Looking for low FODMAP snacks for managing your irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)? You’re in the right place!
When you’re dealing with gut symptoms such as gas/bloating, IBS, and/or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), finding something tasty and practical to snack on without worrying about any kind of potential “aftermath” might feel a lot like looking for a needle in a haystack.
(Not to mention, scouring nutrition labels gets old pretty darn fast!)
If you’re navigating IBS and/or SIBO and you’re seeking out new ways keep your energy up and your blood sugar happy, hopefully this list of low FODMAP snacks list can save you lots of time, mental energy, and decision fatigue from not having to figure it out on your own!
- FYI – An extra element that I’ve infused into this snack list is it’s more sound for the gut microbiome. I’ve made sure not to include any low FODMAP snacks that are loaded with sweeteners such as corn syrup or even high amounts of cane sugar (two types of low FODMAP sweeteners) which tend to worsen underlying conditions linked to IBS, such as leaky gut or dysbiosis.
What does low FODMAP mean?
“FODMAP” stands for “fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols”.
- Oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols are certain types of molecules that make up carbohydrates and fibers in certain foods.
FODMAPs are difficult for the gut to totally break down, so as a result in someone with a compromised digestive system, these carbohydrates will get fermented by bacteria in the intestines.
- The bi-product of this fermentation is methane gas, which leads to – surprise, surprise – gas, bloating, and other symptoms of IBS!
Foods high in these carbohydrate/fiber molecules are categorized as “high FODMAP”, and foods that don’t contain enough of these particles to trigger gas/bloating in most people are categorized as “low FODMAP”.
Enter the low FODMAP dietary protocol.
The low FODMAP diet and IBS/SIBO
A low FODMAP nutrition protocol is one of multiple dietary interventions often recommended and prescribed by dietitians and gastrointestinal (GI) doctors for people dealing with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and/or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
Choosing mostly low FODMAP foods can generally serve as a helpful “backbone” (nutritionally speaking) for those in the early stages of IBS who are looking to find some relief!
However, a low FODMAP diet is not meant to be followed long-term (which usually means more than a few months) since it’s very restrictive and it doesn’t address the full picture of IBS/SIBO.
Why low FODMAP diets should not be long term:
- More often than not, people with IBS will find they can actually tolerate many of the foods not allowed on a low FODMAP diet!
- Going low FODMAP without clinical supervision and customized guidance from a registered dietitain can lead to unnecessary restriction, disordered eating, nutritional deficiencies and weight loss in some cases.
- Many high FODMAP foods actually contain prebiotic fibers that help to feed healthy bacteria in the gut.
- Staying on this diet for too long to manage symptoms without addressing your underlying issues can actually be harmful for certain types of “good” (probiotic) bacteria in your gut over time.
- The low FODMAP diet as a stand-alone intervention doesn’t address underlying issues that often contribute to IBS and SIBO, such as:
- Low stomach acid
- Dysbiosis
- Leaky gut
- Food allergies & sensitivities
- Etc!
- Restricting high FODMAP foods while receiving medical treatment for SIBO can interfere with the effects of SIBO-specific antibiotics.
All of that said, if you’re in the early stages of your gut healing journey, I encourage you to download my free gut health nutrition guide (5 Diet Mistakes to Avoid When Healing Your Gut) so you can give yourself the best shot possible at complete gut repair!
Smart snacking tips
Snacking is a fabulous way to stay nourished and energized throughout the day, especially for people with IBS who tend to benefit from eating smaller amounts of food more frequently, every 2 to 4 hours (versus having just 2 to 3 big meals everyday).
Having snacks between meals can also support healthy blood sugar, which can make or break a person’s mood, focus and productivity in many cases!
Getting “Hangry” (low blood sugar= “hungry” + “angry”) is one of those things I personally tried to avoid…
That said, the best way to get the most out of this low FODMAP snack list is to pair a carbohydrate of your choice (from the fruit or starch list) with a fat and/or protein.
(Eating a carbohydrate by itself won’t sustain you for very long, and eating a fat or protein by itself without some kind of carb won’t be enough to get your energy up!)
For example:
- Fruit + nuts
- Fruit + cheese
- Cheese + crackers
- 2-4%Yogurt with fruit or granola
- Trail mix
I’ve also made sure to select options that are low in added sugar, so you’ll be supporting your gut microbiome (the ecosystem of microbes living in your gut, which impact your digestion, immune system, heart health, hormones, and mental health) more holistically.
