If you’ve recently been diagnosed with IBS by a GP, they may have advised following a low FODMAP diet. You might now be feeling confused, frustrated, or even anxious about what on earth you can actually eat. That’s completely understandable. Many people are already overwhelmed by trying elimination diets and their often random symptoms. The low FODMAP approach can feel like a lot at first. The good news is, it doesn’t need to be that complicated. This guide will walk you through the first steps, helping you get started in a way that feels manageable and realistic.
Step 1: Take a breath - you don’t need to do everything at once
One of the biggest misconceptions is that you need to immediately cut out a long list of foods. You don’t. The low FODMAP diet is not about perfection - it’s about reducing overall FODMAP load and learning what works for your body over time. Even small changes can make a difference.
Step 2: Understand the goal
FODMAPs are types of fermentable carbohydrates. Especially in people with IBS, some FODMAP carbohydrates can be poorly broken down and absorbed in the gut. Excess water can be drawn into the intestines, and the gut microbiome can ferment undigested FODMAPs and produce gas. This can contribute to symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain, and changes in bowel habits. This diet is designed as a short-term tool to help identify which types of foods (FODMAP groups) trigger your symptoms - not something to follow strictly long term.
Step 3: Decide how you want to start
There are two main ways to begin: a gentle approach or a more structured approach. The typical stricter, more structured approach to the low FODMAP diet may not be suitable for those with current/ past disordered eating or high anxiety. Also, for those who are underweight or nutritionally at risk. Restrictive diets can sometimes worsen relationships with food and reduce nutrient intake if not done carefully. You don’t have to jump straight into the initial full FODMAP elimination phase, although it can be more helpful for some people. Both approaches can work — the key is choosing one that feels manageable for you.
Option 1: A gentle approach
Start by reducing the most common high-FODMAP foods in your diet, such as onion and garlic, large amounts of wheat, certain fruits like mango and apples and cow’s milk. This is often a good starting point if you feel overwhelmed.
See Bay’s Kitchen Low FODMAP fruit guide for more information.
Option 2: A more structured approach
Follow a stricter, low FODMAP plan more closely for a short period (usually 2–6 weeks), using a reliable resource like the Monash app. Working with a qualified healthcare professional, such as a nutritionist or dietitian, can help you develop a personalised plan tailored to suit your needs.
Step 4: Focus on swaps, not restrictions
Instead of thinking about what you can’t eat, focus on simple swaps suggested below. Swapping out the high FODMAP fruits and vegetables keeps things positive rather than negative (restriction) and your meals familiar while reducing symptom triggers.
See Bay’s Kitchen Low FODMAP vegetables guide for more information.
- Onion → chives or spring onion tops
- Garlic → garlic-infused oil
- Sauces, gravy, condiments, soup → Bay’s Kitchen low FODMAP products
- Apple/ pear/ mango/ apricot/ cherries → berries or citrus fruit
- Regular milk/ yoghurt → lactose-free milk/ yoghurt
- Wheat bread → sourdough or gluten-free bread
- Wheat cereal → oats, cornflakes, Oatibix
- Wheat pasta → gluten-free pasta
- Wheat noodles → vermicelli rice noodles
- Mushrooms/ asparagus/ leek/ peas → green beans, green peppers, beetroot, broccoli heads, carrot, kale, spinach, etc
- Beans → ½ cup edamame beans
Step 5: Keep meals simple (especially at the start)
You don’t need complicated recipes. A simple structure works well:
- Protein: eggs, chicken, fish, meat, tofu
- Carbohydrates: rice, potatoes, oats, gluten-free or sourdough bread, pasta
- Fruit & vegetables: low FODMAP options
- Lactose-free or small amounts of regular dairy if tolerated
Try to choose a few simple meals and repeat them in the first week — this makes things much easier while you adjust. Bay’s Kitchen offers a range of low FODMAP sauces, condiments and ready-made options which can help simplify meals further. Bay’s Kitchen also have a wide range of low FODMAP recipes on their website to help with meal prep.
Step 6: Use the Monash FODMAP app
The Monash University FODMAP app is the most reliable source of up-to-date information. It helps you check foods and identify their low-FODMAP portion sizes, build a shopping list, and avoid unnecessary restrictions. Online food lists can quickly become outdated (foods were retested and reclassified in 2025), so this is definitely worth using from the start. The Monash University low FODMAP cookbook and website have lots of recipes too, although their app is likely to have the most up-to-date, accurate recipes since their update.
Step 7: Plan your first shop
Before you begin:
- Check what you already have at home
- Identify a few meals you can repeat
- Make a simple shopping list using the app
- Shop online to start with, to allow extra time to check food labels for hidden onion, garlic, certain sweeteners, etc
Step 8: Don’t aim for perfection
It’s very common to worry about “getting it wrong”. But this process is about learning, not being perfect. Symptoms won’t always be consistent, but that’s normal. Be patient - gradually learning what works and what doesn’t is part of the process. Portion sizes do make a big difference – some high FODMAP foods are fine in small portions and some low FODMAP foods may be problematic in big portions, depending on what you can tolerate individually. You don’t need to track everything or keep a food diary every day. Perhaps only when symptoms flare, then record what you ate in the last 24 hours. The reintroduction second stage of the FODMAP diet is for tracking symptoms. Bay’s Kitchen Low FODMAP Food and Symptom Diary was designed to support those following a low FODMAP diet, helping you track your food and symptoms to identify IBS triggers. It’s especially useful when you are starting out on the diet.
Step 9: Keep it short-term
The initial restrictive phase of the diet is 2–6 weeks, depending on how gradual the approach is and how quickly your symptoms improve. Staying on the diet longer than necessary can: reduce fibre intake, negatively affect beneficial gut bacteria and make reintroducing foods feel more difficult. You’re aiming for at least 60-70% improvement in symptoms. The FODMAP diet is effective for 3 out of 4 people with IBS symptoms. If you are one of the 1 in 4 where symptoms don’t noticeably improve after 2-6 weeks, then FODMAP intolerances may not be the main driver of your symptoms. You should therefore not carry on this diet.
Step 10: FODMAP reintroduction is where the real value is
Once symptoms improve, foods in each FODMAP group are gradually reintroduced to identify your personal triggers. This is the most important step. Most people do not react to all FODMAP carbohydrates, and the goal is to expand your diet again, not stay restricted. This is where working with a dietitian or nutritional therapist specifically trained in the FODMAP diet is invaluable. They can help you personalise the approach, avoid unnecessary restriction and feel more confident with food again. The third phase of this diet is personalisation for the long term. Your gut and health do change over time, so re-testing is important.
Final thoughts
The low FODMAP diet (which has three stages) can be very effective for IBS, but it can also feel confusing without guidance. Getting support from a registered nutritional therapist or dietitian can help guide you through the process step by step. Starting the low FODMAP diet doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. You don’t need to: change everything overnight, cut out every food or follow it perfectly. Start simple, take it step by step, and focus on building a way of eating that works for you - not against you.
