High FODMAP Foods and Tips for Enjoying them with IBS

Written by: Sarah Glinski, RD

Updated: December 17th, 2024

If you’re living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you may have tried following the low FODMAP diet to get relief from your symptoms. However, navigating a low FODMAP diet can be challenging, especially when it comes to finding suitable swaps for high FODMAP foods that are often staples in our diets.

Fortunately, there are solutions available to support you on the low FODMAP diet. Read on to learn which foods contain each type of FODMAP and practical tips, such as using digestive enzymes, to help manage IBS without completely sacrificing the foods you love. 

What are FODMAPs?

You might be wondering – what does FODMAP stand for? FODMAPs stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. They’re a group of short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. They’re found in a variety of foods, including certain fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and some artificial sweeteners.

For people with IBS, eating high FODMAP foods can trigger a range of digestive symptoms, such as:

Gas
Bloating
Abdominal pain
Altered bowel movements (like diarrhea or constipation).

This is because the undigested FODMAPs draw water into the large intestine and are rapidly fermented by the gut bacteria. The resulting increase in intestinal gas and fluid can stretch the walls of the gut. 

This causes digestive issues because people with IBS have what’s known as visceral hypersensitivity. In simple terms, this means they are more sensitive to the sensations in their gut. Even small amounts of gas or distention can cause significant pain and discomfort. 

Oligosaccharides

Oligosaccharides are a type of FODMAP consisting of short chains of between three and ten simple sugars. In the context of IBS, the most relevant oligosaccharides are fructans and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS).

Here are some foods that are high in fructans: 

Wheat-based products like bread and pasta
Rye
Barley
Freekeh
Onions (including red, white, and the white part of shallots)
Garlic
Leek (white bulb only)
Asparagus
Artichokes
Beets
Brussels sprouts
Fennel
Savoy cabbage
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Nectarines
Tomato paste
Ripe bananas
Kidney beans
Black beans
Silken tofu
Inulin (a type of fructan often added to foods as a fiber supplement)
Chicory root
Oat milk

Here are some foods that are high in GOS:

Kidney beans
Black beans
Pinto beans
Chickpeas (low FODMAP in servings of ¼ cup or less)
Split peas
Hummus dip
Freekeh
Silken tofu
Beets
Cashews
Pistachios
Soy milk made from whole soybeans
Oat milk

Disaccharides

In the context of the low FODMAP diet, disaccharides refer to lactose, a type of sugar found in dairy products. Lactose is a carbohydrate made of two linked sugars: glucose and galactose.

For people with IBS, lactose can trigger symptoms if they have low levels of the lactase enzyme. This enzyme is needed to break lactose down in the small intestine. 

Here are some foods that are high in lactose:

Milk (cow, goat, and sheep)
Soft cheeses (like ricotta and cottage cheese)
Yogurt
Ice cream
Cream and cream-based products
Some processed foods containing milk powder or milk solids

Monosaccharides

Monosaccharides are the most basic form of carbohydrates and consist of a single sugar molecule. In the low FODMAP diet, monosaccharides refer specifically to fructose.

Fructose can be problematic for people with IBS, particularly when it is consumed in excess of glucose, another simple sugar.

Here are some foods that contain excess fructose:

Apples
Pears
Mangoes
Cherries
Watermelon
Cherry tomatoes
Broccoli (stalks only)
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Agave syrup
Fruit juices
Dried fruits (like raisins, figs, and dates)
Asparagus
Sugar snap peas

Polyols

Polyols refer to sugar alcohols, naturally found in some fruits and vegetables and used as artificial sweeteners in sugar-free and low-calorie foods. They tend to be poorly absorbed, which causes them to have a laxative effect. They are also fermented by the gut bacteria, which produces gas.

Here are some foods that contain sorbitol:

Apples
Pears
Cherries
Peaches
Plums
Sugar-free gum
Sugar-free candy

Here are some foods that contain mannitol:

Watermelon 
Mushrooms (fresh, not canned)
Cauliflower
Snow peas
Celery

Other sugar alcohols, such as xylitol, maltitol, and isomalt, are also used in some sugar-free and low-calorie foods. Check the ingredient list if you’re unsure whether a product contains sugar alcohols.

