The Low FODMAP Diet - UW Health

The Low FODMAP Diet

(FODMAP = Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols)

What are FODMAPs?
FODMAPs are a certain type of carbohydrate found in many foods. There are 5 groups of FODMAPs:

 Fructose (Ex: fruit, honey, high fructose corn syrup)
 Lactose (Ex: milk, certain cheeses, evaporated milk)
 Fructans (Ex: wheat, onion, garlic, green peppers, broccoli)
 Polyols (Ex: sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and foods like mushrooms and pitted fruits)
 Galactans (Ex: legumes, soy, pistachios)

Why should I try a low FODMAP diet?
Many people are sensitive to FODMAPs. For those people, FODMAPs may not be well digested or absorbed in
the small intestine. Instead, they serve as food for bacteria in the colon. This leads to symptoms like abdominal
cramping, bloating, excess gas, and/or abnormal stools (constipation and diarrhea). Patients with irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS) often follow a low FODMAP diet to help improve symptoms. The diet may also be helpful for
other digestive disorders.

How do I follow a low FODMAP diet?
 The best approach is with the help of a dietitian. He/she can guide you through food choices and
ingredients, ensure good overall diet quality, and identify specific food triggers.
 The first step is avoiding high FODMAP foods for at least 2 weeks. Eat low FODMAP foods. You will
need to read food labels to avoid ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, honey, wheat, sorbitol, and
xylitol.
 If your symptoms improve, try adding back high FODMAP foods for 2 days at a time. Allow for a
couple of days in between to avoid confusion with reactions.
 Keeping a food log can help you monitor intake and symptoms.

Tips for a low FODMAP diet:
 Aim for as much diet variety as you can to ensure the best diet quality possible.
 FODMAPs are dose dependent. This means that if you are intolerant to a certain group, eating more
will likely worsen symptoms. You will most likely be able to tolerate a small amount.
 Wheat is a FODMAP. When getting rid of high FODMAPs, eat gluten free grains as they do not have
wheat. Gluten is not a FODMAP, but is reduced because it is usually conjoined with wheat.
 Limit serving sizes of low FODMAP fruits if you have symptoms after eating these foods. These
symptoms could be related to eating large amounts of low FODMAPs or fiber all at once.
 It is not common, but not impossible, to be sensitive to all 5 FODMAP groups.

Low-FODMAP Diet Food Choices

Fruit Vegetables Grains Dairy Other

Banana, blueberry, Alfalfa, bamboo Cereals Milk Meat and
cantaloupe, shoots, bok choy, Seafood
clementine, Gluten-free bread Lactose-free milk
carrot, celery, or cereal products rice or coconut milk Sweeteners
cranberry, grapes, chives, cucumber,
grapefruit, eggplant, green Rice Lactose-free ice Sugar*, Splenda,
cream Aspartame, 100%
honeydew, kiwi, beans, lettuce, White, Brown, Wild
lemon, lime, leeks, parsnip, Butter maple syrup*
potato, red/orange
orange, pineapple, bell peppers, pickle, Yogurt Fats
papaya, raspberry, radish, scallions,
seaweed, spinach, Lactose-free Oil, nuts/seeds* (no
rhubarb, yellow squash, pistachios or
strawberry, tangelo tomato, zucchini
cashews), mayo
Note: If fruit is Herbs Oats Cheese
dried, eat in small Corn chips Drinks
Basil, coriander, and Corn Cheddar, Swiss,
quantities marjoram, mint, Parmesan, Feta Water, coffee*
oregano, parsley, tortilla Black/green tea,
rosemary, thyme Lactose-free (avoid chamomile,
Other cottage cheese fennel, and oolong)

Amaranth, millet, *Small amounts
quinoa, tapioca,
cornmeal/polenta

Avoid or Reduce these Foods Containing FODMAPs

Fructose Lactose Fructans Polyols Galactans

Fruit Milk Vegetables Fruit Legumes

Apple, mango, pear, Milk from Asparagus, beet, Apricot, avocado, Beans, chickpeas,
watermelon, juice, cows/goats/sheep, broccoli, brussel blackberry, cherry, lentils
large amounts dried custard, ice cream, sprouts, cabbage, nectarine, peach,
Other
fruit yogurt, egg nog fennel, garlic, plum, prune, fig
onion, chicory root soy & almond milk
Sweeteners Cheese Vegetables soy beans
Other pistachios
Honey, high Soft unripened Cauliflower, corn,
fructose corn syrup, cheese (ex: cottage, Wheat, rye, barley, mushroom, sweet *However, tofu is
cream, mascarpone, couscous, (regular low FODMAP
Molasses ricotta), American, bread, pasta), inulin potato

Gouda Sweeteners

*small amount sour Ending in “ol”
cream is okay (i.e. xylitol, sorbitol)

and isomalt

Low FODMAP Meal and Snack Ideas

Breakfast:
 Rice or corn cereal, lactose free milk, blueberries
 Scrambled eggs, bacon, and gluten free toast with peanut butter
 Omelette with cheddar cheese, turkey, tomatoes, and spinach

Lunch:
 Ham and swiss on gluten free bread, grapes, plain potato chips
 Corn tortilla with chicken and melted cheddar cheese, sour cream, side of baby carrots
 Salad with cucumber, tomato, red bell pepper, feta cheese, olives, olive oil and vinegar

Dinner:
 Fish fillet, potatoes, green beans
 Gluten-free pasta with chicken, tomatoes, spinach, and pesto sauce
 Beef stir fry with carrot, water chestnuts, scallions, red bell pepper, atop rice

Snacks:
 String cheese, cheddar cheese, lactose-free yogurt, lactose-free ice cream
 Gluten-free pretzels, plain potato chips, popcorn, or rice cakes
 Small amount nuts with low FODMAP fruit

Seasonings:
 Salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, ginger, most mustard (avoid onion)
 Lemon, lime, vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce
 Scallions, basil, cilantro, chives, dill, parsley, rosemary

Teach Back:

What is the most important thing you learned from this handout?

What changes will you make in your diet/lifestyle, based on what you learned today?

If you are a UW Health patient and have more questions please contact UW Health at one of the phone numbers
listed below. You can also visit our website at www.uwhealth.org/nutrition.

Nutrition clinics for UW Hospital and Clinics (UWHC) and American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH) can
be reached at: (608) 890-5500

Nutrition clinics for UW Medical Foundation (UWMF) can be reached at: (608) 287-2770

Your health care team may have given you this information as part of your care. If so, please use it and call if you have any questions. If
this information was not given to you as part of your care, please check with your doctor. This is not medical advice. This is not to be
used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Because each person’s health needs are different, you should talk with your
doctor or others on your health care team when using this information. If you have an emergency, please call 911. Copyright © 9/2015
University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Clinical Nutrition Services Department and
the Department of Nursing. HF#277