When I first start talking with a client about going on a therapeutic eating plan like the low FODMAP diet, their first question is often “will I have to give up the foods I love?”
Eating is an emotional experience. Yes, food fuels our bodies and builds our cells. And eating the nutrient-dense foods your body needs — while avoiding the foods that make you feel bad — is important. But eating is about more than just pulling up to the gas pump and pouring in some fuel.
We eat in community. We eat to celebrate. We eat when we’re happy — and when we’re sad. And all of that is okay. It’s part of the experience of being human.
So when your practitioner tells you that you’d really benefit from a therapeutic diet, it’s no surprise that your first concern may be that the experience of eating will, well… suck. You know it’s probably worth it to feel better. If your symptoms are bad enough to reach out for help, they are affecting your life. And you’ll likely be much happier when you feel better and develop a more functional relationship with the bathroom. But, how you feel about what you eat matters too.
And yes, a therapeutic diet will challenge you to change some of what you eat. But it doesn’t have to ruin everything…
All this month, we’ve been talking about ways to make your low FODMAP diet easier and more manageable. Yes, you can stay low FODMAP even at the drive thru. You can add tons of flavor to your food with low FODMAP condiments. You can cook fantastic meals with low FODMAP recipes. And you can even enjoy delicious and portable low FODMAP snacks.
But today, I want to talk about making it more fun. It’s time to dive into the ultimate comfort food category — sweets! Yes you heard that right. You can have sweets on the low FODMAP diet. But you need to be smart about it.
High FODMAP Sweeteners to Watch Out For
Desserts can be sweetened by a variety of ingredients. And unfortunately, many commercial sweeteners are high in FODMAPs. High FODMAP sweeteners include:
? Agave syrup
? Golden syrup (found mainly in Europe and Australia)
? High fructose corn syrup, fructose, or fructose-glucose
? Honey
? Molasses
? Sugar alcohols like sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol, and erythritol
? Inulin and chicory root
? High FODMAP fruit juices (pear, apple, mango, blackberry, etc.)
So when you’re considering a packaged or processed dessert, check for these sweeteners on the label. If you find them, look for another option.
Low FODMAP Sweeteners to Indulge In
Yes, that list of high FODMAP sweeteners is pretty long. But don’t worry. There are also low FODMAP sweeteners you can eat guilt-free on the low FODMAP diet including:
? Table sugar, sugar, cane sugar, evaporated cane sugar
? Coconut Sugar
? Stevia
? Maple syrup, maple sugar
? Rice malt syrup
? Dextrose
? Maltodextrin
? Glucose, glucose syrup, and glucose-fructose (not fructose-glucose, which is higher in fructose)
If your label (or recipe) includes one or more of the above sweeteners, you’re good to go in the sweetener department. But don’t forget to check the other ingredients too. FODMAPs hide all over the place.
But if reading the label takes all the fun out of it, I’ve got you. Keep reading for a list of low FODMAP packaged sweets you don’t need to worry about.
Low FODMAP Chocolate
For many people, dessert without chocolate barely counts as dessert. And if this is you, I’ve got some good news and bad news. The good news — you can have chocolate on the low FODMAP diet. The bad news — it has to be dark chocolate.
This may not be bad news for you. Lots of people love dark chocolate. But if you’re a fan of milk or white chocolate, you’re going to need to tweak your sweets. You can technically have a little bit of milk or white chocolate, but it has to be a very little bit. Both of these candies are made with milk, which is high in the FODMAP lactose. So eating more than ½ ounce puts you into high FODMAP territory.
But if you opt for dark chocolate, you can have more. Up to 3 ounces is still considered low FODMAP. You can also have up to 4 heaping teaspoons of cocoa powder and still stay low FODMAP. So if you’re making a chocolate dessert recipe, cocoa powder is a good bet.
Low FODMAP Dessert Recipes
If you’re willing to hit the kitchen to make a low FODMAP dessert, there are lots of resources available online. Yes, you could go through your cookbooks with a calculator and your low FODMAP app. But if you want to make it easier, check out these low FODMAP dessert recipe roundups:
✅ FODMAP Everyday Low FODMAP Dessert Recipes
✅ A Little Bit Yummy Low FODMAP Dessert Recipes
✅ Low FODMAP Desserts from the Spoonful App
Packaged Low FODMAP Desserts
Sometimes we all want a sweet treat without the hassle pulling out a recipe and firing up the oven. And there are plenty of low FODMAP options. You can use your low FODMAP app to pick a good option. If you’re looking for a good low FODMAP app, I share my favorites in the free IBS Resource Guide.
Or you can pick a treat from the low FODMAP dessert list below.
Candy
Butterfinger — 1 or 2 fun size bars
Dove Promises Silky Smooth Dark — up to 3 pieces
Haribo Gummi Bears — up to 13 bears
Jolly Ranchers — 3 or 4
Junior Mints — up to 12 mini mints
Justin’s Dark Chocolate Full Size Peanut Butter Cups — one piece
Mounds Candy Bar — 1 or 2 snack size
Reese’s Pieces — up to 25 pieces
Skittles — up to 20 pieces
Sour Patch Kids — up to 8 pieces
Swedish Fish — 2 or 3 pieces
Sweet Tarts — 6-8 pieces
Cookies
Enjoy Life Cookie — Gluten-free Crunchy Double Chocolate
Sheila G’s Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Brownie Brittle
Gluten Free Oreos
Mi-Del Gluten Free Ginger Snaps
Ice Cream
Oatly Strawberry Non Dairy Frozen Dessert
Haagen Dazs Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
Breyers Non Dairy Vanilla Peanut Butter Almond Milk Ice Cream
Breyers Lactose Free Ice Cream
Lactaid Lactose Free Ice Cream
The Low FODMAP Diet is Doable
A lot of my clients are hesitant about trying the low FODMAP diet. It seems complicated — and it is. But it is doable. And it can make a tremendous difference in your IBS symptoms.
The most important thing to remember about the low FODMAP diet is that it needs to be done correctly. Cutting FODMAPs means you’re eliminating enough foods from your diet to potentially cause nutrient deficiencies. That’s why it’s important to work with a qualified and experienced practitioner when you incorporate the low FODMAP diet to your IBS plan.
If you’re looking for a practitioner to help you navigate the low FODMAP diet — and uncover the root cause of your IBS — you can book a free 15-minute consultation with me. I also host a Facebook Community for IBS patients. It’s free and open to anyone who is struggling with IBS. You’re invited to join The Healthy Gut Solutions Group.
If you’re already working with a practitioner, but you need more support and guidance, I have something for you too — and it’s brand new! I’ve taken all the confusing information about the low FODMAP diet and broken it down in my online course IBS Relief Blueprint. Here you’ll find shortcuts, simple explanations, and hacks that can make the low FODMAP diet work with your life so you can get your IBS symptoms under control.