Without further ado, feel free to check out the snack list below, use it as a guide on your gut repair journey, and let me know if you have any ideas you’d like me to add! 🙂
The Low FODMAP snack list
Low FODMAP fruits for snacking
- Fresh cantaloupe
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Frozen berries of choice
- 1/2 banana
- 1/4 avocado
- Naval orange
- Clementines
- 1/4 of a grapefruit
- 10 grapes
- 1 cup pineapple
Low FODMAP veggies for snacking
- Carrots
- Celery
- Bell peppers
- Cucumbers
- Salsa (made without garlic or onion)
Low FODMAP grains/starches
Cereals
- Arrowhead Mills maple buckwheat flakes
- Barbara’s Bakery peanut butter puffins
- One Degree Organics puffed rice cereal:
- One Degree Organics sprouted cacao crisps
- Bob’s Red Mill Maple Sea Salt granola
- Nature’s Path Grain Free Maple Almond granola
Chips
- Late July organic corn chips
- Siete cassava flour tortilla chips
- Organic blue corn tortilla chips
- “Food Should Taste Good” sweet potato chips
- Cape Cod potato chips
- Baked Kettle potato chips
- Lay’s original potato chips
- Terra’s sweet potato chips
- Terra’s sweets & beets veggie chips
Crackers
- Crunchmaster multi-seed sea salt crackers
- Good Thins simply salt rice crackers
- Good Thins sea salt corn and rice crackers
- Parm Crisps
- Hu grain-free almond flour crackers
- Buckwheat crackers
Bread
- Homemade buckwheat chia bread
- Simple Mills almond flour artisan bread mix
- Food for life brown rice tortillas
- Food for life gluten free English muffins
- Birch Benders paleo waffles
- Siete cassava flour tortillas
- Buckwheat banana skillet bread
Miscellaneous
- Lundberg rice cakes
- Glutino or Snyders gluten free pretzels
- Hu chocolate gems
- Hu chocolate covered almonds
Low FODMAP nut & seed butters
- Almond butter
- Hazelnut butter
- Natural peanut butter
- Pecan butter
- Pumpkin seed butter
- Sunflower seed butter
- Walnut butter
Low FODMAP nuts & seeds
- Almonds
- Brazil nuts
- Peanuts
- Pecans
- Pine nuts
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Walnuts
Low FODMAP Dairy (lactose-free)
- Lactaid milk (as tolerated)
- Ghee
- Butter (very low in lactose)
- Plain yogurt
- Hard cheeses
- Cheddar
- Colby Jack
- Monterey Jack
- Gouda
- Swiss
- Harvati
- Parmesan
- Manghego
- Gruyere
- Provolone
- Asiago
- Emmental
Low FODMAP dips & dressings
-
Low FODMAP dips
- Roasted Red Pepper & Pumpkin Hummus
- Dr. Rachel Paul’s homemade hummus
- Traditional low FODMAP hummus
- Baba Ganoush made with garlic-infused oil
- Low FODMAP pesto
-
Dressings:
Low FODMAP snack bars
-
88 Acres:
- Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt
-
Go Macro:
- Protein pleasure
- Prolonged power
- Protein purity
- Protein replenishment
-
Homemade low FODMAP snack bars:
Suggested food combinations for low FODMAP snacks
- Fresh low FODMAP fruit of choice + 1 to 2 tablespoons low FODMAP nuts
- Piece of low FODMAP bread toasted and topped with 1/4 avocado, dash of salt/pepper, and spoonful of hemp seeds
- Smoothie: ½ banana + ½ cup berries (fresh or frozen) + 1 tablespoon nut butter/natural peanut butter + 1 cup unsweetened almond milk/coconut milk/flax milk + 1 scoop brown rice protein powder
- Plain yogurt with 1/3 cup low FODMAP granola, berries and cinnamon
- 1/2 banana and 1 to 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter or nut butter of choice
- Kiwi, orange, melon, clementines, or berries with 1 oz. cheese
- Rice cakes with natural peanut butter/nut butter topped with 1/2 banana (sliced)
- Cup of sliced cucumbers/carrots with low FODMAP dressing
- Fresh carrots dipped in natural peanut butter
- Low FODMAP nachos:
- Siete tortilla chips or corn chips of choice + 1 to 2 oz. grated cheddar cheese, baked, with 2 tablespoons guacamole and 1/4 cup low FODMAP salsa
- Baked or microwaved sweet potato with shredded cheddar cheese on top
- Gluten-free pretzels or rice cakes with natural peanut butter
- Rice crackers/almond flour crackers with low-FODMAP pesto, hummus or some hard cheese
- Fresh veggies and/or crackers with low-FODMAP dip of choice (hummus, baba ganoush, pesto)
- Bowl of low FODMAP cereal with berries and unsweetened almond milk/coconut milk/flax milk
- Low FODMAP snack bar of choice
- Trail mix: 1/3 cup low FODMAP granola + 1 tablespoon unsweetened dried cranberries + 2 tablespoons low FODMAP nuts/seeds + 2 tablespoons Hu chocolate gems (optional)
Low Fodmap Snacking – Conclusions
The low FODMAP diet is not a cure for IBS/SIBO but it can help you to reduce and manage symptoms alongside other medical and nutritional interventions.
- This list of low FODMAP snacks (which is not exhaustive!) can be used as a resource (alongside working with a 1:1 functional dietitian) to help you to start implementing more variety in your diet as you navigate your way through a gut-healing journey.
- It’s important to also make sure you’re addressing all aspects of health impacting your gut, for best results.
- As a reminder, when it comes to snacking, you’ll get the most bang for your buck when pairing a carbohydrate (such as a fruit, grain or starch) with a fat-protein combination (such as nuts, nut butter, lactose-free dairy, or a dressing/dip.)
Learn more: next steps
If you’d like to learn more and go deeper in learning how to address your gut issues at the root-cause level, I invite you to download my free gut health nutrition guide (below) which will reveal how to avoid 5 common dietary pitfalls people make during their gut healing journey (and what you can do instead!).
Either way, I wish you the best of luck!
XO – Jenna
