The Low-FODMAP Christmas Party Guide - Part 1

 

Hi Fodmappers - ready for those Christmas parties? If you're like me, I'm guessing that your thoughts are going to be as much about what you can safely eat and drink as what you might wear? After all there are more embarrassing things that can happen to someone with IBS then turning up in the same outfit as your colleague! So here's my Fodmapper's guide to surviving the party season.

Part 1 - What Can I Eat?

The Set Menu

Do you dread that moment when the menu gets passed around the office with the set meal options? It's hard enough finding a tasty vegetarian option let alone one which is FODMAP friendly. Assuming you're already committed to a sit down meal, how can you make sure it's 'safe'? If it's a traditional Christmas meal there are several things to watch for.

First Course - There is often the choice of a vegetable soup for the first course but this may not be the best option for you. Even something innocent sounding like a carrot and coriander or parsnip soup may contain onions which are high-FODMAP. So my first tip is to opt for the melon.

Main Course - Goats Cheese tartlet sounds great, doesn't it? It's so very tempting for a Veggie Christmas meal but so wrong for us Fodmappers. Onions have a way of sneaking into these too but there's also the pastry to consider, and to avoid. You'll also want to avoid anything with mushrooms. If a nut roast is on the menu it could very easily contain wheat, onions and mushroom! But don't fear. My tip for the main course? Phone the restaurant beforehand and explain that you have special dietary needs - this is nothing unusual these days. Some restaurants pride themselves on being able to cater for special diets, as long as you give them enough notice. If they can't accommodate you, you could always offer to provide your own. That way you can eat in the confidence that it tastes great as well as the fact that it's not going to upset your tummy.

As for the vegetables - potatoes, parsnips, carrots and green beans are low-FODMAP, so enjoy. You should find you can tolerate a small portion of broccoli but remember to avoid the peas. As for Brussels sprouts, Monash University advises that a serving of two is tolerated by most people with IBS, though I'd choose whether to have those or the broccoli (rather than both) just to be extra careful. Also you'll be wise to avoid the stuffing and gravy - both are likely to contain wheat and onions.

Dessert - Christmas desserts are a challenge as wheat and dried fruit are high-FODMAP, and best avoided. But if you like something sweet you could take along some home-made low-FODMAP Ginger, Orange and Walnut Mince Pies to surprise your colleagues (having spoken to the restaurant first) or go for the savoury option and finish with the cheese selection. Cheese boards often come with grapes which are safe to eat, just remember to give the wheat crackers a miss.

The Buffet

The other scenario at this time of year is the festive buffet. This is a whole lot easier as far as a low-FODMAP diet is concerned, partly because a buffet tends to be a much more informal meal anyway and partly because you'll be in control of what goes on to your plate. If you're not sure yet what foods are safe to eat, take time to familiarise yourself with the 'Foods to Avoid' and 'Foods to Enjoy' lists. There are plenty of buffet classics such as plain crisps, plain corn tortillas, carrot and celery sticks, cheese and pineapple on sticks, olives, peanuts, grapes, cheddar or feta cheese and salad leaves which are low-FODMAP, so you won't go hungry.

You could even offer to help prepare the buffet, that way you can make sure there are plenty of low-FODMAP options available. Or take something with you, everyone loves someone who brings food to a party.

One final tip, especially if you know you are easily tempted by festive goodies, is simply to eat something before you go out. That way when the food is put in front of you it'll be easier to stick to those safe options.

In Part 2 I'll take you through some low-FODMAP drinks options complete with a tasty recipe of my own for a winter warmer which I think you'll enjoy.

'Til then - stay fabulous! :)
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Protein in the Vegetarian Low-FODMAP diet

 

The question is - are you getting enough?

Hi again fodmappers. 

A couple of times lately I've been asked how I manage to get enough protein on a vegetarian low-fodmap diet. It's a good question because, as you probably know, many of the usual vegetarian protein sources (legumes and some nuts) are off limits. Though I felt intuitively that I do get enough, it never hurts to do a bit of research and check. So that's been my project this last week.

I soon realised that, before looking at whether I was getting enough, I had to find out how much protein I should be having. That seems obvious I know, but when you constantly see ads for protein shakes, bars and protein based weight-loss programmes, the suggestion seems to be that none of us are getting enough, let alone anyone on a restricted diet!

The first figures I came across were that a sedentary man needs 56g a day and a woman needs 46g. Those figures weren't working for me for a simple reason, and that is that our need for protein must differ according to our body size, age and health, as well as our activity levels. After a while I tracked down a suggested intake of 0.66g of protein per kg of body weight for both men and women. (1) For me that works out at 31.43g of protein per day - much less than the average guidelines.

My next task, of course, was to find out how much protein there is in the food I eat. (A summary of just one day is at the end of today's blog). It's surprising what contains what!

I've recently converted to using cups as a way of measuring dry and liquid ingredients, but if you don't have these handy little measuring devices you might like to know that 1 cup is the same as 250ml. Simply find something in your kitchen that holds 250ml and you're away.

