Garlic & ONIONS with the Low FODMAP Diet

Alright, people, it’s time to get food serious over here. If you are a foodie or love to cook, then being told you can’t cook with garlic kinda feels like you’re being deprived of oxygen. I love garlic and for me, it was a base to some of my most classic dishes, family favourites and throw together meals. Cooking without it just felt wrong. 

So when I was put on the low FODMAP diet I had to discover some new ways to replace that garlic flavour and create drool-worthy meals that my friends would fight over.

So how do I do it? Here are my Low Fodmap Garlic Secrets.

AVOID GARLIC & ONIONS

If you’ve been trying out the Low Fodmap diet you know that garlic and onions are a no-no as they can cause unwanted IBS symptoms.  They are HIGH in FODMAPs – fructans being the issue.  You can sauté garlic or onions in oil for a few minutes in a pan by themselves, but you do need to remove the garlic or onion before you continue cooking.  Since everyone who experiences digestive issues differently, this method works for some and not others.

One of the easier methods to getting the taste of garlic is to use garlic-infused oil.  It’s delicious and much easier than cutting up garlic and getting the smell all over your fingers – however, I will be truthful here, I grew up with most dishes being full of garlic!  My Mother Rita especially loved when we’d go to a restaurant called Emilio’s in Commack New York and there’d be whole cloves of garlic in her linguini with clam sauce…the memories are the best.

So in order to make your shopping experience easier, I’ve scouted out a few brands for you below.  You can buy them online today or go to your nearest natural foods store.


1. Garlic Infused Oil

But garlic?! Garlic is high FODMAP right? Well yes, it is but a cool fact about FODMAPs is that the FODMAPs are only water-soluble not oil soluble.
This means when you fry garlic in oil, or use garlic infused oil, you get all the flavour without the FODMAPs, which makes it tummy friendly.

You can make garlic-infused oil on the go by frying large garlic chunks in your cooking oil until they are golden brown and fragrant, then REMOVE all of the garlic before you add your other ingredients. Just make sure you don’t eat the garlic until you’ve done your fructan challenge (you can feed it to other family members though).

Scott’s Garlic Oil – this is the one I tried and I loved it.  You can buy it online for $8.95

Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Garlic Oil BUY – $9.95

WILLIAMS-SONOMA Garlic Olio Santo Extra Virgin Olive Oil BUY $19.95

Grand’aroma Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 8.5-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 3) (gets GREAT reviews) BUY $18.33

DEAN & DELUCA Garlic Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil BUY $12.00


2. Garlic Chives

These little beauties are a tasty way to get that garlicky flavour without the tummy ache. Garlic chives aka Asian Chives have been tested by Monash University and they are low FODMAP in large serves.

They are perfect in soups, spring rolls, curries, stir-frys, and salads!  You can chop them and use them raw as a garnish, fry them in some oil, or blend them into your salad dressing.

How do you like to use them?


3. Asafoetida Powder

You’ll want to double bag this stinky spice, otherwise, it’s pungent odour will take over the kitchen! Asafoetida powder is also called ‘Hing’ and it’s commonly used as a garlic/onion replacement and features heavily in Indian cooking.

The trick with this spice is to fry a small pinch in oil before adding your other ingredients. This will help unlock the flavours and mellow out the pungent smell. Don’t use it raw!

4. Sauté Garlic or Onion

You can sauté garlic or onion in oil in a pan to impart the flavors into any dish.  Simply add garlic or onion to a pan with oil and sauté for a couple minutes.  Be sure to remove garlic or onion from the pan before adding in the rest of the ingredients.  This works because FODMAPs are not soluble in oil, so the FODMAPs will not leech out into the oil.

About The Author

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top