Super-Easy Low FODMAP Lunch Ideas
Are you following the low FODMAP diet for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) on the advice of your physician or dietitian?
If so, you might have a good grasp of what you can eat for this diet overall, but you may be at a loss as to what to have for each meal. Take lunch for example.
Why is lunch hard? Because so many typical choices for lunch outside the home involve sandwiches or choosing foods in a cafeteria or restaurant. All of these options can make it hard to stick with the low FODMAP diet during the elimination and trial phases.
You need options. The purpose of this article is to give you fresh, but easy, ideas to help with the lunch dilemma.
Read on for easy-to-prep, portable lunch ideas while on the low FODMAP diet.
What’s wrong with bread on the low FODMAP diet?
Many people are really attached to sandwiches for lunch and don’t want to give them up. That’s fine. I totally get that.
The problem with regular white and whole grain breads is mainly the high fructan content, and fructan is a FODMAP. To be fair, on this diet, one slice of white bread is acceptable for a meal and is under the FODMAP threshold.
Some people are satisfied with that one slice and will use lettuce or other greens as the top of the sandwich.
Luckily for bread lovers there are other options, which will allow you to have two slices. Doesn’t seem like too much to ask for a sandwich, right?
I’ll give a few examples of low FODMAP bread here, but look out for a future post from me dedicated to low FODMAP bread options available in the U.S.
Some low FODMAP bread options
The breads that meet the threshold for low FODMAP using 2 slices tend to be gluten free (GF) or sourdough, however, that’s not always the case. It’s best to read the ingredient labels and check with some other helpful apps.
Two apps that I find very helpful for grocery shopping are the Fig app and the Spoonful app. Neither one claims to be 100% accurate, so always double-check by reading the ingredients or contacting the food manufacturer for questionable ingredients, like natural flavors.
Of course, the Monash Low FODMAP app and the https://fodmapfriendly.com/app/ are two that I recommend you use throughout your low FODMAP journey. They are indispensable for this eating plan.
Here are some examples:
Dr. Schar has several Low FODMAP Certified options, including Sourdough Deli Style Bread Seeded or Unseeded and GF Multigrain Ciabatta style. Their line is quite extensive, so there are many more options.
Canyon Bakehouse has Gluten Free Mountain White, GF Stay Fresh Country White, GF Ancient Grains breads, and GF 100% Whole Grain Bread may not be certified but should be low FODMAP.
Udi’s Gluten Free Foods has a GF white sandwich bread and GF Delicious Soft White bread.
If you prefer wraps to mix things up, look for La Tortilla Factory Gluten Free or Ancient Grain Ivory Teff Gourmet Wraps.
Creative Lunch Ideas
Sandwiches
The Californian. Take 2 slices of toasted Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Ancient Grain bread, spread with 2 T peanut butter (preferably without added sugar, such as Smucker’s Natural), add 1 T blueberries and a handful of baby spinach. I use a cup of baby spinach to get in the full vegetable serving. You may be doubtful, but this taste combination is magical.
The Coronado. This is simply 2 ounces of plain turkey (like Wegmans Just Turkey or Trader Joe’s Organic Oven Roasted Turkey Breast or Boar’s Head Simplicity All Natural Roasted Turkey) and a slice of Muenster on Dr. Schar’s Sourdough Deli Style Seeded bread. Top with a healthy amount of lettuce and 2 slices of tomato. Feel free to add some mustard or mayo if you like.
Tuna Wrap. The tuna I like to use is Wild Planet for its sustainable fishing practices. I get the one in a pouch, since it’s a single serving and convenient. You don’t drain this brand, because the liquid has not been added to it. It’s simply the healthy fats from the tuna that you blend back in with a fork. Add 1 T of mayo or wasabi sauce, freshly ground pepper, Italian seasoning and ¼ cup chopped cucumbers. Place in a low FODMAP wrap, like Folios cheese wrap or a gluten free wrap that made without added juice, then add plenty of arugula.
The Mediterranean. Fold together 1-2 scrambled eggs, ¼ cup feta cheese, 2 T cucumbers, 2 T diced tomato and place on a slice of Schar’s Gluten Free Multigrain Ciabatta.
The Veg Boat. For this sandwich, use lettuce wraps to surround either egg salad or chicken salad. Either of the choices should be made at home or with an ingredient list you have checked to be sure they don’t contain large amounts of FODMAPs.
Not in the Mood for a Sandwich?
Greek yogurt parfait. Use a single serve container of plain Greek yogurt, up to 6 ounces, or use lactose free plain yogurt. Add ⅓ C raspberries or blueberries, 2 tsp of sunflower seeds, and a touch of maple syrup to taste, if desired. Note: Greek yogurt has a large serving size on the FODMAPFriendly app. On the side, have a low FODMAP bar. Examples: https://www.gomacro.com/dietary-considerations/ or https://www.fodyfoods.com/collections/snacks or https://belliwelli.com/collections/shop
The Snacky Lunch. Cheese cubes (1-2 oz), 6 grapes, 1 cup of baby carrots, 2 T pumpkin seeds, homemade low FODMAP high protein peanut butter muffin from FODMAP Everyday. Note: the Monash and FODMAPfriendly apps have very different serving sizes for many foods, including cheese cubes. This recipe uses an amount closer to the lower of the two amounts listed.
Loaded Baked Potato. Top a baked potato with shredded cheddar cheese, ½ cup cooked broccoli heads (not stalks), and Fody’s mild or medium salsa. On the side, Oat, Cranberry & Choc Chip Energy Balls - Monash Fodmap
Egg “muffins”. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Beat 10 eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place about 1 T chopped broccoli florets and some shredded cheddar cheese in the bottom of 12 greased muffin tin cups. Pour the beaten eggs over the broccoli and cheese and then bake for about 12-15 minutes or until set. 2 muffins is the serving size. On the side, remove the top of a medium tomato and hollow out the inside. Fill it with 2 T of cottage cheese mixed with 2 T chopped cucumber and 2 tsp sunflower seeds, salt and pepper.
Enjoy a Dragon Fruit Smoothie (pictured above). As a side dish, you might like to microwave a sweet potato, but eat only ½ in one day. This is another food with very different serving sizes allowed from the two main apps. Top the cooked sweet potato with 1-2 T peanut butter and sprinkle it with cinnamon and chopped toasted pecans, if desired.
The Big Salad. Use strips of leftover chicken on top of a healthy-sized serving of salad greens. Then add toasted pecans, 1 T dried cranberries, a sprinkle of goat cheese and 1-2 T of Fody’s balsamic vinaigrette. For dessert, you can have 1 firm, just-ripened banana.
The Wrap-up of low FODMAP lunch ideas
The fructan content of bread makes lunch a meal that requires a bit of extra thought when you have IBS and are following the Low FODMAP diet.
Luckily, there are bread options available that allow you to have a sandwich, if that’s what you’re craving.
There are also plenty of other foods to eat for those days when a sandwich isn’t what your taste buds want.
Planning ahead will set you up for success with a healthy and tasty lunch each day of the week.
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Need Some Guidance?
Book a call with me below to see if you would be a good fit to go through the 3 phases of the low FODMAP with my guidance. It’s much easier this way, rather than trying to figure it out on your own.
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