woman gathered with friends at dinner table

Enjoying Holiday Functions with IBS and Celiac Disease

Jamie Wlodarczak

Written by: Jamie Wlodarczak

Updated: March 9th, 2023

The holiday season can be tough for those with irritable bowel syndrome  (IBS) and/or celiac disease. Attending different social events when you have dietary requirements is often stressful. Living with both IBS and Celiac Disease, I have picked up a few tips over the years on how to manage different holiday functions. 

Below are a couple of gluten free and low FODMAP recipes you can use for holiday entertaining or to enjoy yourself over the season. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

This is a wonderful rich soup filled with holiday spices. It’s great for a holiday lunch, or a first course for dinner. You can also make this on a weekend and eat it throughout the week. 

If you follow a low FODMAP diet, the Monash University FODMAP Diet app states butternut squash is low/green serving of FODMAP up to 1/3 of a cup diced. Above that amount, there is moderate to high amounts of GOS and mannitol. Depending on the size of your squash, 1/3 cup diced is approximately 1/6 of a medium squash, peeled and deseeded. This recipe uses 2 medium sized squash, thus you can have approximately 1/12 of this entire recipe in one sitting and remain within the low/green level of FODMAP. (Please note, this depends on the size of your squash, so double check your amounts and your personal diet before enjoying. 

To lighten this recipe, you can replace the lactose free half and half with lactose free milk or low FODMAP vegetable stock (I use Fody vegetable soup base, which is available online).

Instructions:

butternut squash soup

Brown Butter Holiday Cookies

These cookies are soft, chewy, and have an incredible nutty flavour from the brown butter. Sweetness comes from the cranberries and white chocolate. You can replace the cranberries and white chocolate for any mix-ins.

According to the Monash University FODMAP Diet app, 1 tablespoon of dried cranberries is a low/green serving of FODMAP. Above that amount, there are moderate or high amounts of Fructan. There is half a cup (8 tablespoons) of dried cranberries in this recipe which make 3 dozen cookies. Thus you can have up to 4 cookies in one sitting to stay within the low/green serving. 

Instructions:

brown butter cookies and milk in front of a Christmas tree

Have a happy holiday, and a celiac / IBS free holiday function!

Related Articles:

View all News & Articles

man looking at recipe for IBS foods to make

IBS and Diet

low fodmap vegetarian meal

Plant-Based Eating & the FODMAP Diet

fast food stacked on table

Low FODMAP Fast-Food Meals

woman gathered with friends at dinner table

Enjoying Holiday Functions with IBS and Celiac Disease

low fodmap diet on a phone

Understanding the low FODMAP Diet

Bowl of Kale

Kale Chip Recipe

5 Strategies for Living Gluten-Free

Gluten free words on flour table

Celiac Disease vs. Gluten Sensitivities

Bean salad

6 Bean Salad with Sriracha and Lime Vinaigrette

Yogurt Parfait

Probiotic Yogurt Parfait with Marinated Berries, Matcha Green Tea and Maple Syrup

ancient grains bread

Healthy & Savoury Granola Bars with Ancient Herbs

Gluten free flatbread

Gluten-Free Flexible Flatbreads

Protein Pancakes

Make Ahead High Protein Pancakes

Porrdge

Creamy, High Protein Breakfast Porridge

Chia seed jam

Pecan Chia Seed Jam Crusted Fish

Bowl of Slaw

Crack Slaw Stir-fry

Grocery cart filled with groceries on the aisle floor

How to Know Which Brands are Really Celiac Safe

Lentil cookie recipe

Lentil Cookie Recipe

Onion, garlic and leeks on a pink background

Spice up your Low FODMAP Diet!

Bowl of summer fresh slaw

Summer Fresh Slaw

Overnight oats in a jar

Overnight Oats: 2 Ways!

Hand squeezing a grapefruit

Diets Used for IBS

Microphone set up in front of crowd

Celiac Disease with Dr. Sanjay Murthy

Individual blueberries on a pink and blue background

Phases of the FODMAP Diet Explained

Women laughing and cooking together in a kitchen

7 Ways to Keep Your Kitchen Celiac Safe

Gluten-free Way to Travel to the Cottage This Summer

friends smiling in kitchen

7 Day Gluten-Free Diet Plan

Gluten free foods laid out on the table

Celiac Disease, Gluten Sensitivity and Diet

Turkey pesto meatballs

Turkey Pesto Meatballs

Person sad with hand on face pink background

What To Do If Someone With Celiac Disease Eats Gluten

woman checking for gluten-free ingredients on phone

What Can I Eat With Celiac Disease?

Baking utensils with a yellow background

Gluten-Free Baking Recipes

Does a Low FODMAP Diet benefit someone with Celiac Disease?

Fodmap foods with a list written out

The Low FODMAP Diet: What Can I Eat?

fodmap foods with chalkboard that says fodmap on it

The Low FODMAP Diet: What You Need to Know

The Power of Oats: Can They Play a Role in the Gluten Free Diet?

Celiac Vs Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity

celiac vs ibs

Celiac Disease vs IBS