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Friday, January 11, 2013

Comprehensive list of high/low FODMAP foods


A lot of people had comments/questions about my blog on the low-FODMAP diet, which has eliminated stomach pain for SO MANY PEOPLE.  So I thought I’d compile a comprehensive, alphabetized list of good/bad foods on this diet.  If you have stomach pain and you haven’t tried the low-FODMAP thing, you’re doing your stomach a disservice.  Do it!  It is so much easier than you think it will be. 

Let me know if there are foods you’d like to know about that are not on this list, and I’ll do some research to find out where they belong on the good/bad spectrum.  Also keep in mind that this list is NOT UNIVERSAL.  For instance, some people can do tofu, some can’t (I can't do tofu).  Some can do corn, some can’t (corn's fine for me).  Some sources say beer is ok, some don’t (I can't go anywhere near beer).  But this is a pretty good general guideline, broken down into fruits/veggies, grains/carbs, proteins/fats/nuts, sweeteners, and alcohol:   

BAD FRUITS/VEGETABLES:
Apple
Apricot
Artichokes
Asparagus
Avocado
Beans
Beets
Blackberries
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Cherries
Chickpeas
Chicory
Dried fruits
Fennel
Garlic
Green pepper
Kale(?) - not much research on this one, but I personally can't tolerate it
Leek
Lentils
Longon
Lychee
Mango
Mushrooms
Nectarine
Okra
Onion (surprisingly, this is one of the worst for many people!)
Peach
Pear
Peas
Persimmon
Plum
Prune
Radicchio lettuce
Raisins
Rambutan
Shallot
Spring onion (white part).
Snow peas
Soybeans (some people say tofu is ok, but it isn’t for a lot of people)
Sugar snap peas
Watermelon

GOOD FRUITS/VEGETABLES:
Alfalfa
Arugula
Bamboo shoots
Banana
Bean shoots
Bell pepper
Blueberries
Bok choy
Boysenberry
Cantaloupe
Carrot
Celery
Chives
Choy sum
Coconut (ok for some people)
Corn (ok for some people)
Cranberry
Cucumber
Durian
Endive
Eggplant
Ginger
Grapes
Grapefruit
Green beans
Honeydew melon
Kiwi
Lemon
Lime
Mandarin
Olives
Orange
Parsnip
Parsley
Passion fruit
Paw paw
Pineapple
Potato
Pumpkin
Radish
Raspberry
Rhubarb
Rutabaga
Scallion (green part only)
Spring Onion (green part only)
Spinach
Squash
Starfruit
Strawberry
Sweet potato
Swiss chard
Tangelo
Taro
Tomato
Turnip
Water chestnuts
Watercress
Yam
Zucchini

BAD PROTEIN AND NUTS:
Beans
Cashews
Cream
Ice Cream
Lentils
Milk
Pistachio
Yogurt

GOOD PROTEIN/FATS/NUTS (note: all nuts in moderation):
Almonds
Canola oil
Chia seeds (small quantity only)
Chicken
Eggs
Fish
Flaxseed (small quantity only)
Garlic-infused oil
Hard cheeses are ok for SOME people (not for me)
Lactose-free dairy products
Macadamia
Meat (lean meat preferable)
Olive oil
Peanuts
Pecans
Pine nuts
Pumpkin seeds
Sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds
Turkey
Walnuts

BAD GRAINS AND CARBS:
Barley (in high quantities)
Chickory
Rye
Wheat

GOOD GRAINS AND CARBS:
Barley bran (small quantities)
Buckwheat
Millet
Oats (personally, I have trouble with oats)
Potato
Quinoa
Rice
Sago
Sorgum
Tapioca

BAD SWEETENERS:
Agave
Corn syrup
Honey
Splenda
-and any sweetener ending in “…ol”

GOOD SWEETENERS:
Aspartame
Golden syrup
Treacle
Molasses
Maple syrup
Stevia 
Sugar

BAD ALCOHOL
Beer (some sources say ok, some don’t, so I think best to avoid)
Rum
Wine (sweet)

GOOD ALCOHOL
Gin
Vodka
Wine (dry) - SMALL AMOUNTS
Whiskey

Note that you may have ADDITIONAL issues with some foods that are low-FODMAP.  Like, I can’t eat hard cheeses (or any dairy) even though they’re supposedly ok…  So you can modify this list to accommodate your personal tolerances. 

