting and stressful regardless of if you are following an elimination diet. Now when you add food restrictions that will greatly impact what you will be purchasing at the store, that stress can be even higher. Planning ahead and grocery shopping strategically will make the low FODMAP diet that much easier. Plus, if you have a low FODMAP meal or snack on hand, you will not feel the need to veer off the approach due to accessibility and potentially experience GI symptoms.

Here are some tips I give my clients when it comes to planning ahead:

• Look at your week in advance so you can account for kid’s sports, later work days, time out with friends etc. You may also want to consider other household members preferences
• The first step to cooking is grocery shopping. I personally like to choose 4 meals I want to make and then make a grocery list. Feel free to grab a few frozen options to have on hand. move your non low FODMAP products to the back of your pantry and take a note of the replacements you will need to purchase. Once you have created your shopping list, you are ready to go!
• Your first grocery store trip before embarking on this diet will likely be one of your longer ones. You will need to read labels, and find some new go-to’s such as a bread, gluten free pasta, crackers. You may also want to purchase some specific low FODMAP products from FODY foods like sauces, condiments, pasta sauces etc. As you visit the store more and more, you will know where to find your specialty products and what to look for!
• If you want to take meal prepping one step further, chopping up your ingredients in advance would be another great time saver.

Batch Cooking

Meal preparation styles really vary from person to person. Schedules for work and extra-curriculars play a large role in the decision to do batch or bulk cooking. Batch cooking is basically preparing meals in advance, and in large portions. Crockpots and sheet pans are great for this. The prepared food can then be used in different ways to save time but also to ensure you do not get bored of your meals. Some foods will stay good leftover better than others. For example, a sandwich will not hold up as well as a rice dish!

Here are general meal ideas that are great for batch cooking:

• Mason Jar salads
• Casseroles or baked dishes like this Tex Mex bake
• Pasta dishes using FODY marinara sauce or Prego sensitive pasta sauce.
  • Add some grilled chicken and spinach for a high protein and fiber meal.
• Crockpot soups or stews
  • Soups are great for freezing so you have it on hand for a later date. Try this beef stew! 
• Crockpot shredded chicken with FODY salsa. 
  • No recipe required for this one, throw your chicken, salsa, and a tbsp of olive oil into the crockpot and let it do the work for you!
  • This chicken can then be used in tacos, on salads, in wraps and many more ways. 
• Sheet-pan chicken and vegetables in the oven. 
  • Complete the meal with a pre-made pot of rice at the beginning of the week and you are ready to roll!

Storage Tips

If batch or bulk cooking is your preference, how you store your meals will also save you time. I suggest dividing them among containers after they are prepped. This may require an upgrade of your Tupperware but it’ll be worth it in the end!

If you’re making a salad, use mason jars with all of the ingredients and dressing in one container. If you are doing a rice bowl with many ingredients, use Tupperware with 3 sections. Not only is it going to be convenient for heating up the next day, but airtight containers can be frozen for quick meals in the future. Most meals you make will stay good in the fridge for 3-4 days depending on the ingredients!

Additional Resources

With any major dietary shift or change, more resources can be, but aren’t always better. I find this mostly with handouts on food lists that can at times be conflicting depending on when they were updated. This causes confusion for clients so I suggested sticking with one and then building additional resources around that. Helpful resources consist of books/guides, and phone apps. Hopefully in the future, support groups for IBS can become more mainstream!

Phone Apps

• Spoonful
  • This is a favorite of mine in my own day to day counseling but also for clients especially when they are in the initial phases of the elimination diet. This app allows you to scan labels or type in product brands to see if it’s likely to be low FODMAP based on the ingredients. A time saver when you are grocery shopping for suitable products 
• Monash University App
  • Probably the best known FODMAP phone app, this app was made by the governing corporation who decides the FODMAP food portion sizes and certifications. The cost at $9 can be a setback, but also allows you to search foods and see low, medium, and high FODMAP portions. It also provides recipes, food diary tracking and more. This app is especially helpful if you are not currently seeing a dietitian and are embarking on the FODMAP challenges on your own. 
• FODMAP Friendly
  • Another app that allows searching for certified low FODMAP products and suitable portion sizes for whole foods. I find this app more difficult to navigate and slightly less comprehensive than the Monash App, but still a great resource.

Books and Guides:

• Low FODMAP Diet: Step by Step by Kate Scarlata and Dede Wilson
• Monash University low FODMAP Cookbook
• The Gut Friendly Cookbook by Alana Scott
• The Low FODMAP IBS Solution by Rachel Pauls
  • Vegan and vegetarian low FODMAP recipes as well!

Online Communities:

• IBSpatient.org has community outreach options for support with IBS. There are posts and informational pieces that can be accessed by the public.
• Online communities and support groups haven’t become mainstream yet, but I hope to see more of these in the future. Some of my clients have used Facebook groups in the past so that is an option. Since these are not typically over-seen by an administrator, anyone can join so be aware of information you may come across.

Watch Dietitian Kaitlin preparing 2 of these Low FODMAP lunch recipes!

Do you need help managing your IBS symptoms? Make an appointment with one of our dietitians by calling 301-474-2499 or clicking here.