FODMAPs friendly family dinner

I just posted the recipes for this meal on my other blog.

The (vegan, gluten free) menu:

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Creamed Corn

Tomato & Avocado salad

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

I had no GI issues whatsoever after this meal and everyone (vegan and non-vegans) enjoyed it, so I wanted to elaborate a bit on the FODMAPs foods in the recipes and why I chose certain ingredients over others.

I couldn’t really think of an organized way of writing it out, though, so here are my thoughts in note form:

• The entire menu is gluten and wheat free – not because I can’t tolerate wheat or gluten, but because I try not to mix different FODMAP groups in the same meal (ie no galactans with fructans).
• In layman’s terms, I avoid mixing beans and soy with wheat.
• Since I wanted to make the bell pepper stuffing with black beans, I decided that galactans were going to be the FODMAP of the meal.
• This is why I chose quinoa and rice as opposed to whole wheat based grains.  Millet could have been a good FODMAPs free option too.
• I wasn’t too worried about the use of beans even though they are a FODMAP food because like I said, I have found that my system tolerates small amounts of FODMAPs when they are eaten in exclusion of others.
• Tofu is not a problem food for me, but please trial foods on your own.  Don’t apply my personal experiences to your own because everyone is different.  Soy in other forms (protein isolate for example) is definitely not my friend.
• Legumes are still a food I’m working out.  I used a moderate amount of black beans because they are high in GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides).  Per bell pepper there was probably 1/8 cup of beans.  Not a lot.
• I treat fresh corn like I treat tofu.  It’s listed as a moderate FODMAP food, but I don’t seem to have GI issues with it.  That said, real corn is very different from the over processed GMO crap that’s in packaged food.  Just like I avoid soy isolates, I steer clear of ingredients like corn syrup solids.  Again, do your own trial and error with this one.
• As an FYI, the latest FODMAP book published by MONASH recommends 1/2 cob of corn as an appropriate serving for a low FODMAP diet.
• Avocado has moderate amounts of polyols, but is truly only an issue for those with sorbitol malabsorption.  Out of all the FODMAPs groups, polyols (like mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, etc) are the least problematic for me.  Unfortunately, many of the fruits and veggies in this category have other sources of FODMAPs like fructose, so they I have to limit them (or eliminate them altogether) for that reason.  This is especially true for  apples and stone fruit.  Fortunately for me, avocado is only in the polyol group, and my digestive system (and taste buds) love it.
• Onion and garlic powder are not recommended, you can get around this by infusing oils with onion and garlic, thereby getting the flavors without the FODMAPs.  You can make your own or buy already flavored oils like Garlic Gold brand.
• I was really tempted to use Greek yogurt in the stuffing recipe because I knew the tangy creamy quality would complement the Mexican flavors really well, but obviously that would bring another FODMAP group (lactose) into the mix.  I made tofu ricotta instead – a much more FODMAP friendly decision.
• I used pretty colored (non-green) bell peppers on purpose.  The green ones have a fair amount of polyols because they are less ripe.  Apparently the ripening process changes the chemistry of the peppers.  Since red peppers have more time on the vine, the polyols are removed, so in addition to being sweeter, red, orange & yellow peppers are also FODMAPs friendly.

I think that’s it!

Like I said, the meal was a huge hit which was obviously the point.  I could have probably made substitutions in the recipes to make them even lower in FODMAPs (like swapping tempeh for black beans), but I wanted to make dishes with familiar foods available to all.

Anyway, the recipes are all available here.   Enjoy!

*Figuring out which FODMAP groups you tolerate in what portion size is paramount to preparing IBS friendly meals.  It may seem complicated, but I promise once you learn which groups are which, it gets easier and easier until it’s routine.  I never understood why my gut would rebel from a certain food one day and tolerate it fine the next, but once I learned about limiting the FODMAPs load on my gut per meal, it made it so much easier to enjoy meals.  This way of eating has nearly eliminated the wild card of GI pain.  Now I know when I mess up (and deviate from the low FODMAPs diet) so any resulting digestive issues aren’t unexpected.

These resources have been really helpful for me, but I’m still doing more research every day.  If you’re interested in FODMAPs do your homework!  It’s not magic, and it’s not for everyone.  I’ve had success, but I’m also still in the learning phase.  I’m by no means an expert and I would never advocate anyone trying FODMAPs for GI problems without first seeking medical advice.