Eating With IBS | FODMAP Recipes

If you're struggling with eating with IBS, we have some ideas that can help make this process easier with low FODMAP recipes.

Sometimes, troubleshooting our own health can be tricky, especially when it comes to digestive issues such as Irritable Bowel Syndrom (IBS). There's often a lot of trial-and-error going on with food elimination and re-introduction. And still, you might say to yourself, "I don't know what's going on with my stomach!" When you feel like everything you eat will wreck your stomach, it can be hard to know what to eat—let alone tackle any kind of meal prep. 

What does eating with IBS look like?

Having IBS can make eating tricky as it's not always clear what's setting off the digestive issues; some people can handle dairy, others can't. Sometimes fruit causes problems, depending on what kind you've eaten. The other part that's tough? Without getting too much into the weeds here, suffice to say that IBS can manifest in a few different ways. The folks in our community are often led to meal prepping and specific diets because of issues like IBS or food allergies. If you've seen a functional medicine physician or an integrative nutritionist, they may have looked at things like FODMAPs are potential offenders. There is no guarantee that eliminating FODMAPs will make eating with IBS easier and solve all of your problems. But there's enough documented success that it's worth passing on the info! 

And of course, if you're at all concerned that you've got IBS or wonder if you should be eliminating FODMAPs, please talk to your doctor or other appropriate health provider.

What are FODMAPs?

FODMAP stands for -
+ Fermentable
+ Oligosaccharides
+ Disaccharides
+ Monosaccharides
+ And
+ Polyols

In plain English, FODMAPs are a collection of short-chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols found in foods naturally or as food additives. For most people, FODMAPs are not a problem unless you eat too much of them. But some people are sensitive to them.

FODMAPs draw water into your digestive tract, which could make you bloated. If you eat too much of them, they can hang around in your gut and ferment and cause discomfort. And that discomfort can irritate people with IBS.

Carbohydrates that contain FODMAPs:

•  Fructose: Fruits, honey, high-fructose corn syrup, agave
•  Lactose: Dairy
•  Fructans: Wheat, onions, garlic
•  Galactans: Legumes, such as beans, lentils, and soybeans
•  Polyols: Sugar alcohols and fruits that have pits or seeds, such as apples, avocados, cherries, figs, peaches, or plums

Avoiding FODMAPs doesn’t help everyone. And some might bother you, and others might not. But in a study published in the journal Gastroenterology, about 3 out of 4 people with IBS saw their symptoms ease right away after starting a low-FODMAP diet, and felt the most relief after 7 days or more on the plan. It might take some careful elimination of some of these offenders, and some careful label reading, too, while you're at it. And it might initially seem puzzling, as in, how do I avoid these things? We are here to help!

READ MORE: 7 Food Combinations You Need to Know

Eating With IBS: Low FODMAP Recipes to Try 

Breakfast

Chive Potato Cheese Fritters 

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal 

Feta Frittatas

Lunch

Asian Cucumber Sesame Salad

Pesto Chicken Salad

Eggplant Rolls 

Paleo Salmon Cakes 

Dinner

Pan Fried Meatballs

Creamy Pasta and Spinach 

Kung Pao Chicken

Broiled Striped Bass

Dessert

Salted Caramel Brownies

Rice Krispie Squares

Pecan Bars

Chocolate & Banana Cake

Pin this post for later: