Vegan cooking on a low FODMAP diet
Cooking on the low FODMAP diet can be challenging at times and might be even more so if you’re looking to follow a vegan diet as well. However, there are some great low FODMAP vegan ingredients you can include to ensure you meet your nutritional needs and avoid IBS symptoms.
Protein
One aspect of a vegan diet that needs to be carefully considered is including enough protein into your meals. Some great sources of protein include legumes, beans, soy products like tofu and tempeh as well as nuts and seeds. When following a low FODMAP diet however some of these protein sources can be high FODMAP. For a more in depth look at suitable serving sizes, take a look at our article on low FODMAP vegan protein sources. When including protein into your meals, think creatively such as using nut butters in smoothies or dressings, as well as topping salads or roasted vegetables with nuts and seeds.
Dairy Alternatives
There are a large range of vegan products available that can replace dairy in cooking and are suitable for a low FODMAP diet.
Cheese
If you’re looking for a cheese substitute that has the physical properties of cheese like the melting factor or something suitable for a vegan cheese board, supermarkets and specialty stores offer vegan cheeses. Supermarkets tend to have vegan cheeses like grated cheese or cheese slices that are made from coconut or other oils. If you’re looking for a softer style cheese like a vegan version of a feta or brie, specialty stores may have these. These tend to be made using nuts so best to check ingredients and be mindful of your serving size to avoid IBS symptoms.
Another product that can replicate the cheese flavour in your cooking is nutritional yeast. The cheesy and savoury flavour from nutritional yeast is perfect in risottos, pastas or just sprinkled on a salad.
Yoghurt
There are a variety of dairy free yoghurts on the market which are suitable for a low FODMAP diet. These typically are made using ingredients such as soy, coconut or nuts. For soy yoghurts, select one that uses soy protein not soybeans as these are high FODMAP. Nut based yoghurts may not be best for you if you’re sensitive to GOS or fructans. Coconut yoghurt is a good alternative and low FODMAP in serving sizes of 125g.
Butter
For butter alternatives there are a number of oil based spreads that are available. These work great whether you’re buttering your toast or using them in cooking. You can also use oil as a substitute for butter when cooking.
Milk
Whether you take milk in your coffee or need something for your cereal, there is a wide number of suitable vegan milks for the low FODMAP diet. These include oat, almond, rice and soy varieties. To understand the differences and serving sizes, take a further look at our article on low FODMAP milk alternatives that are suitable to incorporate as part of your vegan diet
Low FODMAP vegetables and fruit
Incorporating a variety of fibre rich vegetables and fruits will help keep you satiated and is also beneficial to your gut microbiome. We recommend utilising the Monash FODMAP app to identify low FODMAP serves of vegetables and fruit you can include. Some fruits and vegetables that you can eat freely include clementines, dragon fruit, grapes, guava, orange, papaya, strawberries, rocket, red capsicum, carrot, parsnip, potatoes, choy sum, cucumber, olives and tomatoes.
Egg Replacers
If you’re looking to continue baking your favourite muffins and cakes but are unsure how to do so without the use of egg, there are some vegan alternatives that are suitable on the low FODMAP diet. For an easy and quick solution, there are commercial egg replacers that you can find at your local supermarket. These are typically made using potato or tapioca starches which are low FODMAP ingredients. Alternatively, you can create your own replacement eggs by using chia or flax seeds. This is where you combine the seeds with water and set aside to thicken before using in your cooking. For a chia seed egg combine 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 2 ½ tablespoons of water. A flaxseed egg can be made using 1 tablespoon of flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water. Be mindful that a low FODMAP serve of chia seeds is 2 tablespoons whilst flaxseed is 1 tablespoon.
Gelatin Substitute
One other great vegan ingredient worth mentioning for cooking is the use of agar agar. This is a perfect alternative to use instead of gelatin as it is derived from seaweed. One stick of agar agar is low FODMAP so you can keep making your favourite desserts like panna cotta or jelly.
Recipes
To get cooking in the kitchen take a look at our low FODMAP vegan recipes.