This list has been compiled from several sources, including:

42 comments:

  1. Thank you very much for this list! I'm finally setting out to do this diet as no matter how careful I am, I'm bed ridden most days from gas. There are so many things I think I can eat that are listed here as high FODMAPs so I'm very eager to give this a shot. Thanks again for all your hard work!

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    Replies
    1. Hi, just FYI your list, which may well help others with IBS symptoms, directly contradicts the information on sugar contents from the Food Intolerance Network on fructose levels in many listed foodstuffs. Maybe you need to clarify that your list is is not actually related to sugar content in the items listed.........
      Anyone needing accurate FODMAP list can download it from here
      https://www.food-intolerance-network.com/food-intolerances/fructose-malabsorption-intolerance/fructose-table-in-alphabetical-order.html

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  2. No problem, Heather! Let me know if it works for you. It really changed my life. Hopefully it'll do the same for you! :)

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  3. Thank you so much for this. I've been given the task of a trial low-fodmap diet by my GI specialist. I almost lost it when I saw what I had to exclude but seeing your inclusion list makes me feel much better!

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  4. Alison - let me know how it goes! It gets MUCH easier - I practically have the whole list memorized now, and I have no problem creating full meals for myself now. See my other posts about some ideas for what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I have a couple of recipes posted, too, and I'll put more up here in the future! Good luck!

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  5. What do you know about kohlrabi?

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  6. Looks like there's no consensus on kohlrabi. This site says it's fine: http://www.vwhealth.net/VWHW%20FODMAP%20foods%20rev%20a.pdf but other people lump it in with veggies like broccoli and cabbage, which are hard for IBS sufferers to tolerate: http://www.taste.com.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5550&start=75 . Let me know if you figure out whether or not it's good for you!

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  7. Hi Is cocoa a no go? As I get really bloated and sore with this and coffee? Thanks so much

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    1. Apparently pure cocoa is fairly low-FODMAP, but most people say that it can only be consumed in small quantities. Here's an example of a dietician's website that says to "be careful" with cocoa (but you don't need to eliminate it altogether): http://www.drgangemi.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/FODMAPs.pdf

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  8. Funny, sugar (sucrose) is one of the worst for me (sore stomach, diarrhea, cramps). It breaks down into fructose and glucose. Fructose is a no-no.

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    1. And BTW most beers are full of gluten and should be avoided (if you search for it, you can find gluten-free beer)

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    2. That is interesting! Do you do organic, unrefined sugar? Hasn't been a problem for me, but I bet you're not the only one that has trouble with it. I do have trouble with honey and certain other sweeteners. And yep, I hear ya on beer - I never touch it! Thanks for your comment!

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  9. Where do tomatoes fit into these lists?

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    Replies
    1. You'll see "tomato" above in the "good fruits/vegetables" list! :)

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  10. how about pastas and basil?

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    1. Most pasta is made with wheat, which is super hard to digest for sensitive people. You could try rice pasta. Sources seem to indicate that herbs like basil should be fine. :)

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  11. Thanks for sharing this nice comprehensive list with us!

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  12. Laura, this list is very very convenient. I bookmarked it on my mobile device and keep referring to it whenever I need to decide on a food item. Thank you for maintaining this list.
    - Raghu

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    Replies
    1. Fantastic! I'm so glad that people are using the list. Happy to help others who have the same issues I do!

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    2. Thank you! This goes more in depth ( and pertains more to me too with hard cheeses and suck though eggs don't much like her either ) than handouts my ND has given me and I appreciate not listing higher fat meats . I think fat can trigger issues, protein too in me. Thanks:)

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  13. I read from the Monash page that raisins have highly concentrated fructose, so these are on a "no" list :)

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    1. Hi O! You're right! I have Monash's FODMAP App now, and it agrees with you about raisins. I just updated this page. Thanks very much for the tip!

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  15. What about people who don't eat meat? I also don't do tofu/tempeh. I usually use lentils in place of meat for tacos and sloppy joes etc... what else can I use?

