Low FODMAP Cucumber-Radish Salad with Mint & Feta

This easy yet refreshing salad is great served alongside Middle Eastern and Mediterranean entrees like Pan-Seared Lamb Chops with Moroccan Spices. It is at it’s best when freshly made so it should be the last thing assembled for a meal.

Scallions for this dish should be cut into long slender pieces. This can be done easily with an Asian scallion splitting tool. If you don’t have one, you can cut the scallions with a knife into curls. The mint is chiffonade cut, which may sound intimidating but is, in fact, very easy.

Monash recommends limiting portions of cumber to under a half cup so keep an eye on portion size.

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Low FODMAP Cucumber-Radish Salad with Mint & Feta

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 English cucumber (or approximately 1lb Persian cucumbers), thinly sliced
• 2-3 scallions, shredded or cut into curls (green parts only)
• 3-4 red radishes, thinly sliced
• 10 tender mint leaves, chiffonade cut
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp sea salt, more to taste
• tsp ground black pepper, more to taste
• 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles

Instructions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, gently toss together the cucumbers, scallions, radishes, mint and vinegar.
2. Immediately before serving drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper then toss to coat. Place on serving dish and top with feta cheese.

Low FODMAP Asian-Style Stir-Fried Cabbage

Easy, fast and delicious! This basic veggie side dish goes with a range of Asian main courses, from Char Siu Chicken to Teriyaki. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare from start to finish.

Unfortunately cabbage does contain some FODMAPs. According to Monash, a serving of 3/4 cup of cabbage is tolerated by most so be sure not to overdo it.

Makes 6-8 side servings

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Low FODMAP Asian-Style Stir-Fried Cabbage

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 2-pound green cabbage, quartered, cored, thinly sliced
• 6 green onions, chopped (green parts only)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• sea salt
• white pepper

Instructions

1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and when it shimmers, add ginger and stir 30 seconds. Add half of the cabbage and stir until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add remaining cabbage, green onions, and sesame oil. Toss and cook until all of the cabbage is tender crisp, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Low FODMAP Egg Roll Veggie Sauté

Makes ~4 servings

This easy and healthy side dish captures the flavors of everyone’s favorite Chinese restaurant appetizer without the deep frying and wheat. Shredded carrots and cabbage seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil are the stars of the show. Use gluten free soy sauce to make it gluten free. Serve alongside your favorite Chinese dishes.

Egg Roll Veggie Sauté with Char Siu Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 2-pound cabbage, shredded (8 cups)
• 1 cup carrots, shredded or matchstick cut
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts (optional)
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 2 tbsp avocado or other neutral oil
• 4 tsp sesame oil
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Add ginger, shredded cabbage and carrots to the pan. Sauté until just wilted.
2. Add scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil and black pepper. Sauté until cabbage is tender-crisp. Serve immediately.

Low FODMAP Classic Potato Salad

This potato salad is so tasty no one will ever notice it’s low FODMAP. It isn’t fancy. It’s just your standard potato salad, but this recipe’s joy is in its simplicity and familiarity. Use plain old yellow mustard here, nothing fancy. I use unpeeled potatoes because I prefer them. You can peel if you prefer. Makes enough for a small BBQ or pot luck. This recipe always gets compliments.

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Makes ~8 servings

Ingredients

• 2½ to 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 4 scallions, sliced (green parts only)
• 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced
• 1 cup real mayonnaise (Hellman’s/Best Foods is what I use)
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• paprika

Instructions

1. Add potatoes and water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and boil potatoes until easily pierced with a fork. Drain well, transfer to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with apple cider vinegar. Gently toss. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.
2. Mix mayonnaise, mustard and celery seed in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. When potatoes are cool, season them with salt and pepper to taste. Add scallions and diced egg. Mix gently. Add mayonnaise mixture. Gently toss until everything is evenly coated. Transfer to a serving dish and top with a few shakes of paprika for garnish. Serve warm or cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to serve cold.

Low FODMAP Quinoa Veggie Bowls

Figuring out a portable low FODMAP lunch that doesn’t need to be microwaved can be a bit of a challenge. Luckily cold quinoa makes a nutritious and versatile base for lunches on the go. Add veggies, dressing and maybe some cheese for a satisfying vegetarian meal.

Quinoa with kale micro greens, chopped tomato, sliced radish, chopped cucumber and feta

The ingredients that go into a quinoa bowl can vary with what is on hand. Use classic flavor combinations or invent your own. The following recipe uses tahini and feta for a Mediterranean feel. Check out the variations listed after the recipe for more ideas.

