It’s so annoying when you see a wonderful-looking recipe but there are several items on the ingredients list that you can’t touch for fear of a relapse to those bad old days of pain and discomfort. I am getting pretty adept at substituting food items and still getting a similar result. Let me show you some of my favourite alternatives.
Low FODMAP Food Alternatives
| Garlic | Garlic-infused olive oil |
| Onion | Spring onions (green part only) or Asafoetida powder |
| Honey (as sweetener) | Maple syrup, rice syrup |
| Honey (as spread) | Sugar-free strawberry or blueberry jam (both sparingly) |
| Blackberries/boysenberries | Blueberries, strawberries |
| Cashews/pistachio | Walnuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, almonds (go easy on all of these) |
| Dried fruit | Dried banana chips, shredded coconut, dried cranberries (all sparingly) |
| Wheat or rye-based cereals | Cornflakes, rice cereals, rice bran, oats (all sparingly) |
| Wheat-based breads | Gluten-free bread, oat bread, spelt bread, sourdough bread (all but the first = less than 2 slices) |
| Milk | Lactose-free milk, rice milk |
| Soft cheeses | Hard cheeses including Brie and Camembert |
| Yoghurt | Lactose-free yoghurt |
| Wheat flour | Rice flour/tapioca flour/potato starch blend |
Image Source: Freedigitalphotos.net
I’ve printed this and put it on the bulletin board. I have a friend who has trouble with food but I don’t know exactly what other than it’s not just gluten. I’m going to give these substitutions a try. Thanks for a great list.
You are a very good friend if you are willing to work with her on her food intolerances. I wonder if she has an intolerance to FODMAPs.
What a handy list to have! Like Maureen, I know people who have digestive problems that aren’t related to gluten. Good to know some of these substitutes. Thanks.
I think more and more people have food intolerances these days. It has to be something to do with all the additives, preservatives and pesticides we are ingesting daily. They are mucking up our digestive systems.
It must be such a battle but to every obstacle you seem to have found a solution. Well done! xx
The battle is becoming easier, Charlie. it must be almost a year now since I started this eating regime. Time flies.
My mom is going to be 90 in February. She has severe food intolerances, but getting her to understand that what is happening in her gut is a direct result of the food she is eating is nearly impossible. I have tried to explain to her that all of the foods she has eaten her entire life are no longer raised the same way they were when she was younger. On top of that, she lives in a facility where her meals are provided, and they do a very good job and accomodate all sorts of food allergies, but truly, the problem is with her choices. She tries to reason that the foods she has eaten all of her life cannot be the problem. I don’t know how to make her understand that the frequent bathroom trips are related to her food choices. She has a small kitchen in her apartment and has said that she is going to go back to cooking her own meals, which makes me wonder if she doesn’t suspect the food she is eating, but I am afraid for her to start cooking again, she doesn’t see well, and I’m pretty sure that in her mind it is not the food, but rather the staff cooking her food. It is really hard to get someone her age to understand this sort of thing. She doesn’t use the computer, so I will do my best to use the info you have provided here and hope for the best. My dad eats all of the same food she does with no problems, but the frequent bathroom trips are getting worse for her.
I imagine it would be very difficult to change her eating habits but I would say making her own meals would be a good start. Though I do understand your worries concerning that. Even just eliminating dairy, wheat, onions and garlic would be a good start. Good luck!