Low-FODMAP Food Plan: All You Need to Know and How to Create One

Key takeaways:

• FODMAP foods can cause bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation in people with IBS. Low-FODMAP foods may reduce these symptoms in IBS patients and people with other gastrointestinal problems.
• A low-FODMAP meal plan offers diverse options, including certain vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, and nuts.
• A registered dietitian can help you navigate the low-FODMAP diet and determine whether it suits you.

The acronym FODMAP stands for Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. These five groups of sugars are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and make up FODMAP diets.

Foods high in these sugars, e.g., onions, dairy products, legumes, cabbage, apples, canned fish, yogurt, and rosé wine, can cause excess gas, leading to bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation.

Most people can eat high-FODMAP diets without experiencing these symptoms. However, people who have gastrointestinal conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) should consider limiting their intake of such foods and instead eat low-FODMAP diets.

What is a low-FODMAP meal plan?

A low-FODMAP meal plan has limited amounts of FODMAP sugars. A low-FODMAP meal plan is typically recommended for people with medical conditions that affect the digestive system, such as IBS, celiac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

A low-FODMAP meal plan does not cure these gut conditions but may help you manage symptoms like bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation usually associated with them.

Examples of common low-FODMAP foods

Low-FODMAP foods include certain vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, nuts, pasta, beverages, and several other categories of foods.

Some common examples are:

• Vegetables: kale, lettuce, carrots, bell peppers, potatoes, and spinach
• Fruits: grapefruits, lemons, limes, strawberries, papayas, and cantaloupes.
• Plain-cooked meat and seafood: beef, chicken, pork, turkey, and fresh fish.
• Breads, cereals, and pasta: made from corn, potatoes, oats, and rice.
• Nuts: peanuts, macadamia nuts, walnuts, and seeds.
• Sweeteners like dark chocolate and maple syrup.
• Certain beverages like diet soda and coffee.

This list is not exhaustive. Work with a dietitian to make a personalized low-FODMAP meal plan suitable for you.

How to create a low-FODMAP meal plan

Consult your dietitian and gastroenterologist to determine if a low-FODMAP meal plan is appropriate for you before creating one. Low-FODMAP meals are recommended for people with IBS and some other gastrointestinal problems.

However, it may not be ideal for individuals with complex medical conditions, those at risk of malnutrition, and people with eating disorders who tend to have restrictive eating patterns.

Low-FODMAP meals can be created using these three phases: elimination, reintroduction, and personalization.

Elimination phase

In the elimination phase, high FODMAP foods are removed from your diet for about 2-4 weeks. During this period, notice how your body responds to the elimination and whether your symptoms improve or worsen. If they improve, you move to the next phase- the reintroduction phase.

Reintroduction phase

In the reintroduction phase, FODMAP foods are gradually introduced into your diet; one at a time, preferably. Take note of each food that causes your symptoms like bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation. Once you discover those foods, avoid them and continue eating other FODMAP foods that do not. 

Personalization phase

In the personalization stage, your meal plan can now be based on foods you do not react to. 

NB: Completing these phases can take 4-6 weeks or more. Patience is required for the best results.

Things to consider when creating a low-FODMAP meal plan

Here are things to consider when creating a low-FODMAP meal plan: 

• Talk to your dietitian. They'll help you curate a plan that is feasible for you.
• Create time for this journey. The elimination and reintroduction phases may take a while. Therefore, a low-FODMAP meal plan that does not interfere with day-to-day activities like school, work, or other engagements is required and will be easy to comply with.
• Record the foods you react badly or slightly to during the elimination phase.
• Use lactose-free meal products.
• Portion control is important. Portioning foods in their specific serving sizes can make a diet high or low in FODMAP foods.

Sample 7-day low-FODMAP meal plan

Below is a table with a sample of 7 days low-FODMAP meal plan

Read labels and check the ingredients of packaged foods to ensure they are low in FODMAPs. Also, drink enough water throughout the day to stay hydrated. 

Foods to avoid on a low-FODMAP diet

Here are some foods you should avoid if you are on or want to go on a low-FODMAP diet:

• Vegetables like garlic, onions, cabbage, asparagus, leeks.
• Fruits like apples, bananas, mangoes, cherries.
• Beans and legumes, including lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, and black-eyed peas.
• Meat and poultry, like marinated meat, sausages, salami, and canned fish, with high FODMAP ingredients.
• Dairy and dairy alternatives like cow milk, cottage cheese, coconut milk, yogurt.
• Bread, grains, and pasta made with wheat, barley, and rye.
• Nuts like cashews and pistachios.
• Beverages like beer, chamomile tea, sherry, rosé wine.

Benefits of going on a low FODMAP diet

If you have IBS or other gastrointestinal problems, a low FODMAP diet may help with the following:

• Reduce IBS symptoms in the short and long term.
• Reduce bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain, fatigue, and lethargy.
• Help you identify trigger foods.
• Improve your quality of life.
• Increase food choices in your diet as food sensitivity has been noted.
• Reduce anxiety regarding foods.

How a registered dietitian can help

A registered dietitian can help in the following ways:

• Answer questions you may have regarding low-FODMAP foods.
• Determine whether a low-FODMAP diet is suitable for you.
• Work with you to create a realistic low-FODMAP meal plan you can comply with.
• Analyze your symptoms during the reintroduction phase to know your trigger foods.
• Create a personalized plan while considering the trigger foods you should avoid and limit.
• Support you during your journey, which will help you follow through since it can be hectic.