If you are interested in healing your digestion and treating conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, then you have probably been looking into following a low FODMAP diet. This is a type of elimination diet where you eat only foods on the low FODMAP list, then gradually add one food at a time to figure out what your body is sensitive to.
Before you can start this type of elimination diet, you need to know what foods you can eat, and which ones you can’t. Here is a list of the high and low FODMAP foods so you know what to eat or avoid.
Avoid These High FODMAP Foods
First of all, you should know what foods you are avoiding or reducing. Most people will skip them entirely, but depending on your circumstances, you might just want to reduce how much you consume them for a while. To start with, you should avoid garlic and onions as much as you can. These tend to affect your digestive system, so stick to other ways of seasoning your food. Many fruits are on the high FODMAP list and should be avoided because they can be high in fructose. These include, but are not limited to:
- Bananas
- Apples
- Cherries
- Nectarines
- Grapefruit
- Mango
- Peaches
- Pears
- Blackberries
There are many vegetables you can eat, but avoid some of them, like;
- Cauliflower
- Asparagus
- Artichoke
- Larger stocks of celery.
Most meat is fine, though you want to avoid sausage and chorizo.
Avoid wheat products, including baked goods, pasta, bread, biscuits, and cereals. Some nuts are not allowed, like walnuts and pistachios.
You are also avoiding sweeteners and a variety of other foods. Make sure you see a complete list of foods that you should not consume while following the low FODMAP diet.
Enjoy These Low-FODMAP Foods
An easier way to plan your meals is to know the low-FODMAP foods. That way, you can print out a list of these foods and head to the grocery store, making sure you only pick foods from this list. This is not a comprehensive list of low FODMAP foods, but they include some of the major options for you. Be sure to check out a full list for meal-planning purposes.
Most vegetables are allowed – Luckily, you can continue eating most vegetables. Here are some favorites:
- Broccoli
- Olives
- Pears,
- Carrots
- Smaller stalks of celery
- Butternut squash
- Brussels sprouts
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Pumpkin
- Red peppers, and many others.
Low fructose fruit – If you are a fan of fruit, don’t worry. There are still some you can enjoy, but you want to stick to the low-fructose fruits, like;
- Cranberries (1 tbsp only)
- Mandarin
- Passion fruit
- Oranges
- Cantaloupe
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Pineapple
- Papaya
- Raspberries.
Meat and fish – Continue eating most of the meat and seafood you already enjoyed, including;
- Poultry
- Cold cuts
- Chicken
- Beef
- Lamb
- Salmon
- Canned tuna
- Shrimp
- Crab.
Cereals and grains – With the baked goods and grains, just make sure they don’t contain wheat or gluten. This includes foods made with buckwheat flour, brown or whole grain rice, corn or oats, rice bread, shortbread (limited amount), and potato bread.
Other foods and sweeteners – You can have some sweeteners, including aspartame, golden syrup, glucose, and most jams or jellies. Condiments like peanut butter, mustard, mayonnaise (with no garlic or onion in ingredients), fish sauce, maple syrup, ketchup (limited amount), and many others are allowed.
For alcoholic drinks, stick to clear spirits, one beer one glass of wine, or whiskey. You can have coffee as long as it is decaf or regular, and with lactose-free milk.