Low FODMAP Diet
Low FODMAP Diet
FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. They are all types of carbohydrates that can cause digestion discomfort.
You may benefit from eating a low FODMAP diet if you have:
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Gas, abdominal bloating or cramping, or diarrhea after eating carbohydrates
Your doctor may recommend this diet for 2 to 6 weeks. You will be told when to slowly add foods back into your diet to learn which foods can be eaten or need to be avoided completely. Many people feel better the first week they stop eating these foods.
FODMAP containing carbohydrates
- Lactose: It is found in cow, sheep and goat’s milk. Limit foods high in lactose, such as yogurt, ice cream, milk and ricotta cheese.
- Fructose: It is found in fruit, fruit juice, honey, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and agave syrup. On a low FODMAP diet, if you want to eat a food containing fructose, you will need to eat it in combination with foods containing glucose. When your body gets foods with equal parts fructose and glucose it is easier to digest. Foods with more fructose than glucose, however, will likely cause signs of discomfort to return.
- Polyols: It is found naturally in some fruits and vegetables, and may be added to sugar-free gums, mints and some medicines. Also called sugar alcohols, look for these names on products: sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, mannitol, isomalt, erythritol, lactitol and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates.
- Fructans: Wheat, rye and barley are common foods with fructans.
- Galactans: Beans and lentils are common foods with galactans.
Low FODMAP diet
Choose foods for the next 2 to 6 weeks under the “foods to include” section in the chart. Read "How to make low FODMAP meals" later in this handout for help planning meals. You will be told when to add new foods back into your diet.
Type of Food | Foods to Include: Low FODMAPs | Foods to Avoid: High FODMAPs |
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Milk |
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Cheese |
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Dairy-based condiments and desserts |
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Grains |
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Fruit Limit to 1 low FODMAP fruit or ½ cup serving per meal |
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Vegetables |
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Protein-rich foods |
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Fat-rich foods Nuts: limit to 10 per meal Nut butters: limit to 1 tablespoon per day Seeds: limit to 1 tablespoon per meal |
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Beverages |
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Alcohol Limit to 1 drink per day |
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Sweeteners |
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Herbs |
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Condiments |
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Other |
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How to make low FODMAP meals
Choose an item from each food group to make a healthy, low FODMAP meal. Use the Plate Method described below to guide your food portions.
Milk and Dairy Products |
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Grains |
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Fruit (Limit to ½ cup per meal) |
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Vegetables |
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Protein-rich foods |
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Healthy fat-rich foods |
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Beverages |
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Use the Plate Method
Use the low FODMAP food group lists above to build a low FODMAP meal with the Plate Method.
- Use a 9-inch plate.
- Fill half (½) of the plate with vegetables, like broccoli.
- Fill a quarter (¼) of the plate with grains, like brown rice.
- Fill a quarter (¼) of the plate with protein-rich foods, like salmon.
- Add a milk or dairy product, like yogurt (made from lactose-free milk or plant-based milks).
- Add a ½ cup serving of fruit, like grapes.
- Add a beverage, like water.
- Add a healthy fat-rich food, like olive oil.
- Add herbs and condiments, as desired.
Talk to a dietitian if you need help with more meal ideas.
Dining out on the low FODMAP diet
When dining out, try these tips to stick with the diet:
- Bring a low FODMAP roll, wrap or bread to the restaurant and order a plain burger, grilled fish, chicken or beef.
- Fill a thermos with lactose-free milk, rice milk or almond milk to add to your cereal, oats or coffee.
- Order a salad and dress it with vinegar or lemon wedges and olive oil.
- Choose brown rice or gluten-free pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese or a baked potato for a side dish.
FODMAP food challenge
After you’ve completed a 2 to 6 week low FODMAP diet, it’s time to reintroduce foods. This is to learn which foods your body tolerates and which trigger your symptoms. You may want to meet with a dietitian to guide you through this process. Use a symptom tracking journal, like the example given on the next page, to check your symptoms.
Tips as you add new foods
- Test one high FODMAP food at a time. Keep avoiding the other high FODMAP foods.
- Test 3 days in a row.
- Use the same new food each of the 3 days, but increase amounts by half each day. For example, ½ cup to 1 cup to 1 ½ cups. Eat a “normal” amount of the new food - don’t over do it!
- Track your symptoms using a journal like the "symptom tracking journal" below every day during the food challenge week - not just challenge days.
Challenge week | Carbohydrate | What to eat on challenge days (day one amount) |
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1 | Lactose | ½ cup of milk or ¾ cup plain yogurt with no high fructose corn syrup or other high FODMAPS |
2 | Fructose | ½ mango or 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey |
3 | Polyols (sorbitol) | 2 dried apricots or 1 nectarine |
4 | Polyols (mannitol) | ½ cup mushrooms or 1/3 cup cauliflower |
5 | Fructans (wheat) | 1 to 2 slices white sourdough bread, 2 slices of whole wheat bread or 1 cup cooked pasta |
6 | Fructans (onion) | 1 tablespoon diced onion |
7 | Fructans (garlic) | 1 clove of garlic |
8 | Galactans | ½ cup kidney beans, lima beans or soybeans |
Symptom tracking journal
Challenge week | Date | Food | Amount | Symptoms |
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For more information
To learn more about FODMAP diets or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), talk to a dietitian and visit these resources:
- Casa de Santé, Gut Friendly Low FODMAP Foods for IBS, https://casadesante.com
- FODY, Low FODMAP Foods, www.fodyfoods.com
- For A Digestive Peace of Mind, a blog by Kate Scarlata, www.katescarlata.com
- International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD), The Low FODMAP Diet Approach: Dietary Triggers for IBS Symptoms, www.aboutibs.org/low-fodmap-diet.html
- Monash University, Low FODMAP Diet app for on-the-go IBS support, https://www.monashfodmap.com/ibs-central/i-have-ibs/get-the-app/
- The IBS Elimination Diet and Cookbook: The Proven Low-FODMAP Plan for Eating Well and Feeling Great, by Patsy Catsos -- visit your local library to borrow a copy of this book or buy from your local or online book retailer
- Patsy Catsos’ Pinterest page, www.pinterest.com/pcatsos/
© 2013 – October 26, 2021, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
This handout is for informational purposes only. Talk with your doctor or healthcare team if you have any questions about your care. For more health information, call the Library for Health Information at 614-293-3707 or email: health-info@osu.edu.
Last Revised: 10/26/2021
Author: OSUWMC
Medical Review: Patient Education