Dealing with digestive issues like IBS can be a real struggle, and it’s something our founder Bay knows all too well from her own personal journey. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and isolated, especially when you're just starting out.
But, there's some good news: the low FODMAP diet could be the solution you need to manage your symptoms and improve your gut health. To help you navigate your own low FODMAP journey, we’ve put together this ultimate guide to answer all your burning questions and make your transition to a low FODMAP lifestyle as smooth as possible.
IBS Explained
IBS is a common digestive condition which affects how the gut moves and functions, causing symptoms like tummy pain, bloating and a change in bowel (poo) movements – usually constipation, diarrhoea or a mixture of both.
IBS affects around 1 in 7 people globally and can really impact daily life, so finding ways to manage symptoms is an important goal for many people with IBS.
9 in 10 people with IBS report that certain foods make their symptoms worse.
One of the approaches to managing IBS symptoms is through changes to diet – and one of the most popular diet therapies is the low FODMAP diet. So what exactly is it, and how does it work?
What Is a Low FODMAP Diet & How Can It Help?
The low FODMAP diet is a type of elimination diet developed by researchers at Monash University in Australia. It is designed to help improve gut symptoms (like bloating, pain and bowel habit) in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
It’s a scientifically proven diet to reduce and even eliminate the symptoms of IBS in over 75% of people who try it.
It works by completely removing high FODMAP hard-to-digest ingredients such as onions, garlic, lentils, lactose and wheat from your diet for a short period of time, and then reintroducing as many as possible to your own tolerance. The diet can be challenging, but totally worthwhile sticking to.
We’ll discuss the three phases of the diet later in the article, including some top tips along the way to help you succeed.
As with any diet, but particularly due to the restrictive nature of the low FODMAP diet, this must be discussed with your GP to ensure the diet is the correct next step for you.
We also strongly recommend consulting a registered and FODMAP-trained dietician or nutritionist. Navigating the low FODMAP diet can be enough of a challenge when you're juggling meal planning and deciphering food labels, so the last thing you want to be worrying about on top of this is whether you’re getting the right nutrients.
Ask your dietitian to help you create a balanced diet and meal plans – it’ll be worth it!
What Are FODMAPs?
FODMAPs are certain types of carbohydrates (sugars) found in various foods. These sugars aren’t easily absorbed in the small intestine, which means they end up travelling through the gut attracting water, before landing in the large intestine.
Once they arrive in the large intestine they are consumed (fermented) by the gut bacteria that live there, and this results in gas production.
Although this is a completely normal (and healthy) consequence of consuming FODMAPs, for people with IBS this extra gas and water in the gut can trigger sensations of bloating and pain. The research team at Monash found that by avoiding foods high in FODMAP foods, people with IBS experienced fewer symptoms and felt their quality of life improved.
‘FODMAPs’ might sound like a mouthful – trust us, we know! It stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. Here’s a quick breakdown in simpler terms:
Fermentable Oligosaccharides
- Fructans: Found in wheat, garlic, onion, and inulin-containing foods.
- Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS): Found in legumes, such as lentils, chickpeas, and beans.
Disaccharides
- Lactose: Found in dairy products like milk, yoghurt, and cheese.
Monosaccharides
- Fructose: Found in fruits (especially high-fructose ones like mango and watermelon), honey, high-fructose corn syrup, and agave nectar.
Polyols
- Sorbitol: Found in some fruits like apples, pears, and stone fruits, as well as artificial sweeteners.
- Mannitol: Found in mushrooms, cauliflower, and some sugar-free gums and sweets.
- Xylitol: Found in some fruits, vegetables, and sugar-free products.
Understanding which foods contain FODMAPs can help you make more informed dietary choices and better manage digestive symptoms.
High & Low FODMAP Foods
FODMAPs are found in a wide variety of foods. There’s no way to ‘guess’ how many FODMAPs are in food. Instead, each food must be tested. This research is done by Monash University using a technique developed in their lab. The information is then distributed to help people with IBS (and health professionals who support them) to follow a low FODMAP diet and determine their triggers.
Due to high FODMAP foods being found in various food groups (and affecting individuals differently), it can be tricky to navigate a low FODMAP diet without proper guidance.
