Meal ideas for a low FODMAP diet

FODMAP is an acronym for “fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols”. Making changes to your shopping, cooking and eating habits may seem overwhelming, especially if a lot of your favourite ingredients must be left off the grocery list. However, meals that suit a low FODMAP diet certainly don’t have to be flavourless or complicated to prepare. Here are five tasty meal ideas that you can adapt based on your requirements.

Butternut and bacon breakfast

Steam a few small chunks of butternut until soft. Meanwhile, slice some bacon into thin strips and cook over a medium heat in a non-stick pan. Once cooked through but not yet crispy, add some shredded Swiss chard or baby spinach, the steamed butternut and, if you can tolerate it, some crumbled feta, and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Eat as it is or spoon onto a slice of oat bread. Optional extra: top with a poached egg for an additional protein boost.

Chicken kebabs with rice and green beans

Cut free-range chicken breasts into large chunks and marinate in a little lemon juice and freshly grated ginger. Cut some green pepper into chunks too. After about 20 minutes, thread the chicken pieces and green pepper pieces onto a skewer and then braai (or cook on the griddle pan) until done. Serve with a side of green beans drizzled with a little mustard (if you can tolerate it) and olive oil. Add some rice on the side.

Fish with quinoa salad

Wrap fresh fish fillets in foil with a little olive oil and fresh herbs of your choice and cook in the oven at 200 degrees C for about 20 minutes until cooked through. Meanwhile, boil quinoa until tender, drain well and leave to cool to room temperature. Mix in grated carrot, finely diced tomato, grated zucchini, a handful of sliced olives and finely diced cucumber.

Roasted mushrooms and zucchini with polenta and sprouts

Prepare polenta as per the packet instructions. Heat the oven to 180 degrees C. In a baking tray, lay out sliced mushrooms of your choice and zucchini (sliced, diced or ribboned) without draining them once cut. Drizzle with a little olive oil and chilli flakes, then bake in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Spoon the cooked polenta onto a serving platter and place the hot vegetables on top of the polenta, adding the juices that formed too. Top with a generous handful of sprouts and serve while hot.

Tofu with citrus and green beans

Prepare your tofu by draining it well. Peel a citrus fruit that you like (oranges, clementines, novas) and separate the segments. Cut each segment in half and keep aside. Top and tail some green beans and stir-fry in a little sesame oil until tender. Remove from the pan and place in a serving bowl. Top with the halved citrus segments. Over a high heat, and using a little more sesame oil, cook the tofu then mix in with the beans and citrus. Top with some fresh herbs of your choice and a few flaked almonds.

Sources
http://www.ibsdiets.org/fodmap-diet/fodmap-food-list/
http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/low-high.html