If you’ve already started the low-FODMAP diet you may have learned that eating a huge breakfast, lunch or dinner has not been very beneficial to your GI tract. That overloading it with too much food (and probably too many FODMAPs) hinders your digestion and triggers symptoms of IBS and well as fatigue. There’s a solution to not eating huge meals – eating smaller meals and looking forward to healthy snacking!
About stuffing yourself silly… I think most of us have been taught to eat until we are full but actually, it’s better to eat until you are 50-75% full so you can leave some room not only for the digestion process but to also give your brain some time to send the signal to your gut “hey, let’s simmer down now, I think you’ve eaten enough buddy!” I know I was taught to eat until I was full.
Me (at left) pictured with my Dad’s side of the family, of Irish descent but mostly Italian (oh admire my Brother’s fist pump won’t you)
I remember being a skinny little girl and my parents were somewhat worried because I didn’t eat a lot or everything that was on my plate. I often remember looking down at my plate and feeling full and not wanting more! At one chicken parmesan dinner, my Italian/Irish Dad decided to say he’d pay me $25 if I finished everything. Of course, I would! $25 was the jackpot for a nine year old (at least in the ’80s; not sure about kids now). So from that point on, I would finish everything on my plate, and eat fast, but have learned over the years it’s not the wisest way to eat (especially if you have IBS). With Italian-American families you eat everything on your plate otherwise you’d be threatened by grandma with a smackdown (and let’s not forget eating pig’s feet at my Grandma’s house; but no worries, I don’t need to recap that for you).
On a side note…Grandma’s ravioli were amazing (holy high-FODMAPs with pasta, ricotta cheese AND onion and garlic in the tomato sauce). It’s hard when I visit my home state of New York and have to say “no” to things like bagels, pizza, pasta, some Chinese and Greek food or to a hero (another word for an amazing submarine sandwich). Luckily more restaurants are offering wheat-free options but I find it happens far more often in urban areas. Other than wheat, there’s still a ton of the other fructans (onion and garlic) in everything.
45 Low-FODMAP Snack Ideas That Will Make Your Tummy Happy!
So Let’s Get Snacking!
So as you look to calm your gut and learn better eating habits all the while trying out low-FODMAP snacks and meals, consider slowing down while you eat. Enjoy meals without distraction (cell phone, TV etc.). Taking some long, slow breaths before your meal can also help calm the nerves and make you less likely to overeat. While you’re at it, get more helpful tips by downloading my free Tips for Better Digestion.
Now that you know eating huge meals may not be a good idea, especially if you have IBS, consider having three smaller meals per day with two snacks in between. Adjusting to this may take some time and chances are if you didn’t snack before, you will need to know. I’ve got you covered with a few low-FODMAP snack ideas below which have been listed with servings so you can make better-snacking choices!
Veggies
- 1 medium carrot peeled and sliced and a 1/2 cup green bell pepper sliced with 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, 1-ounce cheddar cheese, and 1 serving rice crackers
- 1/2 cup sliced cucumber with 4 tablespoons cottage cheese and 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- 1 small salad with 1 cup spinach, grated carrots, 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese and 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds (for vegan switch cheese for nuts or 1/4 cup chickpeas- drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 cup sweet potato drizzled with 1 tablespoon maple syrup and top with 1 tablespoon crushed walnuts
- 1 Roma tomato halved and cored and filled with 1 egg and 1-ounce cheese. Sprinkle with herbs and bake at 450ºF for 6-10 minutes (depending on the desired doneness)
- 1/2 cup chopped zucchini with 1 medium carrot peeled and sliced with 2 slices swiss cheese
…keep scrolling to see more low-FODMAP snack ideas!
Some yummy low-FODMAP snack ideas for you to try today!
Fruit
*When possible, have fruit on its own at least 30 minutes before eating a meal. This is not a low-FODMAP approach to eating, just general good digestion advice.