Dairy and Milk Alternatives

• 1 large egg = 6g
• 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese = 28g
• 1 cubic inch of cheddar cheese = 4.2g
• 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese = 21g
• 1 cubic inch of feta = 2.4g
• 1 cup of lactose free milk = 9g
• 1 cup of almond milk = 1.25g
• 1 cup of oat milk = 2.5g
• 1 cup of oat milk = 0.25g

Nuts and Seeds

• 1 cup of walnuts = 18g
• 1 cup of brazil nuts = 19g
• 1 cup of hazelnuts = 20g
• 1 cup of sunflower seeds = 29g
• 1 cup of sesame seeds = 26g
• 1 cup of dried pumpkin seeds = 39g
• 1 tbsp of peanut butter = 4g
• 1 tbsp of almond butter = 3.35g
• 1 tbsp of tahini/sesame seed paste = 3g

Grains

• 1 cup of cooked buckwheat = 6g
• 1 cup of cooked quinoa = 8g
• 1 cup of cooked brown rice = 5g
• 1 cup of cooked white rice = 4.2g
• 1 cup dry oatmeal/porridge oats = 6g

Fruit and Vegetables

• 1 medium banana = 1.3g
• 1 medium kiwi fruit = 0.8g
• 1 cup of spinach = 0.9g
• 1 large potato (baked with skin) = 7g
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper = 1g
• 1 small courgette = 1.4g
• 1 cup of shredded lettuce = 0.5g
• 1 medium tomato = 1.1g
• 1 cup of cubed butternut squash = 1.4g

Bread and Crackers

• 1 slice of Genius triple seeded bread = 2.1g
• 1 slice of Genius brown bread = 1.2g
• 1 slice of Genius spicy fruit bread = 1.2g
• 1 Kallo Organic unsalted rice cake =  0.6g
• 1 Nairns oat cake = 0.8g

Pasta

• 100g Orgran buckwheat spirals = 11.2g
• 100g Orgran corn and vegetable spirals = 6.9g

Other

• 100g of Tofu = 8g
• 100g of canned chick peas = 4.3g

I could include much more ....

So, back to the question of whether I am getting enough protein. The only way this was going to be accurate was if I added it up as I went along. So one day last week I met a friend for a cuppa (Hi Jacqui) and kept notes.

My breakfast that day was 1 banana (1.3g) and a bowl of porridge made with half a cup of oats and 1 cup of lactose free milk (12g). Mid-morning I had a gluten free coconut and raspberry slice (4g). And lunch was a kiwi fuit (0.8g), a peanut butter sandwich on Genius fruit bread (6.4g) and a small savoury muffin (6g). The recipe for the muffin (and it's really easy) can be found here.

If you've been counting you'll know that comes to 30.05g of protein (remember I need to aim for 31.43g) and at that point I have to confess I stopped counting.

But this has been an interesting issue to explore. I had never realised what a difference there is in the protein content of the low-fodmap milks, for example, and how something as simple as a bowl of porridge can give a real protein boost to the start of your day. It's an exercise that's definitely worth doing.

And it's been reassuring. The low-FODMAP diet is complicated enough, especially for vegetarians and vegans, without worrying about protein too.

So a big thank you to those of you who have asked, you know who you are. It's been an eye-opener putting this list together, and an education. If there are any other topics you'd like me to explore, please let me know.

1. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/DRI/DRI_Tables/recommended_intakes_individuals.pdf

Buckwheat - The Wheat You Can Eat

 

Don't panic Fodmappers! If you haven't already discovered Buckwheat I have a surprise in store for you. Buckwheat isn't wheat - which means you can eat it as part of a low-FODMAP diet.

Buckwheat is something which is called a 'pseudocereal' (1) because, though it isn't a grass (which wheat is) it can be used in much the same way as grains which are. Buckwheat flour can be made into bread, pastry or pancakes (though when making pancakes remember to use a lactose-free milk) or bought as pasta or noodles. The grains can be toasted and then cooked in twice the volume of water (one cup of grains to two cups or water) to make a nice and nutty change from rice. Alternatively they can be sprouted in just a few days and added to salads, breads or breakfast cereals.

Sprouting Buckwheat couldn't be easier. Of all the grains I've sprouted over the years, this is definitely one of the quickest to grow. I use the Bio-Snacky jar but you could also use an ordinary large jar and a piece of muslin. Simply put a couple of tablespoons of grains into the jar, rinse well, soak for about 30 mins and then strain. Rinse and strain twice daily until the grains develop little tails - which in warm weather might be as quickly as 2 days.

Alternatively you could just use a sieve, like this guy does here. Take it away chef!

If you're still not convinced you might be interested to know that Buckwheat is incredibly good for you! (2) It is high in zinc, copper, potassium and manganese and also high in protein. Protein can be a bit of a challenge for vegetarian and vegan fodmappers as many of the usual sources (such as lentils, chick peas, soya and tvp) are high-fodmap and therefore to be avoided. Buckwheat can replace some of the lost protein. It is also a good source of soluble fibre.

As you can see from the sneaky peek into my kitchen above, I've rather taken to Buckwheat. You might even notice that the label on the taller jar reads 'Buckwheat - Yum'. To be honest, unless it's toasted it doesn't have a strong taste at all, which means it will pretty much go with anything you fancy. Right now I fancy cake. I found this recipe on 'A Clean Bake'. Mmmm - Buckwheat cup-cakes. Got to try that.

'Til next time Fodmappers. 

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudocereal

2. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5681/2