Simple Low FODMAP Meal & Snack Ideas to Get You Started

Starting the low FODMAP diet can feel overwhelming. It often seems like there's a long list of foods to avoid, but not enough ideas for what you can eat.

The good news? Many simple, everyday meals can be made low FODMAP with just a few swaps. You don't need complicated recipes or specialty ingredients to get started.

Here are some easy meal and snack ideas that can help take the guesswork out of your first few weeks.

Breakfast

Lactose-Free Greek Yogurt Bowl

Top lactose-free plain Greek yogurt with:

• Purely Elizabeth Original Granola (check the serving size)

• Fresh blueberries or

• Optional: additional chia seeds, chopped walnuts or pecans, or shredded coconut

This breakfast is packed with protein, fiber, and healthy fats to help keep you full all morning.

Eggs Your Way

I usually recommend making a batch of hard boiled eggs at the beginning of the week for a quick protein add on at breakfast, lunch or as a snack, but you can also start the day with them scrambled, sunny-side up, or in an omelet:

Add veggies like spinach, tomatoes, or broccoli plus cheddar, feta or mozzarella cheese for additional fat and flavor!

Pair them with:

• Sourdough or gluten-free toast

• Fresh fruit such as strawberries, kiwi, or an orange

Oatmeal

You can prepare traditional oats or overnight oats with lactose-free milk, or use a grab-and go option like Bob’s Red Mill oatmeal cups.

Top with:

• Blueberries, banana, or strawberries

• Chia seeds

• Hemp seeds

• Peanut butter

• Chopped walnuts or pecans

• Cinnamon

Lunch & Dinner

Build a Balanced Plate

Not every meal needs a recipe. One of the easiest ways to put together a low FODMAP lunch or dinner is to use the plate method.

Aim for:

• ½ your plate: Low FODMAP vegetables like lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, cucumbers, green beans broccoli florets and fruits like blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, orange or pineapple.

• ¼ of your plate: Lean protein such as rotisserie chicken, fish, shrimp, lean beef, turkey, eggs, firm tofu, or canned tuna

• ¼ of your plate: A low FODMAP carbohydrate like rice, potatoes, quinoa, or brown rice pasta

Finish it with a some fat and flavor from olive oil, avocado oil, or cheese if you'd like.

The best part? You can mix and match ingredients based on what you already have at home, making meal planning feel much less overwhelming.

Greek Salad

A filling salad doesn't have to be boring! A greek salad is also a good option when dining out, just ask for no onions or pull them off yourself

Try combining:

• Salad greens

• Cucumber

• Tomato

• Green bell pepper

• Kalamata olives

• Feta cheese

• Anchovies?!

• Additional protein like chicken, salmon, or 1/3 cup of canned chickpeas, drained

Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano.

Tuna (or Chicken or Egg) Salad & Wheat-Free Crackers

Mix canned tuna with:

• 1 part mayo, 1 part lactose-free Greek yogurt

• Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon of dill relish

• Fresh dill

• Lemon juice

Enjoy with wheat-free crackers like Mary’s Gone Crackers or Crunchmaster and a side of carrots, cucumber slices, and an orange.

Tacos

Tacos are one of the easiest family-friendly low FODMAP meals.

Fill corn tortillas with:

• Ground beef, chicken, turkey - use individual spices to season like salt, pepper, cumin and paprika

• Lettuce

• Tomatoes or salsa made without onion or garlic

• Shredded cheddar cheese

• Cilantro

• Lactose-free Greek yogurt

Serve with mandarin oranges, pineapple, kiwi or jicama sticks or cucumbers with Tajin!

Build Your Own Brown Rice Pasta

Cook your favorite brown rice pasta and top it with:

• Protein like ground turkey or beef or shredded chicken

• Veggies like spinach, zucchini or broccoli

• Olive oil or Rao's Sensitive Marinara Sauce, which is made without onion or garlic

• Parmesan cheese

It's a simple weeknight dinner that comes together quickly.

Easy Snacks

Having a few reliable snacks on hand can make sticking with the low FODMAP diet much easier. Remember to pair protein and fiber for a winning combination:

Some protein options include:

• Mozzarella cheese stick

• Edamame - protein and fiber in one!

• Peanut butter

• Hard-boiled eggs

• Slice of cheddar cheese

• Lactose-free yogurt

• Pecans, walnuts, or macadamia nuts

Ways to add fiber:

• Low FODMAP fruits and veggies like blueberries, oranges, pineapple, kiwi, carrots, cucumbers, or green bell peppers

• Popcorn

• Rice cakes

• Pumpkin seeds

What about flavor?

One of the biggest misconceptions about the low FODMAP diet is that everything has to be bland. While garlic and onion are high in FODMAPs and should be limited during the elimination phase, there are still plenty of ways to add flavor to your meals:

• Fresh or dried herbs like basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and mint

• Green part of a green onion

• Spices like paprika, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and good old salt and pepper

• Citrus juice and zest from lemons, limes and oranges

• Vinegars like red wine, apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar

• Ginger

• Mustards

• Capers

• Coconut milk and cream

• Nutritional yeast

• Soy sauce

A Few Helpful Reminders

• Low FODMAP is not a forever diet. It is a temporary elimination phase designed to reduce GI symptoms and help identify your individual food triggers.

• When you're first starting the low FODMAP diet, you don't need dozens of recipes. In fact, I usually recommend the opposite.

• Choose a handful of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks that you enjoy, stock your kitchen with those ingredients, and repeat! The more you simplify your meals, the easier it is to stay consistent—and the easier it becomes to figure out which foods are truly triggering your symptoms.

And if it will help, you can lean on specialty products, like the ones from FODY, or get some meals and snacks delivered from Epicured.