As a very brief overview, some common high FODMAP foods include:
- Dairy: Milk, yoghurt, and some soft cheeses (due to lactose)
- Fruits: Apples, pears, mangoes, and watermelon (high in fructose or sorbitol)
- Vegetables: Garlic, onion, asparagus, and cauliflower
- Grains: Wheat-based products like bread, pasta, and cereals; legumes like lentils, chickpeas, and beans
- Sweeteners: Honey, agave nectar, and artificial sweeteners containing polyols
To make following a low FODMAP diet easier, we've created a dedicated article that breaks down different food groups and provides a printable shopping list. This comprehensive resource will help you to confidently navigate grocery shopping and meal planning while managing your IBS symptoms.
Key Food Swaps
In the below table, you’ll find a few of the key food swaps which are useful when starting on the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet.
Note: Please check the low FODMAP serving sizes. Some of the high FODMAP foods are permitted in small portions, so you don’t necessarily have to cut them out completely during the elimination phase, just eat them in smaller amounts.
|
High FODMAP |
Low FODMAP |
|
Fresh garlic or garlic granules |
Garlic infused olive oil |
|
Onion |
Chives, green tips of spring onions, green leek leaves, asafoetida powder |
|
Bread |
Gluten-free bread, 100% spelt sourdough |
|
Milk |
Lactose-free milk, almond, rice or hemp milk |
|
Apples, mangos, peach |
Grapes, oranges, pineapples, strawberries |
|
Honey |
Maple syrup, rice malt syrup, sugar (white, brown, raw) |
|
Flour |
Almond meal, buckwheat, corn, maize, potato, quinoa, rice, sieved spelt, tapioca, teff or yam flour |
Is a Low FODMAP Diet Right For Me?
First, it’s important to know that the low FODMAP diet is only recommended for people who have:
- Received a medical diagnosis of IBS from their doctor, and
- Already tried dietary and lifestyle changes without improvement in symptoms
If you think you might have IBS but you’re unsure, it’s really important to book an appointment with your doctor so that they can make sure it is IBS causing your symptoms. Some conditions (like Coeliac disease) share the same symptoms as IBS but involve different treatments, so you need to be sure that you have the right diagnosis.
The low FODMAP diet isn’t suitable for everyone, and shouldn’t be the first approach to managing IBS. In fact, simple dietary changes such as reducing the intake of fatty and spicy foods, and lowering alcohol and caffeine intake can be effective first steps in managing symptoms.
The 3 Stages of the Low FODMAP Diet
Once you’ve established that a low FODMAP diet may be beneficial, understanding the three stages of the low FODMAP diet is important for successfully managing symptoms and maintaining a balanced, fulfilling lifestyle.
To help support your journey through the below stages, we’d recommend investing in Bay's Kitchen Low FODMAP Food Diary, an invaluable resource which will help you to stay organised, track your progress, and identify triggers.
1. Elimination (2-6 Weeks)
The Elimination phase is by far the hardest to conquer, but at least it’s out of the way first! This is where you remove all moderate and high FODMAP foods from your diet. Most people start to see a significant improvement in their symptoms after a week or two of being FODMAP-free!
You should be in the Elimination stage for a maximum of 6 weeks (the exact duration will vary between individuals, as it depends on how quickly your symptoms improve).
For our founder Bay, one of the most challenging aspects of the elimination phase wasn't resisting high FODMAP foods - the desire to avoid unpleasant symptoms far outweighed any cravings! Instead, the difficulty was in learning and remembering which foods were safe to consume. For this, she found the Monash app an invaluable resource and years later still uses it regularly.
Top Tip #1:
Remember to check serving sizes – whilst some foods can be moderate or high in FODMAPs, you might find there is a smaller serving size which is safe, meaning you don’t have to eliminate that food altogether. An example of this is beetroot – on the Monash App, beetroot is high in FODMAPs (Oligos in this case) at 40g, but low in FODMAPs at 20g.
Top Tip #2:
Don’t start the elimination phase at a time when it will clash with something that will make the diet super hard to follow – like Christmas or your summer holiday. Once you are through the first few weeks of the diet, it will become easier and eventually become second nature to you. However, if you start the diet two weeks before Christmas, you won’t have had the time to build up your routine and willpower to resist high FODMAP foods.
Discover our 10 Steps To Success With Low FODMAP Elimination.
2. Reintroduction
The reintroduction phase is a critical component of the low FODMAP diet, as it allows you to identify which specific FODMAPs your body can tolerate and in what quantities. Most individuals can reintroduce a selection of foods back into their diet and pinpoint particular triggers to avoid. It's essential to go through this stage to ensure a more balanced diet and increased variety - especially when eating out.
