At my most recent physical I discussed my worsening tummy-troubles with my doctor. Years ago she diagnosed me and usually I have my symptoms under control. But, since the blog has grown (meaning lots of different and ‘bad’ foods in my diet), and add that to a crazy, amazing year with LOTS of change, lately I have been waging war against my poor tummy more often than not. I decided I wanted to finally get things back to a manageable level, especially before I make the big move!
The doctor had me speak to the in-house dietician, who immediately put me on a FODMAP diet. FODMAP stands for: Fermentable Oligo-, Di- and Mono-saccharides, and Polyols. Now I’m not a doctor nor a scientist, but based on how the dietician explained it this includes foods that fall within four main categories based on how they break down in your system, which are Lactose, Fructose, Fructans/Gos, and Polyols. And these are suspected to be at the root of many a tummy-trouble.
So, for three-four weeks until I go back to the dietician in the beginning of August, I am basically doing an elimination diet. Then I incorporate foods from each category one week at a time to try and determine which areas tend to give me the most grief. During the elimination period I have to avoid a variety of things such as certain cheeses and dairy, wheat gluten, and veggies and fruits such as apples, watermelon, onion, garlic, asparagus, and things with artificial sweeteners such as gum and mints. As a food blogger I thought this would be hard to do. But I’ve managed to make some pretty awesome meals, that are healthy, FODMAP-approved, and look and taste great as well.
I figured I’d share some of my menu ideas with you. Even if you’re not on a FODMAP diet, these are easy, healthy meals anyone can enjoy!
FODMAP-Friendly Meal Ideas
Menu 1: Mixed green salad with sweet potato and shrimp.
- Bake a sweet potato in the microwave then let cool and cut into cubes. Saute shrimp in a little bit of olive oil on the stove top with some sea salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes or other seasoning of your choice. Add greens, sweet potato, shrimp, a chopped fresh tomato, and a small handful of pecans into a bowl. Add a little sea salt/pepper to taste and drizzle with a good quality balsamic vinegar.
Meal 2: Chicken and Brown Rice Bowl
- Use quick-cooking brown rice, and cook on stove top. Pan cook chicken breast, seasoned with a little salt, pepper, and fresh lemon or lime juice. Cool chicken and cube. Mix cooked brown rice, cubed chicken, chopped fresh tomato, sliced mini cucumber, and drizzle with remaining fresh lemon juice and some good quality balsamic vinegar.
Meal 3: Surf & Turf with a side of Sweet Potato Fries
- Pan cook a lean steak, seasoned generously with salt and pepper, to your desired temperature. Saute some shrimp in olive oil seasoned with salt, pepper, red pepper flake, and oregano. Slice sweet potato thin, leaving skin on. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 425 degrees farenheit for about 20 minutes. Cut steak as desired and serve.
Meal 4: Baked Lemon-Pepper Chicken w/ Baked Zucchini and Summer Squash
- Place chicken breasts in a baking dish. Season with salt/pepper and juice from one fresh lemon. Add small handful of capers and a chopped tomato on top. Bake at 375 for about 20-30 minutes. Slice zucchini and squash, place on a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil and salt/pepper on top and also bake for about 20-30 minutes.
Have you ever done anything similar? How hard/easy did you find it to avoid foods?
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I have a sensitivity to red meat. Beef is the only one that is hard to avoid since not every restaurant is serving up veal, bison/buffalo, elk, venison, etc! It is hard with soups and sauces but I’ve gotten used to asking or avoiding if that is just easier. It makes grilling season not as fun but it hasn’t gone well every time we’ve tried to reintroduce it.
That IS a tough one and I can see how that would be frustrating. That’s good that you were able to pinpoint it though so that you can easily avoid it.