- 1/2 medium ripe banana smothered with 1 tablespoon SunButter
- 20 blueberries with plain lactose-free yogurt topped with 10 unsalted macadamia nuts
- 1/2 cup cantaloupe cut into chunks and wrapped in prosciutto
- 1 medium carambola (star fruit)
- 1 medium clementine with 10 almonds
- 4 peeled cumquats
- 1 medium dragonfruit
- 1 cup grapes (any variety)
- 1 medium guava
- 2 small and peeled kiwi fruits
- 1 whole passionfruit pulp with 6 ounces of plain lactose-free yogurt and cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped pineapple sprinkled with cinnamon
- Smoothie – blend 10 frozen raspberries with 1 tablespoon almond butter, 1 cup soy milk (made from soybean protein), 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon chia seeds and 1/2 cup ice
- 5 medium strawberries, cut into slivers and topped on gluten-free, low-FODMAP bread with 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- Smoothie bowl – blend 20 frozen blueberries, plus 1 cup almond or hemp milk, 1/2 cup ice, 1 cup spinach, 1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut, 1 tablespoon nut butter and top with 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon crushed macadamia nuts
Chips, Crackers, Cookies, Chocolate Etc.
- 1 serving gluten-free and low-FODMAP graham crackers
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil spread on 1 slice gluten-free and low-FODMAP bread
- 1 small packet of potato chips/crisps (gluten-free if you are celiac or have a gluten intolerance)
- 1 small packet plain corn chips
- 1 slice gluten-free and low-FODMAP bread topped with 2 slices of deli turkey (antibiotic/hormone free if possible!) and 1 slice swiss cheese, broiled for 2-3 minutes
- 1 muesli bar (fruit and nut)
- 5 saltines crackers (U.S. brand) with 5 dark chocolate squares (or 30g)
- 1/2 cup pretzels, regular or gluten-free (1 cup is HIGH in FODMAPs) with 1 medium orange
- 2 rice crispbreads
- 10 brazil nuts
- 1 biscuit/cookie cream filled with chocolate coating
- 5 dark chocolate squares (30g) with 1 serving brie cheese (2 wedges or 40g)
- 3/4 cup of Nature’s Path EnvironKidz Gorilla Munch
cereal with 1 cup almond milk
- Warm 1 soft gluten-free tortilla in a pan and top with 2 tablespoons peanut butter and 1 tablespoon (can have up to 2 tablespoons) low-FODMAP strawberry jam (like Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves
)
- 1 Udi’s Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin
- 1 serving Lundberg Farms Sea Salt Rice Chips
- 1 small bag Pop Chips Original
Other
- 1 hardboiled egg sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and salt
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
drizzled on 1 cup of plain air-popped popcorn
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
and 1 teaspoon cinnamon melted and drizzled on 1 cup of plain air-popped popcorn
- 1 serving gluten-free Glutino pretzels
with 5 dark chocolate squares (or 30g) and 2 slices havarti cheese
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Looking for help on the low-FODMAP diet? Ask me about my nutritional counseling services by contacting me here.
Be good to yourself and your gut!
Colleen Francioli
Did you know many people with digestive disorders and diseases are deficient in vitamin D3? Buy liquid D3 drops now. Consult with your physician to see how much you need.
Hi! Great lists. Very useful. 🙂
I have a question about brazil nuts. Is it healthy to eat as many brazil nuts? What about selenium?
You can have up to 10 Brazil nuts. With regard to selenium that is a general nutrition question and individualized and depends on how much selenium you get per day. Brazil nuts are are a great way to get selenium, instead of from supplements because you CAN take too much selenium and impair your health.
Thank you for the answer! Do I understand correctly that I still shouldn’t eat up to 10 Brazil nuts on a daily basis?
Since I began eating the low fodmap diet I am feeling better but the last few days have
Pretty severe low back pain that seems to go first from left side to now right. I don’t usually
Have issues with my back – anyone else experience any problems like this?
I personally have a weak low back and have had surgery. So when constipation comes on for me, my back hurts pretty bad. Do you have a weak back or herniated discs and are you also experiencing some constipation? You said you’re feeling good so I wonder why you are having back pain. Are you menstruating? it’s very hard to say what might actually be causing your pain. I recommend seeing your doctor or a chiropractor.
I am desperate to help my daughter with this diet. She is 13 and is an elite athlete with ibs. Could you please help me.
Hi Erica, Sorry I am just seeing this now, the comment was buried. Can I still help?
How does Siggi yogurt/drinkable or Kefir work for smoothies? Are they approved?
Yogurt needs to be lactose-free for the low-FODMAP diet, unless it’s greek yogurt, that can often times be tolerated in small amounts.
