Low FODMAP Diet Hacks

Happy Friday! Sorry about missing last week’s post. But I promised to make up for it so here it is.

As many of you know, I have IBS (irritable bowl syndrome). Although I manage by medication and yoga, I still struggle with colon pain and major bloating (sorry for the tmi).

Recently I saw a dietician, who put me on the low FODMAP elimination diet. Now you may be wondering, what in the world is a FODMAP?! It’s kind of a lot to explain, but you can read more about it here.

In a nutshell, the goal of the elimination diet is to remove different types of carbohydrates (such as wheat, lactose, and fructose) that tend to ferment in the gut. These carbs can cause symptoms such as bloating, gas, and cramps in people with GI issues.

I’ve been on the elimination diet for over a month, which is much longer than normal (because my system is so slow). Currently I am adding challenge foods back in to my diet one at a time to see what I can tolerate. So far it looks like wheat is good!

Anyway, this is a challenging diet, and I have slipped up a few times. But it has helped my symptoms improve a little bit.
For this post I’m going to show you some awesome foods that have helped make this diet a little easier. Now there are many *natural* foods like meat, rice, potatoes, and certain fruits and veggies to eat. But let’s face it, sometimes we need something fast and fun.

Even if you’re not on the low FODMAP diet, since wheat and lactose are not aloud on the elimination phase, all of these products are gluten and dairy free. If you’re on a gluten or dairy free diet, then these may benefit you as well!

I’ve heard people on gluten free diets say it’s hard to find good bread. Udi’s is what my dietician recommended since it’s wheat, dairy, and soy free. It tastes just like any other bread, and the burger buns and bagels are life savers! As you can see, I eat a lot of it 🙂 #carbsoncarbs

For some reason I have been craving Nutella–which contains dairy unfortunately. This dark chocolate peanut butter actually tastes better, and satisfies my sweet tooth in a nutrious way.

A lot of gluten free pretzels have high FODMAP ingredients like inulin or soy flour in them, but these don’t and taste better than regular ones! It’s a nice way to get something salty when potato chips get boring.

I love ice cream. I’m actually obsessed with it. I found out that I am a little lactose intolerant (thank the Lord for lactaid pills), but this Breyers lactose free ice cream is perfect for low FODMAPers (sorry it’s not completely dairy free). It tastes just like regular ice cream, and has a very rich vanilla flavor.

Although bananas are my favorite snack, sometimes granola bars travel better. Unfortunately, a lot of them contain hidden FODMAPs like honey. The Nature Valley peanut butter bars are amazing (but crumbly). The Nature’s Path Chococonut bars are a little bland, but the more I eat them the more they grow on me.

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you have IBS and are having trouble with symptoms, you may want to talk to your doctor about the low FODMAP diet. However, it is best not to do this yourself, as it is somewhat complicated and restrictive. Also, you need to be careful when choosing food products as we all react differently to foods. In other words, find a good dietician to guide you!

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to comment and share. I love hearing from you 🙂
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*Note–I am not being paid or endorsed by any of the companies listed above. I just love these products and wanted to share.