Let’s look again at what FODMAPs stands for. If you have read my Low FODMAPs page, you will already know this. But let’s recap.

FODMAPs stands for Fermentable Oligo-saccharides, Disaccharides, Mono-saccharides and Polyols). They are indigestible sugars which cause havoc in the bowel.

Fermentable:

The process through which gut bacteria break down undigested carbohydrate to produce gases (hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide).

Oligo-saccharides:

Fructo-oligosaccarides (FOS) or Fructans.
Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS).

Disaccharides:

Lactose.

Mono-saccharide:

Fructose (in excess of glucose).

Polyols:

Sugar polyols (eg. sorbitol, mannitol).

We’ll take these one by one and I’ll tell you what to stay away from and what you can eat. These lists will be by no means complete but I will include the more common foods that most of us eat.

What you will see is that a food might be fine under one list but not under another. For example: Blackberries are low in fructose but high in polyols. If you know you malabsorb fructose but are fine with polyols, then you can eat them. You have to cross-reference the lists to get the ultimate list that suits you.

FRUCTANS

Stay away from:

Fruit:

Nectarines, watermelon, persimmon, white peaches.

Vegetables:

Artichokes, asparagus, garlic, leeks (the white part), onions,  spring onions (the white part), savoy cabbage.

Grains & Starches

Wheat, rye and barley.

Legumes

All legume beans but we can have 1/4 cup canned chickpeas and 1/2 cup canned lentils or 1/4 cup boiled lentils.

Nuts

Pistachio, cashews

You can eat:

Fruit

All other fruits except those above.

Vegetables

Bok choy, 1 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup capsicums, 1 medium carrot, 1/4 cup celery, 1/2 cup cucumber, 12 green beans, 1 cup lettuce,  1 medium potato, 1/2 cup pumpkin, 1 cup spinach, 1/2 cup sweet potatoes, 1 medium tomato, 1/2 cup zucchini.

Grains & Starches

Arrowroot, buckwheat, maize, millet, oats, potato, quinoa, rice, sorghum, tapioca.

 

GALACTO-OLIGOSACCHARIDES

Stay away from:

Dry beans like kidney, borlotti, haricot, pinto, navy, lima, butter, soy, broad.

You can eat:

We can have 1/4 cup canned chickpeas and 1/2 cup canned lentils or 1/4 cup dry lentils.

 

LACTOSE

Stay away from:

Animal milk – cow, sheep, goat, yogurt, ice cream, cream cheese.

You can eat:

Hard and ripened cheeses, butter, some fresh cheeses like cottage cheese and mozzarella.

 

FRUCTOSE

Stay away from:

Fruit

Apples, cherries, mangoes, pears, persimmon, watermelon

Vegetables

Sugar snap peas

Sweeteners

Honey, high fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate

You can eat:

Fruits

Bananas, blueberries, grapefruit, grapes, kiwifruit, lemons, limes, mandarins, oranges, passionfruit, pineapple, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries.

Vegetables

All except sugar snap peas.

Sweeteners

Golden syrup, maple syrup, rice syrup, table sugar, cane sugar, icing sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, glucose.

 

POLYOLS

Stay away from:

Fruits

Apples, apricots, blackberries, cherries, pears, peaches, plums, prunes, watermelon.

Vegetables

Avocados, cauliflower, mushrooms, snowpeas.

Artificial sugars

Sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, xylitol (as in diet gums, lollies, dairy desserts etc.)

You can eat:

Fruits

Bananas, blueberries, cranberries, grapefruit, grapes, kiwifruit, lemons, limes, mandarins, oranges, passionfruit, pineapple, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries.

Vegetables

All except those mentioned above.

Artificial sugars

Aspartame, saccharine, stevia.

Source: Food Intolerance management Plan by Dr Sue Shepherd and Dr Peter Gibson

 

What are low FODMAPs?

8 Signs of FODMAP malabsorption

The 8 Symptoms of FODMAP malabsorption explained

Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Missed Moments of my Life

Chocolate and Stress? Contributors to Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Three Mistakes you’re probably still making on the low FODMAP diet