In today's post, we'll share with you 7 delicious Vegan Low FODMAP Recipes.
Having IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) sucks, and so does feeling bloated every time you eat something. Luckily, you can reduce the discomfort by eating the right foods, like low FODMAP foods.
But do you know what else sucks? Getting stuck in a routine and always eating the same things.
Well, here's the deal:
Below, we'll share 7 vegan and low FODMAP recipes with you, which you likely never tried before. Lovely, right? You can make some exciting new meals, and who knows: maybe one of them will become your favourite!
If you want a fast and to-the-point recap on what FODMAP is, keep on reading. Otherwise, use the Table of Contents below to skip to what you are interested in.
What is Low FODMAP in a few words
FODMAP is an acronym used to classify four groups of carbohydrates that some people have trouble digesting.
If you often feel bloated after eating, experience pressure in the bowels due to excessive gas, or suffer from frequent stomach aches, you may benefit from avoiding these carbohydrates.
In addition, if you have been diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), your doctor has likely recommended eating more low FODMAP foods as well.
FODMAP stands for:
Fermentable
Oligosaccharides (group 1, i.e. fructans and galactans)
Disaccharides (group 2, i.e. lactose)
Monosaccharides (group 3, i.e. glucose, fructose)
And
Polyols (group 4, i.e. xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol)
You don't have to memorise all these medical terms, but it could be useful to remember which are the main classes of foods that contain high FODMAP ingredients.
Let's discover them below.
What are the major FODMAP foods to avoid
Writing down a comprehensive list of foods you shouldn't eat is a bit pointless here, as you won't remember any of them come tomorrow.
Instead, it's better to understand which group of foods you should be on the lookout for and then check them out on Google or a FODMAP app as you encounter them. Then, with time and repetition, you will memorise them.
The gist is:
Avoid certain types of sugars (mono-, di-, oligo-saccharides) and sugar alcohols (polyols) that are prone to ferment when digested.
You may think that sugars only refers to the white powder you put in your coffee. But it's more complex than that.
Sugars are a type of carbohydrate, and come in various chemical compositions.
All sugars are carbohydrates, but not all carbs are sugars.
What matters here is that not all sugars and sugar alcohols are bad. And sugars are found in many places you wouldn't expect.
For example, erythritol (a sugar replacement which we use extensively in our sugar-free recipes) is a sugar alcohol, but it's well absorbed in the small intestine and thus safe for IBS [1].
In general, be wary or avoid foods that contain preservatives or additives. Why? First, because eating unprocessed foods is healthier. Second, because you won't have to figure out which additives are safe and which aren't: it saves you time.
Then look out for foods that contain carbs:
Avoid bread made with gluten-rich flour, like wheat or rye.
Avoid dairy, and be wary of fermenting foods or drinks.
Pay a lot of attention to fruits. You can have some like strawberries, grapes, and kiwis but not others like apples, avocados, and blackberries.
Pay a lot of attention to vegetables. Like fruit, some are ok (carrots, cucumbers, lettuce) while others aren't (beans, garlic, onions).
Pay attention to nuts and seeds. Most are ok, like walnuts, pine nuts, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds. Others aren't, like pistachios.
If you are vegan and suffering from IBS, you basically need to be extra careful. Non-vegans or people on a predominantly non-plant based diet can safely enjoy many more foods like eggs or lean, unprocessed meats.
Lucky you, we've done all the hard work in selecting the 7 vegan low FODMAP recipes below so that you can enjoy them stress-free.
By the way, we at Foodaciously specialise in low-sugar recipes and have hundreds of allergen-free recipes (gluten-free, dairy-free, etc.).
We even built a recipe search engine that lets you filter out the hundreds of recipes that we have on the site according to ingredients, diets, nutritional macros and more. We've had tens of fellow IBS readers thanking us for it, and it's 100% free to use.
Check it out here and reach out if you need help with it.
Why should you eat more Low FODMAP foods
If you haven't been diagnosed with IBS, you shouldn't move to a 100% Low FODMAP diet as you'd be giving up precious prebiotics that promote a healthy gut.
But this doesn't mean you can't benefit from occasionally eating more low FODMAP foods.
If you often feel bloated and gassy, you can certainly benefit from consuming less fermenting foods. However, it'd be wise to check in with your doctor and ask for their consent or guidance. That's because this discomfort may also be caused by other things, like medicines that you may be taking.
The low FODMAP diet also encourages eating unprocessed foods, and that's an absolute victory for everyone's health.
Finally, low FODMAP makes you think hard about which sugars to eat and which to avoid. This analytical approach is invaluable, as sugars can be very harmful indeed.
Replacing refined sugars with those that don't spike blood sugar levels is a good thing for everyone. Especially folks that want to lose weight or suffer from diabetes.
Basically, don't be afraid to try a recipe that is marked as "Low FODMAP". It's not some weird stuff. It's just normal unprocessed food that happens to be very easy to digest.
How to start on a Low FODMAP Diet
If your doctor or dietitian told you to commit to a Low FODMAP diet, there are three phases you have to get through[2]:
Cleansing phase. Also known as the phase where you gradually start substituting foods that are high FODMAP with those that are low FODMAP.
Adjustment phase. You may react more negatively to one group of FODMAP than another. In this phase, you'll gradually try to re-introduce some high FODMAP groups and see if they cause discomfort. If they do, you eliminate them. If they don't, you may occasionally add them to your diet.
Maintenance phase. Now that you know which groups of FODMAP you can and can't have, you can finally get control of your diet and play around with your options.
This last phase is where we can help today. Go through the vegan recipes for IBS we have shared with you below, and see which ones can fit in your diet.
7 Low FODMAP Vegan Recipes
Green Detox Smoothie
If you want to stay light and fresh, it doesn't get much better than this green smoothie.
We made it using alkaline and low FODMAP ingredients. Here is a few of the ones we used:
Kiwi
Honeydew (or Cantaloupe) Melon
Cucumber
Spinach
more low FODMAP ingredients
Note: In the recipe, we'll give you the option to use either water or coconut water as a liquid base for this smoothie. If you have IBS, it's better if you use plain water.
Hash Browns
Thank goodness potatoes are low FODMAP! Enjoy this light variation of the quintessential breakfast item: hash browns.
These hash browns are not deep or shallow fried. Instead, we made them using our trusty air fryer. So you can enjoy a nice serving without irritating your tummy, nor getting on extra weight.
If you don't have an air fryer, don't worry. We'll give you the option to use a regular oven.
Peanut Punch
Need a boost of proteins, but you are afraid of upsetting your stomach? Try out this Jamaican peanut punch. It's vegan, high-protein, and made with the simplest ingredients.
We made some small alterations to the classic recipe to make it vegan and high-fibre. It all works out great for those on a FODMAP diet, as we got rid of dairy and added some oats.
We'll give you the chance to select your favourite type of dairy-free milk to use as a base. You can choose whichever is in line with your IBS diet (i.e. coconut, almond, rice, hemp milk, among others).
As a sweetener, we'll use a splash of maple syrup (optionally). But as maple syrup is low FODMAP, you're in the clear!
Tempeh Kimbab
Are you Looking for a vegan spin on sushi makis? Then enjoy these Korean Tempeh Kimbab!
But wait a second. Isn't tempeh some kind of extra fermented soybeans? Aren't fermented foods bad for IBS?
Well, as everything related to IBS: it isn't as simple as that.
You want to avoid food that "ferments inside your body". As tempeh is already fermented before you eat it, it's easy to digest. Monash University — the authority in the field of IBS and FODMAP — marks tempeh as safe to have on a low FODMAP diet[3].
Carrot Strawberry Smoothie
As both carrots and strawberries are two pillars of the low FODMAP diet, you can sip down this orange smoothie without a worry in the world.
You'll also be loading up on precious vitamin C and A. Isn't that great?
All the ingredients used are low FODMAP, and the recipe is super simple and quick.
Check it out!
Gluten-Free Bagels
We bet one of the things you had to give up on your low FODMAP diet was The Bagel. Sad, right? Not on our watch!
With this recipe, we'll show you how to make gluten-free bagels that are IBS friendly.
As you'll see in the ingredients list, almost all our ingredients are totally in the green spectrum of low FODMAP safety.
The only ones to look out for are almond milk, sesame, and poppy seeds.
But due to the amounts we used to make a single bagel, you are totally safe.
Here is why:
Almonds are generally bad on a low FODMAP diet. But almond milk contains no more than 2% of almonds. Because we used 100 ml of almond milk to make eight bagels, you'll get a mere 0.25 grams of almonds per bagel. That's like a quarter of a nut! Besides, you can just swap almond milk with whatever other dairy-free milk you are confident with, and the recipe will work out just as well.
Sesame seeds are ok in moderation, and in any case, we only used 2.5 grams per bagel (1/4 tbsp).
Poppy seeds are also ok in moderation. Once again, we only used 2.5 grams per bagel, which is considerably less than the 24 grams per day suggested by Monash University.
Aren't you thrilled to try bagels again? Yey!
Low FODMAP Oatmeal
Let's top off the list with classic FODMAP material: oatmeal.
To make it interesting, we have added in some low FODMAP ingredients like oats (duh!), strawberries, walnuts and chia seeds.
The recipe takes zero effort to put together, yet it's tasty and filling. A must try for overnight oats aficionados!
So here you have it:
Seven delicious low FODMAP and IBS-friendly recipes ready in a flash.
We hope one of these will become your new favourite!
