Low FODMAP foods: what to stock, from FODY sauces to everyday snacks

Low FODMAP foods are easier to find than most people expect: plain rice, oats, eggs, firm tofu, carrots, oranges and a growing shelf of certified low FODMAP sauces and snacks. Here's what the diet involves, which foods sit on each side of the line, and what we keep on our shelves to make the weekly shop simpler.

What FODMAPs are

FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols. They're a group of sugars and fibres that aren't completely digested or absorbed in the small intestine. When they reach the large intestine, gut bacteria ferment them and produce gas.

For most people that's a normal part of digestion. For some, especially people with sensitive stomachs, high FODMAP foods are a common digestive trigger. That's where the low FODMAP diet comes in: it's a structured way to identify foods that bother you, so you only cut back on the ones you need to.

• Oligosaccharides: fructans and GOS, found in wheat, rye, onion, garlic and most legumes.
• Disaccharides: lactose, the natural sugar in cow's milk and soft dairy products.
• Monosaccharides: excess fructose, found in honey, apples, mango and high fructose corn syrup.
• Polyols: sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and mannitol, found in some fruit, mushrooms and sugar free candy.

How the low FODMAP diet works

The diet has three phases. Many people skip straight to the first one and stay there, which is the part dietitians try hardest to prevent: the aim is to eat as widely as you comfortably can.

1. Elimination phase (2 to 6 weeks). Swap high FODMAP foods for low FODMAP options. If your symptoms don't change by the end, FODMAPs may not be your issue, and that's useful to know too.
2. Reintroduction. Keep eating low FODMAP while you test one FODMAP group at a time, usually one food rich in a single group, daily for three days. Note how you feel after each challenge.
3. Personalisation. Bring back everything you handled well and limit only what bothered you, and only as much as you need to. Retest the tricky foods now and then, since tolerance can change.

Limiting high FODMAP foods for good isn't the goal. Reintroducing high FODMAP foods is what lets you build a varied, balanced diet that suits your gut, and it keeps more fibre and gentle prebiotic fibre on your plate.

Low FODMAP foods vs high FODMAP foods

Here are common low FODMAP foods and the high FODMAP foods they replace, by food group. Amounts matter: some foods are fine in a small serving and higher in a large one, which is why dietitians work from tested serving sizes.

FODY foods: low FODMAP sauces, salsa and dressing

FODY Food Co. is a homegrown Canadian company, started in Montreal in 2016 to make everyday foods that skip common digestive triggers. FODY foods makes convenient staples without onion or garlic, the two ingredients that are hardest to avoid in a jar of sauce. The line is certified low FODMAP, certified gluten free and almost all vegan, which is why FODY is our go-to low FODMAP food brand.

These are the jars we keep on the shelf. They make a weeknight pasta or taco night easy, with no swapping or second pot.

The Tomato Basil and the marinara pasta sauce are both gut friendly pasta sauces built on olive oil, carrot and basil instead of onion and garlic. Use them over rice or quinoa pasta, on a homemade pizza or as a soup base. The salsas are bright and chunky: spoon them over eggs, grilled chicken or rice, or serve with plain corn chips.

For salads, FODY's dressings use extra virgin olive oil and sunflower oil with no onion, garlic, gluten or lactose. Garden Herb is the one we stock right now.

FODYGarden Herb dressingExtra virgin olive oil and Himalayan pink salt. Free of onion, garlic, gluten and lactose.Shop →

Low FODMAP snacks we stock

A good low FODMAP snack bar is handy for the car, the desk drawer or a lunch bag. Every GoMacro MacroBar we carry is low FODMAP, as well as organic, vegan and gluten free, with 10 to 11 g of plant protein from sprouted brown rice and pea protein. They're soft and chewy, and the flavours lean on peanut butter, almond butter and chocolate.

For something crunchy, Schär Rosemary Crackers are low FODMAP and certified gluten free, in six portion packs that are easy to throw in a bag. Plain rice cakes are on the low FODMAP list too: top Lundberg Thin Stackers with peanut butter, a little dark chocolate or a slice of hard cheese. Pumpkin seeds make an easy handful on their own or in a homemade trail mix with walnuts.

On the treat side, the answer to "what junk food is low FODMAP?" is mostly plain versions of familiar things: sea salt potato chips, plain corn chips with FODY salsa, popcorn without butter-flavoured seasoning, and a few squares of dark chocolate.

A low FODMAP grocery list from our shelves

Most of the week is plain food, so a FODMAP grocery list is mostly staples. Here's how we'd stock the cupboard and fridge for easy IBS friendly meals.