While it may be intimidating to reintroduce foods that previously caused discomfort, sticking to an ultra restrictive diet long-term can negatively impact your gut microbiome. This is why we strongly urge you to proceed with the reintroduction stage, ideally under the guidance of a trained dietitian.
How to Navigate the Reintroduction Phase
- Continue the elimination diet for the recommended 2-6 weeks.
- Every Monday, introduce one new food and consume a high FODMAP serving of that food for three consecutive days (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday).
- For the following four days, exclude the high FODMAP food from your diet and monitor your symptoms. Determine if it was a successful reintroduction based on the severity of symptoms experienced.
- If symptoms subside, begin the next reintroduction test the following Monday, allowing time for any residual symptoms to clear.
Keep in mind that everyone's experience will vary. Some foods may cause immediate reactions, while others may not trigger symptoms until later in the testing process. Pay close attention to your body's response to each new food, record them in your food diary, and share your findings with your dietitian.
Top Tip:
If you react badly to a food, make sure to reintroduce it again at a later date and try with a smaller serving size to start. Remember, other factors play a part in our symptoms too, like stress or lack of sleep. So it might not have been all down to that one food.
Discover our 5 Steps to Successful FODMAP Reintroduction.
3. Personalisation
Some people call this the ‘Maintenance’ phase, but we think this sounds negative and too much like hard work! So we prefer to use ‘Personalisation’.
By this stage, you should have identified the foods that are triggering your symptoms, including which FODMAPs to avoid and which you can consume in moderation. You just need to continue with the diet and include the foods you have successfully reintroduced.
Your dietitian will be able to help you develop nutritious meal plans, as well as advise on any supplements. This will ensure you are getting a good balance of protein, fibre, fats, vitamins and minerals every day, and maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle.
How Can I Get Started With the Low FODMAP Diet?
If you have been diagnosed with IBS and you want to try a low FODMAP diet, it’s important to do so with the support of a FODMAP trained dietitian where possible, so they can assess whether you’re suitable.
Although there are lots of resources online, these aren’t always up-to-date or accurate. Some resources also miss out the reintroduction phase, leaving you stuck on the elimination phase. This isn’t recommended, as the elimination phase is limited, and following it long term may have negative consequences for your gut bacteria.
Remember low FODMAP elimination isn’t for life – it’s a short term phase to help you identify triggers.
A FODMAP trained dietitian will also be able to teach you how to eliminate and reintroduce FODMAPs, and help you adjust your meals so that your diet remains balanced.
Ask your GP if they can refer you to a locally trained FODMAP dietitian. Alternatively, in the UK, you can find a dietitian in private practice (try searching ‘FODMAP’ in the dietary need box).
How Can Bay’s Kitchen Help?
When she was first diagnosed with IBS, our founder Bay discovered first-hand the limited availability of low FODMAP options.
Here at Bay’s Kitchen, we’ve spent a huge amount of time working with trained chefs and dietitians to create convenient, great-tasting low FODMAP foods.
We send all our products for FODMAP Friendly Foods certification, so you can be safe in the knowledge they’re suitable to eat throughout your IBS and low FODMAP journey. They are perfect to keep on hand in the cupboard as a safe option - especially when you're going through an IBS flare-up.
We’ve really focused on the flavour of our IBS-friendly products to ensure you never have to compromise on taste. So yes, that means you’ll find award-winning sauces, condiments, stocks and soups - without hard-to-digest ingredients like onion and garlic!
Low FODMAP Meal Planning & Recipes
Establishing a meal planning routine is key to maintaining a low FODMAP diet and ensuring your nutritional needs are met. Here are some practical tips and resources to help streamline your meal planning process while keeping your taste buds happy:
- Stock up on low FODMAP pantry staples (like Bay’s Kitchen products) and create a list of go-to meals for busy days.
- Devote time each week to plan meals and create grocery lists to minimise stress and reduce impulsive purchases.
- Double recipes and freeze leftovers for easy, ready-to-go meals on hectic days.
- Involve family members in meal planning to encourage a supportive and inclusive environment.
For more ideas to get started, check out our sample one-day low FODMAP meal plan here. We’ve also shared hundreds of FODMAP-friendly recipes featuring Bay’s Kitchen products for quick, nutritious and delicious meals.
Low FODMAP Resources & Tips for Success
Following a low FODMAP diet can be difficult, but we’ve found some resources that make it that bit easier. We hope you find them just as useful, supportive and inspiring, too:
