Low-FODMAP Recipe Ideas To Start Your Year Off Right
If the FODMAP diet is on your list of resolutions this year but you’ve been putting off starting, then welcome to the club. If you’re just beginning, you may be at a complete loss for how to start, or what you can eat. I feel you—omitting things like garlic, onion, and honey can almost seem impossible if you’re used to cooking with them. But, you do have options! Whether you’re starting this diet or have learned what works for you (and what doesn’t), I’ve compiled meal ideas that will make this transition as seamless as possible.
If you’re unfamiliar with the low-FODMAP diet, it’s a diet that eliminates a certain grouping of carbohydrates that can be hard for some people to digest. The full acronym stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. The diet isn’t about cutting out these foods forever, but is more a process to discover what foods bother you. You start by completely eliminating all high-FODMAP foods from your diet (refer to this comprehensive list). Then, after the elimination period (which usually takes 2-4 weeks), you reintroduce groups and foods back into your diet—one at a time—to discover what triggers symptoms. Keeping track of what does and doesn’t irritate your digestive system will help you figure out what you can tolerate, and what you should eliminate from your diet moving forward.
A few things to keep in mind with these recipes: We’re garlic and onion lovers here, and finding recipes that don’t have one or the other is no easy feat. If you have a recipe that calls for garlic, swap it out for garlic-infused olive oil or chives. If there’s honey, swap in maple syrup instead. Any yogurt? Swap it out for your favorite dairy-free alternative. Any ingredients that don't 100% match up with your low-FODMAP diet, swap them out for friendly alternatives!
Many of these recipes are very substitution friendly, so you’re free to adjust as needed. Grain bowls are always a great choice (looking at you burger bowls), since they are so easy to play with. Same goes for sheet-pan dinners—have an ingredient that doesn’t sit well with you? Simply swap it out for your addition of choice. Whether you’re starting this diet for the first time or are adjusting based on your eliminations, these recipes are a great jumping off point. Need more ideas? Check out Budget Eats: Low-FODMAP edition to see just how far a budget can stretch when following this diet!
Sushi Bowls
White rice is low in FODMAPs, making it a great grain to rely on when forming the base of your meals. All of the other ingredients in this sushi bowl are also low in FODMAPs—the only exception is the avocado. Avocados don't bother everyone, so adjust based on your personal diet.
Get the Sushi Bowls recipe.
Air Fryer Tofu
Vegetarians, rejoice—tofu is a great source of protein that's low in FODMAPs! This recipe for air fryer tofu tells you how to crisp up tofu perfectly in the air fryer, then includes a homemade sauce to coat it in. The sauce does contain garlic and garlic powder, so adjust accordingly when preparing your own—this tofu is totally versatile.
Get the Air Fryer Tofu recipe.
Chicken Tacos
The beauty of these tacos? You can dress them up (or down) based on what you want to include. Omit the garlic powder and make sure to use corn tortillas, then load these tacos up with whatever toppings you want.
Get the Chicken Tacos recipe.
Huauzontle Chicken Pad Thai
Developed for a Budget Eats: Low-FODMAP edition, this chicken pad Thai is completely low-FODMAP friendly (in fact, it was the highest-rated meal for the challenge). Without garlic and onion, it certainly doesn't beat our classic pad Thai, but is still plenty satisfying (and easy to make).
Get the Huauzontle Chicken Pad Thai recipe.
Blackened Shrimp Bowls
Grain bowls are so versatile, and this blackened shrimp-based bowl is no exception. Filled with brown rice, seasoned blackened shrimp, a corn and red pepper salsa, and avocado, this bowl will fill you up but won't weigh you down. Make adjustments as needed—swap out the avocado for another veggie, and eliminate the garlic and onion powder for your other favorite seasonings.
Get the Blackened Shrimp Bowls recipe.
Lemony Chicken & Potatoes With Feta
The best part of this recipe? This entire recipe is made in just one dish, making dinner (and cleanup) easier than ever. Like most of our sheet-pan dinners, this one is very versatile. Replace the garlic with garlic-infused oil, and lower the amount of almonds if you're sensitive.
Get the Lemony Chicken & Potatoes With Feta recipe.
Chicken Shawarma Bowls
This recipe uses simple, basic ingredients to deliver a flavorful, satisfying bowl. While feta is low in FODMAPs, you'll need to make a few other adjustments. Swap out the onion for a low-FODMAD veggie, and leave off the yogurt (or use a dairy-free alternative).
Get the Chicken Shawarma Bowls recipe.
Pineapple Orange Chicken & Greens
Made during a low-FODMAP week of budget eats, this concoction was surprisingly very good. Given that we love orange chicken, and we love pineapple chicken, this mash-up seemed inevitable.
Get the Pineapple Orange Chicken & Greens recipe.
Tofu Scramble
What can't tofu do? This tofu scramble is great for a hearty breakfast alongside roasted potatoes. We do include garlic in the scramble, so make sure to leave it out and up the dried seasonings, or include chives instead.
Get the Tofu Scramble recipe.
Salmon Quinoa Bowl
Quinoa is a great addition to your grain rotation, and it creates a perfect base to this salmon and veggie bowl. We add a homemade Greek yogurt-avocado sauce, but I would recommend skipping this and instead topping with a spicy mayo.
Get the Salmon Quinoa Bowl recipe.
Burger Bowls
Craving a burger, but can't take the bun? Turn to burger bowls instead. Adjust these based on what you love on your burger, and what state your FODMAP diet is in. Omit the onion and replace with any veggie you'd like to pair with your burger, and cut down on the amount of tomatoes—think 1/2 cup.
Get the Burger Bowls recipe.
Salmon Tacos
These salmon tacos are summer in a bite. We include a homemade pineapple salsa which is a wonderful addition, but make sure to adjust based on your diet. Can't take avocado and onion? Pineapple, cilantro, tomatoes, and fresh lime juice will still add a lovely zing and brightness to the tacos.
Get the Salmon Tacos recipe.
Cornbread Panzanella
Out of a whole week's worth of low FODMAP budget eats recipes, this one stands out as the showstopper. Not because it won the taste prize—though, it was quite good—but because it was special. What does that mean? Well, when was the last time you saw crispy fried rice noodles topping a salad with huge chunks of golden cornbread?
Get the Cornbread Panzanella recipe.
Niçoise Salad
This classic French salad is the definition of simple yet satisfying. It's a great recipe to meal prep—prepare each of the ingredients, then prepare throughout the week. The only adjustments you might need to make are with the salad dressing, which uses garlic and honey. If those are an issue for you, then replace with a bit of maple syrup and chives or garlic-infused oil.
Get the Niçoise Salad recipe.
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