Top Swaps For High FODMAP Foods

Don’t you hate when you find a great recipe that you’re excited to try but it contains high FODMAP ingredients? These are our 10 best swaps to still get the flavour you’re looking for but without the stomach ache. 

Onion

Although onion contains high amounts of fructooligosaccharides, it’s flavour is actually easier to replace than you might think. Some great alternatives include using the green tips of spring onion or leek as these parts are low FODMAP and provide a very similar flavour. Additionally, you might like to get your hands on some asafoetida powder, this pungent spice adds a similar depth to your cooking. And a little goes a very long way. 

Garlic

Another staple in creating a base flavour for cooking is using garlic. Similarly to onion, garlic contains high amounts of fructooligosaccharides. If you don’t tolerate garlic, using garlic infused olive oil is the perfect alternative. This oil is not only great for cooking, but also in creating dips or drizzling over bread for a different take on the traditional garlic bread. To top your dishes with a garlic flavour, use garlic chives. These go really well particularly with Asian style dishes and bring a lot of flavour. 

Button Mushroom 

If you’re sensitive to button mushrooms due to the high mannitol content but don’t want to miss out on your favourite mushroom dishes, look to some other mushroom alternatives. Oyster mushrooms and canned champignons are low FODMAP in servings up to 75g. Oyster mushrooms are a great addition particularly to Asian dishes like stir frys, whereas you can’t beat champignons cooked in butter on toast for breakfast.

Asparagus 

Substituting the perfect crunch of asparagus may seem tricky, but two great alternatives are green beans and broccolini. Green beans are low FODMAP in a serve of up to 15 beans and broccolini can be enjoyed in a serving of up to ½ cup. Perfect for tasty side dishes to go with your mains, or even to add crunch into your salads. 

Sweet potato

Although you can still enjoy a low FODMAP serving of sweet potato in up to ½ cup, if you’re looking to enjoy a larger quantity, japanese pumpkin is a great substitute. This vegetable roasts just as well and is a great alternative if you’re looking to create a sweet potato style soup. 

Mango

The deliciously sweet flavour of a mango is hard to beat in summer, but with a serving size of only ⅕ cup low in FODMAPs, a mouthful just isn’t enough. One fruit that is a near perfect replacement is papaya. According to Monash FODMAP, there were no detected FODMAPs in papaya, so it’s a great option to enjoy freely in your fruit salad, desserts or as part of a salad. 

Cashews & Pistachios 

Due to their high oligosaccharide content, cashews and pistachios are often a no go for those on a low FODMAP diet. Other great sources of nuts you can include as part of your diet easily are peanuts and macadamias which can be enjoyed freely. Walnuts are another alternative which are low in FODMAPs at servings under 130g. 

Wheat Flour

With wheat flour high in FODMAPs baking can seem a little challenging. Some alternative flours that have low amounts of FODMAPs up to ⅔ cup are rice, buckwheat, quinoa or millet. All of these offer slightly different flavours and textures that can really enhance your cooking. Rice flour is great for crumbing, buckwheat is perfect for pancakes whilst quinoa and millet can be perfect in biscuits. 

Milk 

Unfortunately for those who are lactose intolerant, regular cow’s milk products are pretty much a no-go. Look out for cow’s milks that are lactose free that you can enjoy instead. These products contain the lactase enzyme, which allows your body to comfortably enjoy a glass with your cookies. There are also great plant based milk alternatives that are low in FODMAPs including almond milk with a serving size of 1 cup, rice milk up to 200ml and oat milk up to ½ cup. 

Rum

If you’re disappointed you can’t enjoy a rum cocktail don’t worry, there’s plenty of other spirits that you can use. Gin, vodka and whiskey are low in FODMAPs providing you with great choice to still enjoy a beverage or two. Just keep in mind that alcohol can be a gut irritant or trigger symptoms for people with IBS.

Swapping out high FODMAP ingredients for low FODMAP items can be a little challenging, but can also lead you to discovering new flavours and enhancing your cooking. We highly recommend downloading the Monash FODMAP app where you can check the FODMAP content in hundreds of different foods. 

Are there any swaps you love that we haven’t mentioned? Let us know below.