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  16. That's tough - I had to start eating more meat when I became low-FODMAP because I can't tolerate beans/lentils. Maybe you could check out this cookbook - http://thefodmapfriendlyvegan.com/ . Also, I often make tacos with lots of sauteed vegetables and no meat. Let me know if you find a good alternative. Good luck!

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  17. Just found this site- most useful. Thank you. I suffered badly last night and can't work out why. I stick carefully to low Fodmaps. Would it be ice cream or salt crisps? I made a fish pie but that contained no high Fodmaps and was gluten free so I'm at a loss. Do you ever suffer and can't work out why?

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    Replies
    1. Have you tried cutting out all dairy (butter, cream, milk, cheese)?

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    2. I have been tested and am not lactose intolerant. I do have problems with many vegs but have stuck to green beans and carrots which I know are OK for me. Am seeing a kinesiologist again next week so hoping something comes up then. Thank you anyhow.

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    3. Good luck! And to answer your question, YES, I do sometimes suffer and can't figure out why. Have you been tested for SIBO? I just found out that I have SIBO, which explains a lot. There are ways to treat it, though it's tricky to cure...

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  18. I haven't but I will. Thanks for the idea.

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  19. The Monash U. group notes that tolerance of almost anything on the "acceptable" list can depend on where it is grown/harvested. Rescued from 50 years of increasingly worse neuropathy identified as cure-less spastic colon and later IBS, I can eat almost none of even the "acceptable" list. Almost anything with fructose in the 3-gram per serving list affects me (let alone more than 3) is intolerable. There seem to be almost infinite variations of what each individual can tolerate, which makes the personal testing of any food essential. I have a set menu of foods I know I can tolerate, and I add a possible food to that for 2 or 3 days. Usually, 2 days is enough. My problem with dairy was identified with the help of my allergist as the protein rather than the lactose, but I take a dual enzyme for both that has enabled me to tolerate small amounts of calcium-rich dairy products once a day. I also take the "bean-zyme" product to tolerate 1/2 cup servings of some galactose-rich produce occasionally (the more advertized Bean-o contains wheat). I research everything I eat, including deli meat product such as ham and beef, because many meat products, including frozen chicken and turkey include injected broth containing onion and/or garlic. Other problem items: anything with caffeine (not just coffee, tea, decaf, and Excedrin) and anything with polyols, such as toothpaste (xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol, including the cleaning paste my dentist uses). I found out that Libby's pumpkin is not true pumpkin but a different squash that I can tolerate in small quantities. Moash University research is the basis for nearly all the food lists, but the researchers there have noted that their results are based on Australian agri products and the Australian "terroir." In other places, such as England and the U.S., experimentation based on the elimination diet is the only sure way to address one's dietary regimen issues. I am sure that the reason there are failures in the low FODMAPs' approach to controlling one's alimentary/digestive issues is the extreme difficulty of identifying the forbidden foods and then of avoiding them completely. In the occasional experiments I have essayed in the last twenty-five months (a sort of reverse elimiation diet--adding a tiny amount of something I absolutely know I should not eat), the almost instant return of the worst symptoms reminds me of why I follow the regimen religiously.

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  20. Do you know if pomegranate seeds are low FODMAP?

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  24. Replies
    1. Those can be complicated because they have so many processed ingredients (some of which are harder to digest than others) but I've had good luck with almond milk and rice milk.

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    2. Thanks- apparently I have not had good luck with the almond or coconut milk and have been suffering. Once I cut them out I've noticed a HUGE difference immediately. I also can't do any grains or soy. I think I may have read that hemp milk is low FODMAP in any quantity. Have you tried it or heard anything?

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    3. Yeah those alternative milks often have sweeteners and chemicals that aren't good for FODMAP dieters. Coconut is SUPER rich so it's not easy for me either. I've had an easier time with the unsweetened almond milk. I haven't tried hemp, but I'm curious about it. If you try it let me know how it goes!

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  25. Flax also seem to make me bloat as well :(

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  26. Hey Laura I’m a little confused. Ive been diagnosed with any allergy to fructose. Ive been told to follow the Monash low Fodmap diet which says you can have raw sugar, brown sugar etc.
    Im not sure whether to eat the sugar or not. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for your blog!!

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