High FODMAP Meals

While it is possible to make low FODMAP versions of several popular recipes, certain high FODMAP meals may not taste the same when you make a low FODMAP version. Here are six popular recipes that are difficult to make low FODMAP:

Classic Marinara Sauce: Onion, garlic, and tomato paste are all high in fructans, making it difficult to make a low-FODMAP version of this classic tomato-based sauce.
Creamy Chicken Soup: With fructans in the tomato paste, onions, garlic cloves, and pasta, and lactose in the heavy cream, this can be a tricky recipe to make low FODMAP. While it’s possible to find lactose-free heavy cream and gluten-free pasta (which tends to be low FODMAP), removing the tomato paste, onions, and garlic would significantly change the flavour of this meal.
Vegetarian Chilli: While it’s possible to make meat-based chilli without beans, which are high in GOS, vegetarian chilli relies on these beans as the base of the dish. Plus, with onion, garlic, and celery, the dish contains both fructans and mannitol. Removing the celery wouldn’t alter the recipe too much, but without the onion, garlic, and beans, you’re left with a dish without much substance.
Lemon Asparagus Risotto: Onions, garlic, and asparagus are high in fructans, while celery is high in mannitol. Also, the chicken broth used in this dish likely contains garlic and onion, making it a high FODMAP ingredient. Removing the high FODMAP ingredients such as chicken broth from this dish would leave you with little more than plain rice. 
French Onion Soup: Made with sliced onions, crusty French bread, and three types of cheese, classic French onion soup is loaded with fructans. While you could replace the French bread with gluten-free bread or traditionally leavened sourdough (which is low FODMAP), you can’t make French onion soup without onions!
Fettuccine Alfredo: This creamy pasta dish is made with pasta, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, butter, and five cloves of garlic. While you could find low-FODMAP pasta and lactose-free heavy cream, sometimes you just want the real deal.

Tips for IBS Relief

Living with IBS can be frustrating, but there are many strategies you can use to soothe your symptoms. Here are some of our top tips for IBS relief.

Keep a Detailed Food Diary

Keeping a detailed food diary can be very useful when determining your food triggers. Track everything you eat and drink, along with any symptoms you experience. This can help you identify triggers and patterns.

Keep in mind that you don’t need to keep a detailed food diary forever. Doing so may increase the risk of disordered eating and can become burdonesome. Rather, keep a food diary for a few weeks to determine your food triggers. Once you’ve figured out your food triggers, you can discontinue the food diary.

The myIBS app can help you keep track of your symptoms and diet. It offers tools to track food intake, symptoms, sleep, stress, bowel movements, and more. You can share this information with your healthcare team to provide insights into your unique IBS experience so they can help you manage your IBS more effectively.

Practice Portion Control

High FODMAP foods aren’t the only thing that can trigger IBS symptoms. Eating large meals can put additional stress on your digestive system and worsen IBS symptoms. Instead of eating large meals, aim for smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day.

Eat Slowly and Chew Well

Digestion starts in the mouth, with chewing mechanically breaking down food. Enzymes in your saliva also start the digestion process. If you don’t chew your food properly, you’re missing this crucial stage of digestion. Plus, if you don’t chew properly, you may eat faster. This can lead to swallowing air, which can worsen gas and bloating.

Combine with Low FODMAP Foods

Think of your FODMAP tolerance like a bucket. As long as the bucket doesn’t overflow, you won’t get symptoms. Everyone has a different-sized “FODMAP bucket” that determines how many FODMAPs they can eat before getting symptoms.

If you plan on eating a high FODMAP food, try pairing it with lower FODMAP foods to reduce the likelihood of overfilling your FODMAP bucket. With time, you’ll learn how many high FODMAP foods you can tolerate before getting gut symptoms.

Cook Foods Instead of Eating Raw

Cooked foods are typically easier to digest than raw foods since cooking can start breaking down components of the food that are hard to digest, such as fiber. Choose cooked rather than raw fruits and vegetables and see whether it positively impacts your symptoms.