I am also Italian/Irish and totally remember feeling aversion to certain foods and having difficulty eating a whole meal in one sitting since my childhood. Everyone thought I was just a picky eater!
Would you know if quaker’s rice cakes are condisered low food map ?
It depends on the flavor you get(like white cheddar and apple cinnamon would not be low-FODMAP). I see many different flavors but this one is safe: http://www.quakeroats.com/products/rice-snacks/rice-cakes/lightly-salted.aspx
Ingredients – WHOLE GRAIN BROWN RICE, SALT
Your lists are great, only on problem , I a alergic to nuts. Almost all snacks recommend some sort of nut what else can I replace with. For peanut butter I do have Wow Butter which is made with yellow peas, tastes almost the same as peanut butter, but I cannot have other nuts any suggestions.
Hi Margaret, Sorry I am just seeing this now. I will be publishing a much longer list this month with more options. Please subscribe to my newsletter to get a copy. http://bit.ly/FODMAPLifenews
I’m confused why tahini is included here as it’s a high fodmap?
According to Monash University’s FODMAP app, Tahini is low-FODMAP at 1 tablespoon. 1 1/2 tablespoons are moderate and 2 tablespoons are high. I hope that clears things up!
I know i can eat 2 rice crackers in one sitting but how many maximum per day? for example after a couple of hours can I eat 2 more?
Up to 20 crackers or 34 grams is low-FODMAP. This food does not come with a moderate or high-FODMAP rating so you can have as many as you like, but I’d stick to the suggested portion and maybe add in some protein too like peanut butter or low-FODMAP cheese.
I was wondering if it is okay to eat a 4 oz. Activia yogurt that is not lactose free? I noticed that sometimes I can handle lactose in small amounts but I’m not sure if it is good to eat with my IBS issues. Thanks.
Hi Hope,
If you feel and definitely know lactose is not an issue (have you had a breath test?) then consuming this yogurt may be OK as long as you stick with those made with low-FODMAP fruits like strawberry, blueberry etc. Otherwise, it might be best to avoid until after you’ve finished the diet. The ingredients I found for this Activia yogurt do not have high-FODMAPs other than the lactose. https://www.activia.us.com/probiotic-yogurt/activia-fruit/strawberry Cultured Grade A Reduced Fat Milk, Cane Sugar, Strawberries, Modified Food Starch, Contains Less Than 1% Of Milk Protein Concentrate, Kosher Gelatin, Fruit Juice and Vegetable Juice ( For Color ), Natural Flavors, Agar Agar, Carrageenan, Calcium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Milk Calcium, Vitamin D3.
Read more at https://www.activia.us.com/probiotic-yogurt/activia-fruit/strawberry#oDGdXkl51Q3xOGrq.99 Another option is a small container of greek yogurt – this type of yogurt has small amounts of lactose.
I’m 71 and 2 months into this diet. The alternatives are not considered as February and March I was extremely sick with diarrhea and electrolyte imbalance. Very scary. My doctor ran many tests all of which came back negative. The exclusion pointed to IBS-D. THE FODMAP diet has been a life saver. I was loosing a pound a day. I realize I was sick for a very long time before my diagnosis. Thank you for all you do for us. Your snacks are an excellent way to maintain small portions of the FODMAP diet. Cold you tell us about how to calculate the foods we should eat. Thank you!
Hi Charlene,
When you mean “calculate” do you mean: how to watch servings so as to not accidentally consume high-FODMAPs or FODMAP stacking, or do you mean to track foods for maintaining or losing weight? This diet is definitely not meant to help you lose weight, although some do lose weight due to the better foods they now consume.
My college athlete just got diagnosed with IBD and put on a low fodmap diet. Can you help us by getting him healthy again. He lost 20 lbs and we need him to gain it back and more. Please give me some suggestions.
Unfortunately, I cannot give tips like those online and without knowing your son and his past and present health, among other things. I would suggest meeting with a dietitian who specializes in IBD. You mich be lucky finding someone in your area from this list: http://www.katescarlata.com/fodmapdietitians/ Good luck!
Is dark chocolate ok for FM individuals?
Yes, please refer to the Monash app. Dark chocolate is OK at (5 squares/30 g). Milk chocolate and white chocolate are OK at 1 fun size bar, but 5 squares moderate is moderate in FODMAPs.