20 Low FODMAP Snacks You'll Love to Eat

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20 Low FODMAP Snacks You’ll Love to Eat

Mastering the Art of Low FODMAP Snacks

If your doctor, health coach, or dietitian recommended you try a low FODMAP diet, you might be concerned about not only what to eat for your meals, but what to eat for snacks. Let’s face it, many of us live for snacks! They keep us going through our daily work and play.

Healthy eating doesn’t need to come at the expense of ease or enjoyment. Let’s talk about what the low FODMAP diet is and why you would use it. Then, we’ll give you 20 ideas for great low FODMAP snacks.

Low FODMAP snacks: A variety of fresh vegetables and dips

What Is a Low FODMAP Diet?

“FODMAPs” is an acronym that stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. The low FODMAP diet eliminates foods that are high in fermentable carbohydrates, which can increase digestive symptoms like bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation.

On a low FODMAP diet, you temporarily remove all high FODMAP foods, and then carefully reintroduce them to see which ones you are most sensitive to. (Get my Low FODMAP Diet Guide here.)

Why Eat a Low FODMAP Diet?

A low FODMAP diet isn’t just hearsay or a fad diet, it’s good science. The Low FODMAP diet has been shown in multiple meta-analyses and clinical studies to reduce gut symptoms such as bloating and overall digestive symptoms from IBS and other gut-related disorders [1, 2]. Research shows that the low FODMAP diet can specifically:

  • Improve diarrhea in IBS-D [3].
  • Improve IBS symptoms in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBD) [4, 5, 6, 7].
  • Positively impact gut endocrine cells, which can normalize bowel function [8, 9, 10].
  • Reduce digestive symptoms, such as bloating, abdominal pain, and gas [11, 12].
  • Reduce pain for fibromyalgia patients [13].
  • Reduce leaky gut, inflammation, and the digestive symptoms that accompany it [14, 15].
  • Increase the amount of serotonin-producing cells in your intestines. (Serotonin helps with reducing pain and healthy gut motility) [16].

What this means for you is that a low FODMAP diet may enable you to get control over your digestive symptoms, or at least prepare you for the next steps in your healing journey.

Low FODMAP Snack Ideas

Making dietary changes can sometimes feel like a challenge, and it’s often most difficult when it comes to snack ideas. Commercial snack foods are often full of sugar and high FODMAP or inflammatory foods.

Snacks are most appealing to us when they not only taste good but are convenient to prepare or carry in our backpacks, briefcases, or purses. But as I mentioned in my article about low FODMAP recipe ideas, a low FODMAP diet doesn’t mean you can’t have yummy things. In fact, there are plenty of delicious snack options for a low FODMAP diet.

Nuts and Nut Butter Snacks

Low FODMAP snacks: Bowl of almonds

Nuts are a portion-size-dependent FODMAP food. In other words, small servings of nuts are low FODMAP. This means you can enjoy some nuts and nut butter on a low FODMAP diet within reason. This includes:

  • Small handfuls of nuts, including macadamia nuts, almonds, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds.
  • Almond butter or peanut butter

Try these nut-based low FODMAP snacks:

  • Peanut butter or almond butter on gluten-free pretzels, rice cakes, rice crackers, or gluten-free toast
  • Carrot or celery spears with nut butter for crunch
  • 10-12 nuts, like almonds or pecans

High-nut snacks like Paleo granola or trail mixes should probably be avoided.

Lactose-Free Low FODMAP Snack Ideas

Low FODMAP snacks: Yogurt with blueberries, raspberries, and mint

Lactose, the sugar in dairy products, is a high FODMAP food. Many companies, like Green Valley Creamery, make FODMAP-friendly, lactose-free dairy products, including milk, cheese, and yogurt. If you don’t otherwise have an intolerance to dairy, you can include lactose-free milk, lactose-free yogurt, and low-to-no lactose cheeses, such as cheddar cheese and parmesan in your low FODMAP diet.

