FODMAP Diet for Digestive Problems

• Carrots
• Lettuce
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini

Steer away from:

• Cauliflower
• Asparagus
• Mushrooms
• Onion
• Garlic
• Artichokes

Fruits to Eat and Skip

Fructose, a type of sugar in fruits, is a FODMAP. Some fruits have more of it than others.

Reach for:

• Grapes
• Cantaloupe
• Kiwis
• Oranges
• Pineapple
• Strawberries

Instead of:

• Apples
• Cherries
• Mangoes
• Watermelon
• Nectarines and peaches
• Pears
• Plums
• Dried and canned fruits

Grains to Eat and Skip

Love bread, pasta, cereal, and crackers? Sorry. Foods made with wheat, barley, and rye are off-limits on a low FODMAP diet. What can you have instead? Try quinoa, rice, millet, and cornmeal. You can also enjoy many gluten-free breads and pastas. Just check the label for any high-FODMAP ingredients like onion or honey.

Dairy Products to Eat and Skip

Cow’s milk, ice cream, yogurt, and many dairy foods have a FODMAP called lactose. Trade them for lactose-free versions or for almond milk. Hard cheeses like cheddar and aged cheeses like brie also are low in lactose. What about soy milk? Read the label. Skip those from whole or hulled beans. Look for brands made with soy protein, which are low in FODMAPs.

Proteins to Eat and Skip

Meat, poultry, and seafood are low in FODMAPs. Same goes for:

• Eggs
• Firm tofu
• Tempeh
• Peanuts
• Pumpkin seeds
• Macadamia nuts
• Walnuts

Watch out for:

• Meats marinated with honey, garlic, or onions
• Beans
• Cashews
• Pistachios

Sweeteners to Eat and Skip

You can have:

• White and brown sugar
• Pure maple syrup
• Sucralose, an artificial sweetener sold as Splenda
• Stevia, a natural sugar substitute from a plant

Limit or cut out:

• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Agave
• Sorbitol, a low-calorie sweetener made from fruit sugars
• Xylitol, a sugar alcohol often used in sugar-free candies and cookies

Sweeteners of all types are in many processed foods, like breads, soup, and sauces. So read the labels.

Similarities to Gluten-Free Diet

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Those foods also happen to be high in FODMAPs. So if you feel better on a gluten-free diet, it just might be because you’re eating less of the problematic sugars and other carbs. A low FODMAP diet is more restrictive. It targets not only grains but fruits, veggies, legumes, and dairy as well.

Not Seeing Results?

You’ve cut out high FODMAP foods, but you don’t feel any better. Now what? Double-check how closely you stuck to the diet. Slip-ups can keep you from reaping results. But what if you followed the diet closely? That means you’re not sensitive to FODMAPs. There’s no reason to stay on the diet. Talk to your doctor about how else you can manage your symptoms.

How to Bring FODMAPs Back

If you feel better after the low FODMAP diet, that means you’re sensitive to them. The next step is to find out which foods — and how much — trigger your symptoms. To do that, you bring back foods from each FODMAP group one at a time. You try it for 3-5 days and see how you feel. This can take up to 3 months. At the end, you’ll know exactly which foods you need to avoid.

A New Way of Eating

Once you figure out which foods mean trouble, target only those items. You can eat other high FODMAP foods. This strategy can help you manage your digestive problems. Keep in mind that over time, your body may change the way it reacts to FODMAPs. So try those off-limit foods again in a few months and see how you feel.