FODMAP Diet - recipes needed!

Hedgehog99

When I was first introduced to FODMAP, it was via a team of NHS dietitians. They gave us a booklet of do's and don'ts which included a few recipes. We then returned for a follow-up session to see if the exclusion diet had helped our symptoms and to be told how to do the re-introductions to test which excluded foods we were OK with after all - it really does vary from person to person.

Because I did the course several years ago, I still eat some foods that you have now been told to avoid - becuse the research is being updated all the time.

The Monash app is definitely worth the money. If looking for cookbooks, make sure they are authorised by Monash - they did the original reearch & there is a lot of rubbish out there from people who don't know what they're talking about.

You can make your own quick stock - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's 10 minute stock. Just leave out the onion. Make a big batch at once and freeze in portions.

Frittatas are great. I make mine with potato, sweet potato, carrot & celery, with grated cheddar on top and paprika sprinkled on top of that.

Large Sainsbury's stores have an excellent free from section. Flour, pasta etc.

I also have to be careful about the amount of fibre I eat, and the timing of drinks around meals. I drink a small glass of water before I eat, then nothing with or after food. I've given up anything fizzy or alcoholic - both give me IBS problems.

I like Provitamil Oat Drink. Although not officially GF, at the time I did the FODMAP course, it was deemed OK because the dieticians said the type of gluten in it was OK for FODMAP-ers. I chose this oat drink because it doesn't have any other ingredients we have to avoid and it is the lowest in fibre. Some seem very gloopy and contain inulin and /or apple juice.

Your body will thank you for your efforts, and like others have said, once you've read the labels and know what you can have & what suits you, shopping gets easier.

If you're out and about and stuck for something to eat, you can fall back on a packet of crisps, but get plain "real" ones - too many of the others are not low-FODMAP - added flavours or gluten - i.e. no Pring1e5.

Good luck!

It really is worth it!!

Frogletina

I'm starting this diet on Monday after seeing a dietitian this week. I've been told to do this for 6 weeks before introducing the excluded food groups one at a time.

I'm also vegetarian but there seems to be enough food on the ok list for me to not have much trouble.

frogletina

maddiemay

A big thank you to DebbyM for starting this thread and to all you have come up with so many great suggestions.

I am desperate to get my digestive system back in order after a prolonged spell of really bad IBS (have other conditions which may be contributory, but there will be no quick fix there), so will consider almost anything now to see if it helps me regain my life, be able to absorb some nutrients and stop losing any more weight. After 2 days of loosely following FODMAP way of eating, I have seen significant improvement, but it may take me a little while to fully get my head around the practicalities and make food substitutions.

I have also just purchased the Kindle edition of information about the Fast tract way of eating, which in some ways looks as if it may be easier to follow. I will see what I can make of all this information and what works for me.

CurlyTop

Hi

I would add that onions and garlic are particularly high on the bad list for ibs sufferers. This news came just as I had been introduced to the pleasures of crushing fresh garlic 20 odd years ago so I avoided both. Feeling my food was lacking a certain something I tried garlic puree, which you can buy in the supermarket and this seemed to work, but the down side is that once it's opened you have to use it within a certain time frame. I've recently been introduced to garlic granules which last a longer time. This way I can have my garlic without the effect.

As for onions ... you can have the green part of this. Not ideal I know but at least you can have a bit of flavour with salads.

As for other onions, I love red onion but the payback when I eat a fresh one, isn't worth the hassle. My way round it, frozen white onions. A gentler taste and I don't know whether it's because they are frozen (and somewhat 'diluted') but there is little impact to my system. I also only have them about once a fortnight. Same, etc with the garlic.

I personally feel the key for me is the lactofree milk. As I drink so much tea, this has reduced my bloated feelings somewhat.

I cook from scratch things like, spaghetti bolognese;chilli (minus beans for me); have lots of fish with vegetables; roast dinner although stuffing can be a pain so I decide whether to have the hassle or not (yes I am weak); fish pie (no cheese sauce made - just whack fish in bottom of dish and mash on top with grated hard cheese (which I can have); fish with anchovies a bit of breadcrumb (paxo in a drum) on top with new potatoes and vegetables. Stock cubes haven'the given me any trouble to be fair but then I don'the use them that often - although I have just bought a slow cooker so have used two in a beef stew that is slowly cooking away.