Try these lactose-free low FODMAP snacks:

  • A bowl of gluten-free cereal with lactose-free milk
  • Rice crackers with sliced cheddar cheese and sliced deli meat like turkey or ham
  • Lactose-free yogurt with low-FODMAP granola

Other Savory Low FODMAP Snack Ideas

Red tomato salsa with chips

There are lots of other savory low FODMAP snack options. Try some of these:

  • A small serving of garlic-free hummus made from chickpeas on rice cakes with slices of fresh cucumber or red bell pepper, and lactose-free cheese. (Chickpeas are a portion-size dependent FODMAP food).
  • A quesadilla made with corn tortillas and melted cheddar cheese.
  • Tortilla chips with low FODMAP salsa. (A brand called Fody makes low FODMAP condiments, sauces, and salad dressings.)
  • A bowl of cooked, FODMAP-friendly whole grains, like brown rice or quinoa, with steamed veggies like zucchini or carrots, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and sea salt.
  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Olives
  • Air-popped popcorn with melted ghee and sea salt

Sweet Low FODMAP Snacks

Blueberry muffins

Just about everyone enjoys something sweet to eat. There’s no reason you can’t eat sweet snacks on a low FODMAP diet because cane sugar is a low FODMAP sweetener. However, it’s important to keep in mind that sugar can affect other elements of your health, like your blood sugar balance. In general, sweets should be consumed as a small part of your diet.

You’ll want to avoid high FODMAP sweeteners, which include:

  • Sugar alcohols, which are polyols, including mannitol, sorbitol, maltitol, erythritol, and xylitol.
  • High fructose sweeteners, such as high-fructose corn syrup, agave syrup, honey, fruit juice concentrate, and high fructose fruits (see the Monash app for more info).

Safe, low-FODMAP sweeteners include:

  • Cane sugar
  • Maple syrup
  • Stevia (without inulin added)

Try these sweet low FODMAP snack options:

Low FODMAP Fruit: Fruit is always a convenient and healthy snack. Consider handfuls of:

  • Blueberries or raspberries
  • Cubed cantaloupe
  • Kiwi
  • Citrus
  • Bananas

Granola: Granola made with oats and cane sugar or maple syrup and light on the nuts and seeds is delicious with lactose-free yogurt or milk, or as a snack by itself.

Low FODMAP Smoothies: Blend lactose-free milk or yogurt, or coconut milk with low FODMAP fruits (banana, blueberries, raspberries), maple syrup, and a high-quality protein powder for a delicious, satiating snack you can take with you.

Low FODMAP Snack Bars: Look for bars from companies like GoMacro (choose their nut-free bars), Fody, and Rachel Paul’s Happy Bars.

Low FODMAP muffins: A wide variety of muffins, such as blueberry muffins, morning glory muffins, and banana bread muffins can be adapted to a low FODMAP diet. Make a batch on the weekend, and have an easy, tasty snack through the week.

Dark chocolateor chocolate chips, sweetened with cane sugar or stevia.

Chia pudding made with coconut milk, vanilla, and maple syrup. Top with a handful of blueberries, half a sliced banana, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. You can make a large batch ahead and keep in the refrigerator for snack attacks. (And kids love it!)

Low FODMAP Snack Tips

As with all elimination diets, success on the low FODMAP diet comes easier with a little preparation. Use these low FODMAP snack tips to help make things easier.

Make a Plan

Make sure to consider your snack needs when you do your grocery shopping. If the snacks you want to eat need to be prepared in advance, take some time on the weekend or during your regular dinner-cooking time to make them.

Keep It Simple

The simplest options often win out. In general, rely on easy choices like fruit, veggies, plain nuts, pre-made low FODMAP snack bars, or commercially-prepared products. Only add more complex recipes once you’ve found a manageable schedule.

Rely on Pre-Made Options to Save Time

Many pre-prepared low FODMAP foods are available in regular grocery stores or health food stores. Some ordinary products are low FODMAP, while certain companies, like Fody, make low FODMAP versions of foods like salsa, salad dressings, and tomato sauce.

If you want to use mainstream products, be sure to check for high FODMAP ingredients when shopping. Be especially aware of wheat, dairy products, onions, garlic, and nuts, which are high FODMAP and common in many prepared foods.

Listen to Your Body

Elimination diets like the low FODMAP diet aren’t meant to be followed forever. They are primarily used as a short-term experiment to determine whether the foods you eliminate are part of your symptom picture.

If you don’t notice positive changes from the low FODMAP diet after 2-3 weeks, you may not need to continue the diet. Be sure to consult with your doctor, health coach, or other nutrition professional for help if you’re confused about your diet.

Enjoy Your Low FODMAP Snacks

The low FODMAP diet is a lot less restrictive than other elimination diets, and there’s no reason you can’t relish yummy snacks while eating low FODMAP. There are a wide variety of easy and delicious options. Stock your pantry and kitchen with low FODMAP options, and enjoy satisfying snacks that keep you going through your day.