Stay Hydrated

Getting enough fluids every day is essential for digestive health. If you struggle with constipation, getting enough fluid can help soften your stool and keep your digestive system moving properly. If you struggle with diarrhea, getting enough fluid is important for preventing dehydration.

Consult a Registered Dietitian

Working with a registered dietitian can be invaluable when managing IBS. They can provide personalized guidance and support tailored to your specific needs. Plus, they can help you navigate the low FODMAP diet, identify triggers, and develop a well-rounded eating plan that helps you manage your IBS while getting the nutrients you need.

Consider Using Digestive Aids

Digestive aids, such as digestive enzymes, can support the breakdown of food and help relieve the symptoms associated with eating high FODMAP foods. 

Digestive Enzymes for High FODMAP Foods

Digestive enzymes like lactase, alpha-galactosidase, and fructan hydrolase help break down specific types of carbohydrates that may be difficult for people with IBS to digest. This may help relieve the symptoms you experience when eating high FODMAP foods.

Lactase

Lactase is the enzyme that helps break down the lactose found in dairy products. Some people with IBS do not produce enough lactase, which leads to undigested lactose entering the large intestine and causing symptoms like gas, bloating, and diarrhea.

By taking supplemental lactase when you eat lactose-containing dairy, you can improve the digestion of lactose-containing foods like milk and ice cream, which reduces these unpleasant symptoms.

Alpha-Galactosidase

Alpha-galactosidase is an enzyme that helps break down the GOS found in legumes, certain whole grains, and certain vegetables.  The human body does not produce the enzymes needed to digest GOS. This leads to them entering the colon undigested, which can cause issues for people with visceral hypersensitivity (extra-sensitive guts) like those with IBS.

Taking alpha-galactosidase before eating a high-GOS meal can aid in the digestion of GOS, which may reduce symptoms like gas and bloating by decreasing the amount of undigested carbohydrates available for fermentation by the gut bacteria.

Fructan Hydrolase

Fructan hydrolase is an enzyme that breaks down fructans in foods like wheat, onion, and garlic.  Like GOS, the human body does not produce the enzymes needed to digest fructans. This can lead to unpleasant symptoms for people with IBS, whose digestive systems are often extra-sensitive.

By aiding in the breakdown of these carbohydrates in the small intestine, fructan hydrolase reduces the amount of undigested fructans reaching the large intestine, thereby decreasing bacterial fermentation and gas production.

If you have IBS and are interested in trialing digestive enzymes for symptom relief, talk to your registered dietitian to see what digestive enzymes may be right for you.

Key Takeaways

FODMAPs are carbohydrates that can trigger IBS symptoms like gas and bloating due to poor absorption and fermentation by the bacteria in the large intestine.
Common high FODMAP foods include wheat, onions, garlic, dairy, certain fruits and vegetables, and low-calorie products. Avoiding high FODMAP foods may help reduce IBS symptoms.
Enzymes like lactase, alpha-galactosidase, and fructan hydrolase can help digest FODMAPs, potentially reducing IBS symptoms.

Conclusion

Navigating the low FODMAP diet can feel like a complicated maze, especially when trying to find swaps for your favourite high FODMAP foods. Understanding how different FODMAPs affect your symptoms is an important step in finding relief from IBS symptoms. However, we know it’s not always possible to avoid high FODMAP foods, and the low FODMAP diet can be extremely restrictive and difficult to follow long-term.

Fortunately, the increased availability of digestive enzymes like lactase, alpha-galactosidase, and fructan hydrolase can be a game-changer for people who want to manage their IBS without sacrificing their favourite foods. These enzymes help break down the troublesome carbohydrates that cause IBS symptoms, making it easier to enjoy a wide range of foods without discomfort.

If you’re interested in trying digestive enzymes as part of your IBS management plan, talk with your healthcare provider about incorporating these digestive aids into your routine so you can get back to enjoying your meals with confidence.

Want to try FODZYME digestive enzymes? Take 15% off with code THECDHF and 10% of the proceeds will be donated to CDHF. Or, use this link and the discount and donation will be automatically applied!

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