Having away sweet tooth, milk chocolate is out. I would never eat a block of dairy milk but will eat a picnic for instance. Nuts kill me as much as I love them but once again I am weak again and fancy a blowout every preston guild so I only do this when I am home (short toilet stops could make for another thread:rotfl:).

In the main I stick to a lot of fodmap things as a way of life but what I have found is what foods from the high list I should either reduce or avoid and I think that is key, they are either to be avoided or reduced. Everyone works differently. I would also say that you should be mindful of the list as it really is trial and error, for instance pineapple is low but this upsets my tummy dreadfully as does oranges - I get around the oranges by only having one very few days, because I would be in a bad way having one every day!

Hope you're getting some tips from here. Keep your chin up - it is doable and you will find some days that you feel that you hate eating like this. That's fine - go ahead ahead and eat your old way and see if you have any side effects - if you react to something, it will make you feel quiffy and remind you why you are doing this. Just takes a little getting used to - just like riding a bike!

X

Soozy_B

My OH and I have been on a Low FODMAP diet for about 18 months now. Some foods he has been able to re-introduce, however he feels a lot better when he follows the diet pretty strictly.

I did a whole Low FODMAP christmas dinner last year which had three meats, yorkshire puddings (using GF flour and LF milk....yes they do rise!), pigs in blankets (Australia has a great range of GF sausages that don't have onion and garlic in them), roasted carrots and parsnips using rice maple syrup, brussell sprouts with bacon, roast potatoes, mash (using LF butter and milk).... it was really yummy!!

OH also made a full GF, LF and Sugar Free trifle! It is possible if you are prepared to cook from scratch and use some obscure ingredients.

Hope my waffle helps and gives you a little boost? Low FODMAP doesn't need to be boring.

maddiemay

Soozy_B wrote: »

My OH and I have been on a Low FODMAP diet for about 18 months now. Some foods he has been able to re-introduce, however he feels a lot better when he follows the diet pretty strictly.

I did a whole Low FODMAP christmas dinner last year which had three meats, yorkshire puddings (using GF flour and LF milk....yes they do rise!), pigs in blankets (Australia has a great range of GF sausages that don't have onion and garlic in them), roasted carrots and parsnips using rice maple syrup, brussell sprouts with bacon, roast potatoes, mash (using LF butter and milk).... it was really yummy!!

OH also made a full GF, LF and Sugar Free trifle! It is possible if you are prepared to cook from scratch and use some obscure ingredients.

Hope my waffle helps and gives you a little boost? Low FODMAP doesn't need to be boring.

All sounds delicious:D

I have ordered some of the Massel stock cubes, looking forward to making soups again. I have a yummy batch of GF cheddar cheese scones in the freezer, makes a lovely lunch or light supper.

117pauline

I am another who has found the low FODMAP diet very successful.

But I have found that it is easy to take your eye off the ball, particularly over Christmas or when I am feeling fragile. The stupid thing is, the more fragile I feel, the more I need to keep a tight rein on my diet but the more I "treat myself" with the wrong food.

My nutritionist was fantastic and very positive about the whole thing. I think that really helps when you are first following the plan.

Also I have noticed that different people will react differently to foods or a combination of foods. It really is trial and error. I kept a really detailed diary showing foods, timings, bathroom visits (sorry) and other symptoms as well as my moods.

It has just occurred to me that I ought to go back to basics again because my IBS is really out of control.

As a final point, additives and more processed foods are the worst for me.

Pinterest is a fantastic resource for low FODMAP recipes.

Soozy_B

maddiemay wrote: »

All sounds delicious:D

I have ordered some of the Massel stock cubes, looking forward to making soups again. I have a yummy batch of GF cheddar cheese scones in the freezer, makes a lovely lunch or light supper.

Aww great news! I did think of you when I was in MrT as the weekend and scoured through the FreeFrom range of stock .....nearly all of them use onion and garlic in!!

The only other thing you can do when you have one is boil your chicken carcass.

I am looking forward to making some scones and bread rolls at the weekend!!

Soozy_B

The best thing I cut out of my diet was apples!

I would drink a couple of pints of cider and within the hour I was rushing to the loo (sorry for the overshare) or if I ate an apple, I would have the worse stomach cramps.

My FIL offered me a cider over Christmas and not wanting to offend I had one....it certainly re-confirmed that I should steer clear!

juliesname

Recipe for GF cheese scones, pretty please? Tried several times but all awful.

Many, many thanks in anticipation!

Julie.