➕ References
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  2. Altobelli E, Del Negro V, Angeletti PM, Latella G. Low-FODMAP Diet Improves Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms: A Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2017 Aug 26;9(9):940. doi: 10.3390/nu9090940. PMID: 28846594; PMCID: PMC5622700.
  3. Zahedi MJ, Behrouz V, Azimi M. Low fermentable oligo-di-mono-saccharides and polyols diet versus general dietary advice in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: A randomized controlled trial. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2018 Jun;33(6):1192-1199. doi: 10.1111/jgh.14051. Epub 2018 Feb 21. PMID: 29159993.
  4. Gibson PR. Use of the low-FODMAP diet in inflammatory bowel disease. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017 Mar;32 Suppl 1:40-42. doi: 10.1111/jgh.13695. PMID: 28244679.
  5. Pedersen N, Ankersen DV, Felding M, Wachmann H, Végh Z, Molzen L, Burisch J, Andersen JR, Munkholm P. Low-FODMAP diet reduces irritable bowel symptoms in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. World J Gastroenterol. 2017 May 14;23(18):3356-3366. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i18.3356. PMID: 28566897; PMCID: PMC5434443.
  6. Zhan YL, Zhan YA, Dai SX. Is a low FODMAP diet beneficial for patients with inflammatory bowel disease? A meta-analysis and systematic review. Clin Nutr. 2018 Feb;37(1):123-129. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2017.05.019. Epub 2017 May 24. PMID: 28587774.
  7. Cox SR, Lindsay JO, Fromentin S, Stagg AJ, McCarthy NE, Galleron N, Ibraim SB, Roume H, Levenez F, Pons N, Maziers N, Lomer MC, Ehrlich SD, Irving PM, Whelan K. Effects of Low FODMAP Diet on Symptoms, Fecal Microbiome, and Markers of Inflammation in Patients With Quiescent Inflammatory Bowel Disease in a Randomized Trial. Gastroenterology. 2020 Jan;158(1):176-188.e7. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.09.024. Epub 2019 Oct 2. PMID: 31586453.
  8. Mazzawi T, El-Salhy M. Changes in duodenal enteroendocrine cells in patients with irritable bowel syndrome following dietary guidance. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2017 Jul;242(13):1355-1362. doi: 10.1177/1535370217699537. Epub 2017 Mar 17. PMID: 28737477; PMCID: PMC5528200.
  9. Mazzawi T, Hausken T, Gundersen D, El-Salhy M. Dietary guidance normalizes large intestinal endocrine cell densities in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2016 Feb;70(2):175-81. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2015.191. Epub 2015 Nov 25. PMID: 26603880; PMCID: PMC4744244.
  10. Mazzawi T, El-Salhy M. Effect of diet and individual dietary guidance on gastrointestinal endocrine cells in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (Review). Int J Mol Med. 2017 Oct;40(4):943-952. doi: 10.3892/ijmm.2017.3096. Epub 2017 Aug 11. PMID: 28849091; PMCID: PMC5593462.
  11. Gibson PR, Shepherd SJ. Evidence-based dietary management of functional gastrointestinal symptoms: The FODMAP approach. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2010 Feb;25(2):252-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2009.06149.x. PMID: 20136989.
  12. Gibson PR, Shepherd SJ. Food choice as a key management strategy for functional gastrointestinal symptoms. Am J Gastroenterol. 2012 May;107(5):657-66; quiz 667. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2012.49. Epub 2012 Apr 10. PMID: 22488077.
  13. Marum AP, Moreira C, Saraiva F, Tomas-Carus P, Sousa-Guerreiro C. A low fermentable oligo-di-mono saccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diet reduced pain and improved daily life in fibromyalgia patients. Scand J Pain. 2016 Oct;13:166-172. doi: 10.1016/j.sjpain.2016.07.004. Epub 2016 Aug 22. PMID: 28850525.
  14. Gibson PR, Shepherd SJ. Evidence-based dietary management of functional gastrointestinal symptoms: The FODMAP approach. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2010 Feb;25(2):252-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2009.06149.x. PMID: 20136989.
  15. Gibson PR, Shepherd SJ. Food choice as a key management strategy for functional gastrointestinal symptoms. Am J Gastroenterol. 2012 May;107(5):657-66; quiz 667. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2012.49. Epub 2012 Apr 10. PMID: 22488077.
  16. Mazzawi T, El-Salhy M. Effect of diet and individual dietary guidance on gastrointestinal endocrine cells in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (Review). Int J Mol Med. 2017 Oct;40(4):943-952. doi: 10.3892/ijmm.2017.3096. Epub 2017 Aug 11. PMID: 28849091; PMCID: PMC5593462.

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