10 Easy Low FODMAP Snacks to Help Manage Your IBS

If you’re one of the 30% of Aussies experiencing IBS, you’ll have no doubt heard of the low FODMAP diet. Designed to provide relief from the uncomfortable (and often painful) symptoms you experience, this diet can be a tough one to understand and integrate into your day to day life.

FODMAP is the name given to a group of specific sugars that are sometimes difficult for the body to process. These sugars aren’t the easiest to avoid (especially when you don’t know where to look), which is why I’m here to give you 10 super easy low FODMAP snacks that won’t set off your IBS! 

#1 COOKIE DOUGH BLISS BALLS 

Classic cookie dough. You just can’t live without it! 

All you need for these low FODMAP cookie dough bliss balls is half a cup of peanut butter, a cup and a half of almond meal, three tablespoons of maple syrup, a teaspoon of vanilla essence, and a third of a cup of dark choc chips. 

Mix everything (except the choc chips) together in a bowl to make the dough, fold through the choc chips and BAM! You’ve got cookie dough! 

Roll it into 12-ish balls, put them in the fridge for about an hour and then you’re on a one way track to Bliss Town!

#2 TOMATO + BASIL BRUSCHETTA

Easy and delicious, you can never go wrong with a good bruschetta! 

For eight serves, throw four chopped and deseeded tomatoes, a quarter cup of torn basil leaves, two teaspoons of red wine vinegar, a quarter teaspoon of caster sugar and a tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl and stir it up. If you want to, season the mix with salt and pepper.

Then? Simply grill each side of some yummy spelt sourdough and you’re ready for plating! Drizzle some olive oil on your bread, spoon on your tomato mixture and munch on this crunchy snack.

#3 CHOC PEANUT BUTTER SMOOTHIE

Sometimes? You really want a drink. Not just any drink, but a smooth, creamy drink filled with chocolate-y, peanut-y goodness. 

Enter the low FODMAP choc peanut butter smoothie! 

All you need is a slightly green banana, two tablespoons of peanut butter, half a cup of unsweetened almond milk, a quarter of a cup of lactose-free yoghurt, a tablespoon of cocoa powder and half a teaspoon of vanilla essence. Add all that into a blender, blend it up and you’ve got yourself the smoothie of your dreams (without the belly nightmares)!

#4 TURKEY, BRIE + CRANBERRY FILO PASTRIES

What’s better than your festive leftovers all wrapped up in pastry? Being able to eat those festive leftovers all wrapped up in pastry WITHOUT triggering your IBS, that’s what! 

So go on, mix one and three quarter cups of finely chopped turkey, 200g of brie (cut into small cubes), six tablespoons of low FODMAP cranberry sauce, four and a half tablespoons of mayo and three quarters of a cup of chives. 

Whip out 10 sheets of filo pastry, cut then in half and spray the edges with olive oil. Spoon that yummy mix onto the base of the pastry, fold them up into triangles and bake for about 15 minutes to get some warm, delicious, golden pastries! One sheet of filo pastry is low FODMAP so you get two delicious triangle servings each!

#5 DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Can’t you just smell them already? If you want to get your hands on some warm and delicious low FODMAP chocolate brownies, here’s what you’ve gotta do…

Blitz half a cup of rolled oats in a food processor to make a fine flour and chuck it in a bowl. Then mix in half a cup of gluten free flour, a quarter teaspoon of baking powder, a third of a cup of cocoa powder, two thirds of a cup of caster sugar and half a teaspoon of xanthan gum and you’re halfway there! 

In a separate bowl, mix two eggs, a teaspoon of vanilla essence, 75g of melted butter and a quarter of a cup of greek yoghurt. Combine with the dry ingredients and mix it all up!

Then comes the all-important quarter of a cup of dark chocolate chips! You know what to do - fold ‘em in! Pour that mix into a slice tin and throw it (see also: place gently) into the oven for twenty minutes. Once they’re baked, cooled and making your house smell amazing, take the brownies out of the tin. Slice them up - should be about 12 - and dust with icing sugar or cocoa powder if your heart (and belly) desires. 

Hot tip: Check your gluten free flours for high FODMAP ingredients including lupin, chickpeas or other legumes. Make sure you steer clear!

#6 PUMPKIN HUMMUS

Take it to a party or keep it to snack on the couch, this low FODMAP pumpkin hummus is your new favourite dip. 