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Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (preferred) or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp tahini (or to taste up to 2 tbsp, optional)
• 5 grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 radish, sliced (up to 4 radishes per serving)
• 1/2 cup Persian or English cucumber, chopped
• a few pinches of micro greens such as micro kale
• 1 tsp fresh oregano OR 1/2 tsp dried
• 2 scallions (green parts only), sliced
• feta crumbles
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/8 tsp ground sumac (optional)

Instructions

1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly with cool water. Several changes of water may be necessary. Rinsing helps remove a natural coating, which some people find irritating to the stomach.
2. Bring water to a boil in a small sauce pan. Add rinsed quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Be sure to check on it periodically so it doesn’t dry out and burn. Add a small amount of water if necessary. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes after cooking. (Overnight in the fridge is great.)
3. Create a dressing by combining the lemon juice or ACV and olive oil in a small bowl. Add tahini, a few cracks of sea salt, a few cracks of black pepper and sumac. Mix thoroughly.
4. Combine cooled quinoa, veggies, cheese crumbles and herbs in a large mixing bowl. Mix in dressing and micro greens just before serving otherwise the dressing will not taste as good and your micro greens will wilt.

Variations

The beauty of this dish is it’s versatility. You can throw pretty much any low FODMAP ingredients you like into the bowl, just be sure not to exceed recommended portions. Other delicious things to add could include:

• roasted eggplant cubes (up to 1 cup)
• fresh carrot shreds (up to 1 medium carrot)
• chopped red, orange or yellow bell pepper (up to 1/3 cup)
• edamame (up to half cup)
• baby spinach (up to 1 cup)
• radicchio (up to 2 cups)
• arugula (up to 2 cups)
• olives (up to 15 small olives)
• lime juice (up to 1 cup)
• low FODMAP portions of nuts
• fresh herbs (mint, basil, parsley, cilantro, or dill)
• Vietnamese nuac cham
• goat cheese crumbles (up to 1 tbsp)
• garlic-infused olive oil
• marinated firm tofu (up to 1 cup)

How about a Greek-inspired quinoa bowl? Tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, black olives, feta, scallions (green parts only) and oregano.

You could make a Thai-inspired version with Thai basil, fish sauce, lime juice, cayenne (if tolerated), soy sauce, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, and peanuts.

It’s up to you.  Get creative!

Quinoa with yellow bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, scallions and feta dressed with dried oregano, dried mint, garlic-infused olive oil and ACV.

Quinoa with goat cheese, fresh mint, chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumber, sliced scallions and yellow bell pepper

Low FODMAP Salad Building 101

A green salad can be a surprisingly easy meal to make, especially if you have leftover cooked meats in the fridge. There’s a simple formula to follow:

greens + veggies + proteins + dressing = yum

Let’s break this down into low FODMAP choices and portion sizes. All of the following portion recommendations are for a single portion, as reported by Monash University’s FODMAP app.

Salad Greens

Because most greens do contain some FODMAPS, it is important to make sure to not exceed recommended portions. For dinner salads, select greens that you can have in quantity such as Romaine or red leaf lettuce. You can also use greens in combination for taste or nutrition. For side salads there is more freedom to choose since you can use higher FODMAP greens in smaller portions. Feel free to use ready to eat salad greens to save time and effort.

The following types of lettuce are the lowest FODMAP choices. Up to 2 cups of the following should be tolerated.

• Romaine lettuce
• Red leaf lettuce
• Butter lettuce
• Bibb lettuce
• Arugula/Rocket
• Radicchio

Higher FODMAP greens that can be enjoyed in smaller portions include:

• Baby spinach (up to 1.5 cups)
• White cabbage ( up to 3/4 cup)
• Kale (up to 1/2 cup)

Low FODMAP Vegetables

Fresh vegetables add color, texture and nutrition to a salad. Slice them with a mandolin, chop them with a knife or use a peeler/grater. Unsure of how much to use? Go with whatever looks nice to you. I build all my salads by how they look.

• Carrot, peeled and sliced or grated (up to 1 medium carrot)
• Red bell pepper, sliced or chopped (up to 1/2 cup)
• Cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered (up to 3)
• Cucumber, sliced into rounds (up to 1/2 cup)
• Radish, sliced into rounds (up to 4 radishes)
• Scallions, sliced (green parts only)
• Black olives, whole or sliced (up to 15)
• Jicama, peeled and medium diced (up to 1/2 cup)

Proteins

Turn a salad into a satisfying meal by adding the protein of your choice. Meats and eggs are low FODMAP so use them in whatever quantities you like. I typically use between 4-6 oz portions of leftover meats I have already cooked. If you plan on cooking your protein freshly, be sure to let it stand long enough too cool or it will wilt your greens. Poached or grilled chicken or fish works well for salads.

