Let’s look again at what FODMAPs stands for. If you have read my Low FODMAPs page, you will already know this. But let’s recap.
FODMAPs stands for Fermentable Oligo-saccharides, Disaccharides, Mono-saccharides and Polyols). They are indigestible sugars which cause havoc in the bowel.
Fermentable:
The process through which gut bacteria break down undigested carbohydrate to produce gases (hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide).
Oligo-saccharides:
Fructo-oligosaccarides (FOS) or Fructans.
Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS).
Disaccharides:
Lactose.
Mono-saccharide:
Fructose (in excess of glucose).
Polyols:
Sugar polyols (eg. sorbitol, mannitol).
We’ll take these one by one and I’ll tell you what to stay away from and what you can eat. These lists will be by no means complete but I will include the more common foods that most of us eat.
What you will see is that a food might be fine under one list but not under another. For example: Blackberries are low in fructose but high in polyols. If you know you malabsorb fructose but are fine with polyols, then you can eat them. You have to cross-reference the lists to get the ultimate list that suits you.
FRUCTANS
Stay away from:
Fruit:
Nectarines, watermelon, persimmon, white peaches.
Vegetables:
Artichokes, asparagus,garlic, leeks, onions, spring onions, savoy cabbage.
Grains & Starches
Wheat, rye and barley.
Legumes
All legume beans but we can have 1/4 cup canned chickpeas and 1/2 cup canned lentils or 1/4 cup boiled lentils. .
Nuts
Pistachio, cashews
You can eat:
Fruit
All other fruits except those above.
Vegetables
Bok choy, 1/4 cup broccoli, capsicums, carrots, celery, cucumber, ginger, 10 green beans, lettuce, potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, 1/2 cup sweet potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini.
Grains & Starches
Amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, maize, millet, oats, potato, quinoa, rice, sorghum, tapioca.
GALACTO-OLIGOSACCHARIDES
Stay away from:
Dry beans like kidney, borlotti, haricot, pinto, navy, lima, butter, soy, broad.
You can eat:
We can have 1/4 cup canned chickpeas and 1/2 cup canned lentils or 1/4 cup boiled lentils.
LACTOSE
Stay away from:
Animal milk – cow, sheep, goat, yoghurt, ice cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese.
You can eat:
Hard and ripened cheeses, butter, a little cream (these are virtually lactose free.)
FRUCTOSE
Stay away from:
Fruit
Apples, cherries, mangoes, pears, persimmon, watermelon
Vegetables
Sugar snap peas
Sweeteners
Honey, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, fruit juice concentrate
You can eat:
Fruits
Bananas,blueberries, grapefruit, grapes, kiwifruit, lemons, limes, mandarins, oranges, passionfruit, pineapple, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes.
Vegetables
All except sugar snap peas.
Sweeteners
Golden syrup, maple syrup, rice syrup, table sugar, cane sugar, icing sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, glucose.
POLYOLS
Stay away from:
Fruits
Apples, apricots, blackberries, cherries, pears, peaches, plums, prunes, watermelon.
Vegetables
Avocados, cauliflower, mushrooms, snowpeas.
Additives
Sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, xylitol (as in diet gums, lollies, dairy desserts etc.
You can eat:
Fruits
Bananas, blueberries, cranberries, grapefruit, grapes, kiwifruit, lemons, limes, mandarins, oranges, passionfruit, pineapple, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries.
Vegetables
All except those mentioned above.
Additives
Aspartame, saccharine, stevia.
Low Fodmap Diet Food Chart
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Source: Food Intolerance management Plan by Dr Sue Shepherd and Dr Peter Gibson
The 8 Symptoms of FODMAP intolerance explained
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Missed Moments of my Life
Chocolate and Stress? Contributors to Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Three Mistakes you’re probably still making on the low FODMAP diet