Cook 750g of kent pumpkin, chopped into 2cm cubes, in a saucepan over medium heat with two tablespoons of water and some salt. When it’s extra soft, add that pumpkin into a food processor with two tablespoons of tahini, two tablespoons of garlic infused olive oil, a teaspoon of cumin, a tablespoon of lemon juice and a teaspoon of salt. Once it’s smooth, put the mix into a bowl, stir through some yoghurt and you’re ready to dip! 

You can even make this vegan. All you need to do is use vegan yoghurt!

#7 MAPLE GRANOLA

This low FODMAP maple granola is super easy to make and even easier to eat!

To serve 3-4 people, this recipe uses half a cup of roughly chopped almonds, a cup and a half of rolled oats, half a cup of buckwheat kernels, a quarter of a cup each of linseeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and pepitas, and then half a tablespoon of ground cinnamon. 

Heat up a quarter of a cup of maple syrup, a quarter of a cup of coconut oil, two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 30g of peanut butter and a teaspoon of vanilla essence in a microwave safe jug until all liquified. 

Pour the liquid onto the seeds and nuts and mix through. Press the mix firmly onto two baking paper lined trays and bake them for 12-18 minutes. Once it cools, break it apart and its ready to add to your favourite yoghurt, porridge or just to eat on its own! 

Hot tip: Add cocoa or coffee to the liquid mix for some extra goodness!

#8 GUACAMOLE

Another classic snack but the problematic ingredients, like avocado, have kept it on the do-not-eat list for people with IBS. So, how exactly do you make a tasty guac without avocado? 

Cream cheese! 

Mix 50g of room temp cream cheese with three medium avocados, a third of a cup of finely chopped baby spinach leaves, half a cup of finely chopped green onion tops, two tablespoons of finely chopped coriander leaves, a third of a cup of finely chopped green capsicum, two teaspoons of garlic infused oil, a third of a cup of finely diced tomato, a tablespoon of lime juice, half a teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of cracked black pepper and chilli to taste, and you’ve got a problem free guac! 

Given some of these ingredients are typical FODMAP offenders, we want to keep the serving sizes small with this dip serving 24.

#9 ANZAC BISCUITS

An Aussie classic that you don’t have to skip out on! That's the dream!

Melt some 100g of butter, two and a half tablespoons of golden syrup and half a cup of brown sugar in a saucepan. Dissolve a teaspoon of baking soda in a tablespoon of boiling water, mix it through the syrup in the saucepan and watch it go golden and frothy! Add in half a cup plus two and a half tablespoons of gluten free flour, half a cup plus two and a half tablespoons of dried desiccated coconut, three quarter of a cup of rolled oats and three tablespoons of sunflower seeds. 

On the side, you want to mix a teaspoon of chia seeds with two tablespoons of boiling water and add them to the mix once they’re gooey. This stops the biscuits from going crumbly! 

Mix everything together and scoop the mixture onto trays - it should make about 15 biscuits/15 serves. Flatten the scoops with your fingers or a fork, bake for 10-12 minutes, wait to cool and then ta-da! Deliciously chewy ANZAC biscuits!

#10 WONTONS (DUMPLINGS)

So many wontons contain garlic and onion which are big no no’s for a low FODMAP diet. 

Make these low FODMAP wontons using 400g of lean pork mince, a tablespoon of corn starch, two teaspoons of sesame oil, three teaspoons of grated ginger, half a cup of finely chopped green spring onion tops, two tablespoons of soy sauce and a cup of finely diced cabbage all mixed together as the filling. 

Now for the fun part! Spoon about two teaspoons of this filling into each wonton wrappers (you should get about 60 wontons/3 serves), brush two right angle edges with water and fold on the diagonal to seal them. 

You can boil or fry the wontons, so here’s how you can do either: 

To boil - Boil a large pot of water, add the wontons and cook them for about 5-6 minutes until they float. Remove and drain the wontons in a slightly oiled colander. 

Hot tip: Make sure the wontons are oiled all over as you drain them to stop them sticking together!

To fry - Heat some oil in a pan and fry the wontons until the bottoms are brown. Add some boiling water to the pan and cover with a tight-fitting lid. This lets you steam-fry them. Do that for about five minutes  or until they’re cooked through.

And you’re done! Share them around or even freeze some for later!

Just because you have IBS doesn’t mean you should have to miss out on your favourite go-to snacks! 

Avoiding those specific FODMAP sugars can be tricky, but changing a few ingredients here and there will let you take control of your gut and eliminate the discomfort and pain that comes with IBS. 

If you still feel like you need more guided help with managing your IBS, follow me on Instagram for more tips AND to stay in the know for my upcoming course. ]