• Marinated firm tofu (up to 1 cup), diced
• Hard boiled egg, cut into wedges
• Sautéed shrimp
• Salmon
• Hot/cold smoked salmon
• Chicken, sliced or diced
• Bacon (up to 2 strips)
• Ham, diced
• Steak, sliced
• Seasoned ground beef crumbles
• Hamburger steak, cut into strips

Cheese

Many cheeses are low FODMAP. Hard cheeses and aged cheeses contain less lactose than fresh dairy. Avoid fresh cheeses like cottage cheese or farmer cheese.

• Parmesan, shredded or shaved (up to 1.5oz)
• Cheddar, sliced, shredded or cubed (up to 1.5oz)
• Swiss, sliced or cubed (up to 1.5oz)
• Colby, sliced or cubed (up to 1.5oz)
• Monterey Jack, sliced or cubed (up to 1.5oz)
• Havarti, sliced or cubed (up to 1.5oz)
• Mexican shredded cheese blend (up to 1.5oz)
• Mozzarella, shredded (up to 1.5 oz)
• Blue cheese crumbles (up to 1.5oz)
• Feta crumbles (up to 3 tbsp)
• Chèvre crumbles (up to 1 tbsp)

Putting It All Together – A Garden Salad for One

Once you’ve made your salad ingredient selections, it’s time for the dressing. Salad dressing is pretty easy to make and tastes infinitely better than bottled. Allow 2-3 ounces of dressing per meal salad. The 2 dressing recipes listed below are single ~2-ounce portions. Pick the one you prefer. Make sure to any prepared ingredients like ketchup and sweet relish do not contain high FODMAP ingredients like onion or garlic.

Garden Salad ingredients

• Up to 2 cups Romaine lettuce, washed, dried and chopped
• Hard boiled egg, cut into wedges
• 1 medium carrot, shredded or sliced
• 3 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6-8 cucumber slices
• 1 radish, thinly sliced (optional)
• 4 black olives (optional)
• Handful shredded cheese

Basic Low FODMAP Vinaigrette Ingredients

• 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• a pinch of dried oregano or thyme
• a pinch of sea salt
• a few cracks of black pepper

Easy Thousand Island Dressing Ingredients

• 1/4 cup real mayonnaise
• 1 tsp ketchup
• 1 tsp sweet relish
• 1/4 tsp yellow mustard

Instructions

1. Select the dressing you wish to make. Combine the ingredients for that dressing in a small bowl and stir until will mixed.
2. Assemble the salad in a bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving.

Low FODMAP Japanese Curry Hash Browns

This recipe is meant to mimic the flavor of Japanese curry potato croquettes without the mess and hassle of deep frying. It starts with frozen hash browns for ease. Carrots are quickly and easily shredded with a shredding peeler. You may wish to omit the sugar, but it really makes it taste authentic. (As a Japanese friend of mine says, Japanese cooks put sugar in everything. ) It should be lightly sweet.

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Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen hash browns
• 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
• 2 tsp low FODMAP curry powder
• 2 tsp garlic-infused olive oil
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cane sugar (optional but recommend)
• 2 tbsp avocado oil or other neutral oil

Instructions

1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Combine the frozen hash browns, shredded carrot, garlic-infused olive oil, sugar and curry powder in a mixing bowl. Toss until well mixed.
2. Add the avocado oil to the skillet. When it starts to shimmer add the potato mixture and pack down tightly into a patty. Cover and cook just until the perimeters start to get lightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
3. Use a spatula to press the top down then flip. Cook, uncovered, until the bottom is golden and crispy, another 3 to 5 minutes.

Low FODMAP Moroccan Carrot Salad

Salatat al jazar aka Moroccan carrot salad can be prepared in many ways. Some recipes leave the carrots raw, while others use cooked. Sometimes it’s sweet, sometimes it’s sour. Each cook has their own way of making this refreshing salad.

My version is based on the one found at my favorite Moroccan restaurant, where it is served with fluffy bread called khobz. (If you bake, here’s a recipe for gluten free khobz.) This carrot salad is distinctly spiced with cumin, cilantro and ground coriander with a bit of tang from vinegar. Carrot salad makes a delicious side dish or appetizer. I prefer to serve it cold, though it is also good at room temperature.