1. A warm breakfast. Oatmeal with blueberries or kiwi and a drizzle of maple syrup, or lactose free yogurt with pumpkin seeds.
2. Lunch that packs well. Wheat-free sourdough with eggs, chicken or hard cheese, cucumber and lettuce, plus an orange.
3. Dinner without onion and garlic. Rice or quinoa pasta with FODY sauce, or brown rice noodles with firm tofu, carrot, bok choy and green beans, cooked in olive oil. We like Acadiana Soy's extra firm tofu here, made in small batches right here in Atlantic Canada.
4. Flavour from herbs. Fresh basil, cilantro, chives, ginger, lemon, cumin and paprika do a lot of the work onion and garlic used to.

Low FODMAP is a short test, not a life sentence. The goal is the widest diet your gut is happy with.

Gluten free isn't the same as low FODMAP

The two overlap, because wheat, rye and barley are high in fructans. But gluten free products can still be high FODMAP: a gluten free granola bar sweetened with honey and chicory root fibre, or a gluten free bread with apple juice, may still bother you. Gluten free oats, rice and quinoa pasta are good low FODMAP options; for everything else, read the ingredient list or look for a certified low FODMAP logo.

The reverse is true too. Spelt sourdough breads are on the low FODMAP list, but spelt has gluten, so they aren't safe for anyone who needs to avoid gluten. Our gluten free grocery starter list covers that side of the shelf.

Keep your fibre up

Cutting back on wheat, beans and some fruit can leave your diet short on fibre. Oats, brown rice, quinoa, potatoes with the skin on, carrots, kiwi and pumpkin seeds all help. Some people also add a fibre powder; if you do, pick one that's low in FODMAPs and ask your dietitian how much to start with.

WomenSenseOrganic FibreSense, 150 gAn unflavoured organic prebiotic fibre that's low in FODMAPs and dissolves with no grit.Shop →

Questions we get a lot

What foods can you eat freely on a low FODMAP diet?

Plain proteins (eggs, firm tofu, tempeh, plain cooked meats, poultry and fish), rice, oats, quinoa, potatoes, carrots, cucumber, lettuce, oranges and kiwi are low FODMAP staples. Olive oil and most fresh herbs are fine too. Even low FODMAP foods have serving sizes, so your dietitian will guide you on amounts.

What are the worst FODMAP foods to avoid?

The ones that cause the most trouble are onion, garlic, wheat, rye and barley, most beans and lentils, cow's milk and soft dairy products, honey, apples, pears, mango, watermelon, mushrooms, cashews and pistachios, and sugar free candy made with sugar alcohols. That's also a fair answer to "what are the 10 highest FODMAP foods?"

What chips can I have on low FODMAP?

Plain salted potato chips and plain corn tortilla chips are usually the safer pick. Flavoured chips often contain onion or garlic powder, so check the ingredients. Our healthy chips guide has more on reading a chip bag.

What are some good store-bought low FODMAP snacks in Canada?

Look for a certified low FODMAP logo. At our stores that means GoMacro MacroBars, Schär Rosemary Crackers and FODY salsa with corn chips. Plain rice cakes, pumpkin seeds, lactose free yogurt and an orange are easy picks too.

Is Fody a Canadian company?

Yes. FODY Food Co. is based in Montreal and was founded in 2016. Some of its products, like the marinara, are made in Italy.

Where can I buy Fody food in Canada?

We stock FODY sauces, salsa and dressing at both Luminate Co stores in Bedford and Dartmouth, and online for delivery or pickup. Stock varies, so call ahead if you're after a particular jar.

Do I have to stay low FODMAP forever?

No. The elimination phase lasts 2 to 6 weeks. After that, reintroduction helps you find which FODMAPs you handle well, so you can eat as many delicious foods as possible.

Low FODMAP foods are in the grocery aisles at both stores: 486 Starboard Drive in Bedford and 590 Portland Street in Dartmouth, open seven days. Browse snacks and treats online, and if you're curious about enzymes, our digestive enzymes guide explains how to read the label. Our guide to plant-based milk compares almond, soy and oat cartons too. In HRM, order by 11 am with Luminate Express for same-day delivery, or choose pickup. Anywhere else in Canada, orders over $80 ship free.

Sources: Monash University, About FODMAPs; Monash University, High and low FODMAP foods; Monash University, Starting the low FODMAP diet; FODY FAQ; product labels. This article is general information, not medical advice.