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Low fodmap diet

Low FODMAP Diet
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What is the low-FODMAP diet?

A low-FODMAP diet is used to find out if certain foods make irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) worse. You stop eating high-FODMAP foods for 2 to 6 weeks. Then you slowly add them back to see how your body reacts.

This is called an elimination diet. A dietitian or doctor can help you follow this diet.

FODMAPs are types of carbohydrates that can be hard for your body to digest. They are in many types of foods. FODMAP stands for:

  • Fermentable.
  • Oligosaccharides.
  • Disaccharides.
  • Monosaccharides.
  • And polyols.

If you have IBS, foods that are high in FODMAPs may make your symptoms worse. When you are on this diet, you can still eat carbohydrates that are low in FODMAPs. This includes certain fruits, vegetables, grains, and low-lactose dairy products.

What is the low-FODMAP diet used for?

This diet is used to help manage symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The diet limits foods that are high in FODMAPs.

High-FODMAP foods can be hard to digest. They pull more fluid into your intestines. They are also easily fermented. This can lead to bloating, belly pain, gas, and diarrhea.

The low-FODMAP diet can help you figure out what foods to avoid. And it can help you find foods that are easier to digest.

This diet can help with IBS symptoms. But it's not a cure. You will still need to manage your condition.

How does the low-FODMAP diet work?

At first, you won't eat any high-FODMAP foods for a few weeks.

It can be helpful to work with a dietitian who is trained in the low-FODMAP diet when you try this diet. They can help you find recipes and FODMAP food lists to use while you are on the diet.

After 2 to 6 weeks, you will start to try high-FODMAP foods again. You will add those foods back to your diet, one at a time. Your doctor or dietitian will probably have you wait a few days before you add each new food.

Keep a food diary. You can write down the foods you try and note how they make you feel.

After a few weeks, you may have a better idea of what foods you should avoid and what foods you can eat without triggering IBS symptoms.

What foods are on the low-FODMAP diet?

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Your guide to low-FODMAP foods

Food Group

Okay to Eat

Avoid

Grains

Grains
  • Foods made from grains like arrowroot, buckwheat, cornmeal, millet, oats, potato flour, quinoa, rice, sorghum, tapioca, and teff.
  • Cereals, pasta, breads, corn tortillas, and baked goods made from these grains. (These may be labeled "gluten-free.")
  • Grains like wheat, barley, and rye. Ingredients like bulgur, couscous, durum, and semolina contain wheat. This includes many cereals, breads, and pastas.
  • Chickpea, lentil, and pea flour.

Proteins

Proteins
  • Most meat, fish, and eggs. But make sure that they don't have high-FODMAP sauces.
  • Nuts, including a small amount (10) of almonds or hazelnuts. Macadamia, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, and walnuts are okay.
  • Chia and pumpkin seeds, tofu, and tempeh.
  • Beans, chickpeas, lentils, and soybeans.
  • Pistachio and cashew nuts.
  • Fatty or fried meats.
  • Some sausages that have high-FODMAP ingredients.

Dairy

Dairy
  • Lactose-free dairy milks. Rice milk and almond milk are okay. You can also eat lactose-free yogurts, kefirs, ice creams, and sorbet from low-FODMAP fruits and sweeteners. (These are often labeled "lactose-free.")
  • A small amount (2 Tbsp) of cottage, cream, or ricotta cheese. Hard cheeses like cheddar, Colby, Parmesan, or Swiss are okay.
  • Small amounts (1 oz) of aged or ripened cheeses like Brie, blue, and feta.
  • Milk, including cow, goat, and sheep.
  • Condensed or evaporated milk, buttermilk, custard, cream, sour cream, yogurt, and ice cream.
  • Soy milk.

Vegetables

Vegetables
  • Bamboo shoots, bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage (red or white), chili peppers, collard greens, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, lettuce, olives, parsnip, potatoes, pumpkin, rutabaga, seaweed, sprouts, Swiss chard, and spinach. You can have scallion (green part only) and yellow or spaghetti squash. You can have tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yam, zucchini.
  • Small amounts of artichoke hearts (from can, 1 oz), carrots, corn (½ cob), and sweet potato (½ cup).
  • Artichokes, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cabbage (savoy), cauliflower, celery, garlic, leeks, mushrooms, okra, onions, scallions (white part), shallots, and peas.

Fruits

Fruits
  • Bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapes, honeydew, kiwi, lemons, limes, oranges, passion fruit, papaya, pineapple, plantain, raspberries, rhubarb, star fruit, strawberries, tangelos, and tangerines.
  • Small amounts of dried banana chips (up to 10 chips) are okay. So are dried cranberries (1 Tbsp) and shredded coconut (up to ¼ cup).
  • Apples, applesauce, apricots, avocados, blackberries, boysenberries, cherries, dates, figs, grapefruit, guava, lychee, mangoes, nectarines, peaches, pears, persimmon, plums, prunes, tamarillo, and watermelon.
  • Limit most canned and dried fruits.

Oils, spices, condiments, and sweeteners

Oils, spices, condiments, and sweeteners
  • Vegetable oils (garlic infused is okay). You can also have butter, ghee, lard, and margarine.
  • Most fresh herbs like basil, chives, coriander, ginger, parsley, rosemary and thyme.
  • Salt.
  • Some jams, made from low-FODMAP fruits, mayo, mustard, soy sauce, hot sauce (no garlic), tamari, and vinegar.
  • Sweeteners such as sugar (sucrose), powdered (confectioner's) sugar, brown sugar, glucose, and maple syrup. You can have some artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, saccharine, and stevia.
  • Sauces and other foods with high fructose corn syrup, honey, molasses, and agave.
  • Chutneys, hummus, jellies, garlic sauces, gravies made with onion or garlic, pickles, relish, some salad dressings and soup stocks, salsa, and tomato paste.
  • Artificial sweeteners (isomalt, mannitol, malitol, sorbitol, and xylitol). Also avoid corn syrup solids, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, and polydextrose.

Other food and drinks

Other food and drinks
  • Water, soda water, tonic, soft drinks sweetened with sugar, ½ cup of low-FODMAP fruit juice, and most teas and alcohols.
  • Baking powder and soda, cocoa, and gelatin.
  • Juices from high-FODMAP fruits and vegetables.
  • Fortified wines, chamomile and fennel teas, chicory-based drinks and coffee substitutes, and bouillon cubes.

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The content above contains general health information provided by Healthwise, Incorporated, and reviewed by its medical experts. This content should not replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Not all treatments or services described are offered as services by us. For recommended treatments, please consult your healthcare provider.

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