Monash recommends 1/2 of a medium carrot is tolerated by most.

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Makes 8 side servings.

Ingredients

• 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4” thick coins or angled coins
• 3 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp of ground coriander
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/4 cup white or red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook until just tender. They should still have a little bite to them. Do not overcook. Drain in a colander and set aside.
2. Return the empty sauce pan to the stove and set to medium heat. When the pan is dry, add the garlic infused oil followed by the cumin, paprika, coriander and salt. Return the carrots to the pan and stir until well coated in the oil mixture and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar and cilantro. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Low FODMAP GF Breakfast Tacos

Scrambled eggs, tomatoes, green onions and cheese breakfast tacos.

There are dozens of ways to make a breakfast taco. Feel free to try all kinds of low FODMAP taco fillings. Despite corn containing a fair amount of polyols and oligos, up to 3 small corn tortillas should be tolerated. If you tolerate chili peppers or hot sauce, you could give your tacos a nice spicy kick.

Breakfast tacos come together quickly and easily, making them ideal for low energy days. They’re also a great meal for one. Keep an eye on how much tomato you include. Monash University recommends no more than 3 cherry tomatoes or half a regular tomato (about 2 oz).

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Makes 1 3-taco serving.

Ingredients

• 3 taco-sized GF white corn tortillas
• a few handfuls of shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1-2 scallions (green parts only), sliced
• 3 cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp butter
• sea salt and black pepper

Optional toppings – choose 1-3

• cubed, seasoned and roasted potatoes
• hash browns
• red, orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
• sliced avocado (if tolerated)
• fresh cilantro
• bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
• diced ham
• low FODMAP sausage crumbles
• seasoned ground beef
• low FODMAP pico de gallo

Instructions

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400F. Move oven rack to the highest position.
2. Place three tortillas on a foil-lined baking sheet. Top each with shredded cheese, being sure to get close to the edges. When the oven is ready, put tortillas in the oven and bake until the cheese is completely melted but not browned. Bubbly is ok. Depending on your oven it can take 3-5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile heat a pan over medium low heat. When it’s hot add the butter and swirl to coat the pan.
4. Beat the eggs. When the butter is just barely bubbling, add the eggs to the pan directly in the center so that the butter gets pushed out to the sides.
5. Watch for the edges to just barely start to set, and then gently swipe a spatula around the edges of the pan to create large soft curds. Don’t flip the curds over. Continue this process, pausing in between to allow time for the eggs to cook but working quickly enough so as not to overcook the eggs, just gently pushing/folding the liquid eggs to form curds. The entire process should take 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat promptly and set aside.
6. Remove the tortillas from the oven. Divide eggs into three equal portions. Top each tortilla with eggs. Sprinkle each tortilla with scallions. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Now is the fun part – you can fill the tacos with whatever you like. My go-to is chopped tomatoes and a spring of cilantro, but any of the optional toppings is sure to be a hit. It’s tempting to go nuts, but you want to be able to pick up your tacos so keep your fillings to a reasonable amount. Sometimes I skip the eggs and simply enjoy cheese and veggies. Don’t be afraid to get creative. Once loaded up, use a spatula to transfer to a plate and fold into a taco shape. Serve and enjoy!

Melted cheese, crispy bacon, sliced tomatoes and green onions

Scrambled eggs, cheese and low FODMAP Pico de Gallo

Low FODMAP Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo – sometimes called Salsa Cruda – is a colorful fresh Mexican salsa. Not only is Pico de Gallo great with tortilla chips/nachos but it also makes a tasty condiment for topping burgers, wraps or tacos.

Use tomatoes from the garden in summer. In winter use ‘snacking tomatoes’, grape or cherry tomatoes for that sweet summer flavor. Avoid using green bell peppers as they are higher in FODMAPs. This recipe as written is mild. Feel free at add chopped jalapeños to taste for some heat if tolerated. Keep an eye on your serving size. Monash University recommends no more than 5 cherry tomatoes or half a regular tomato (about 2.5 oz).

Substitute fresh mint for the cilantro if you dislike it. It provides a bright herbaceous character without making it taste ‘soapy’ to a percentage of the population. (Approved by my cilantro-hating friends!)

Please note that Monash recommends limiting tomato to about 2 ounces (half of a medium tomato) or 3 cherry tomatoes per serving.

Makes about 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 cup tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup scallions, sliced (green parts only, about 4 scallions)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• juice of half a lime (about 2 tbsp)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. It can be served right away, but for best flavor refrigerate for at least an hour.

Breakfast Tacos with Pico de Gallo