Diet Tips:Eating more vegetables on a Low FODMAP Diet

By Peta Hill (Paediatric Dietitian)

Luckily, there are very few vegetables that are completely off limits during the low FODMAP diet. Luckilybecause vegetables are packed full of fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals and when vegetables are included in the diet, research has found there to be a reduction in the incidence of many lifestyle diseases.

Vegetables need not be limited to just the dinner plate. Here are some suggestions to increase your vegetable intake:

At breakfast:

·         Blend a handful of baby spinach leaves into a lactose free banana smoothie

·         Combine stewed rhubarb with berries to accompany muesli and yoghurt or porridge

·         Try Carrot Cake Porridge and modify this tasty creation from Apples Under My Bed to be Low FODMAP by replacing half the rolled oats with quinoa flakes, using lactose free milk and omitting the sultanas

·         Have a side of spinach and/or tomato with eggs or combine eggs with vegetables and cheese in omelettes, frittatas or quiches

At the main meal:

·         Incorporate salad/vegetables in wraps, sandwiches and rolls as well as on pizza

·         Aim for three different coloured vegetables on your dinner plate

·         Incorporate grated vegetables (such as, zucchini and carrot) in mince meat patties, meat loaves and sauces

·         Make vegetable skewers/kebabs with a variety of vegetables and/or meat/chicken/fish/tofu or haloumi cheese (try this yummy recipe for Greek vegetable kebabs from Jamie Oliver)

·         When eating out or having takeaway, order a side salad with no onion

For snacks:

·         Snack on vegetable sticks with or without lactose free cream cheese or garlic free dip

·         Make dips that incorporate vegetables

·         Have vegetable sticks on a snack platter, with cheese, nuts and/or cold meats

·         Incorporate in baking – carrot cake, corn fritters, zucchini loaf, rhubarb crumble

Handy Hint - When using the Monash University Low FODMAP App on your smart phone, make sure you click to view vegetables with a red traffic light next to them. While some vegetables (e.g. sweet corn) are high FODMAP when consumed at 1 serve (e.g. 1 cob) they may be green/amber when consumed in a ½ serve (e.g. ½ cob).

        3 TIPS ON HOW TO GET KIDS TO EAT MORE VEG:

1.       Make it fun – arrange vegetables with/without other foods in a shape or smile
2.       Involve kids – in selecting veggies at the supermarket, in basic meal preparation involving vegetables (i.e. mixing/grating/blending/threading onto skewers), in self-serving vegetables to their plate from a selection on the family table, in self-assembling meals involving vegetables (e.g. jacket potato[P4] , pizza, tacos, wraps)
3.       Role model – sit down and eat meals and snacks with your child that incorporate vegetables in a way you enjoy

And Remember…

As a parent you can only control when, where and what food is offered (not whether or not it is eaten!) so ensure vegetables are regularly offered at social family meals.

Diet Tips:Meal planning your day for a low FODMAP diet?

By Shirley Webber

Stuck for ideas on what to make for your meals this week? Check out our app for some recipes to add some flavour to your day.

We have highlighted some of our favourite recipes from the low FODMAP app, our blog and a new addition to add variety to your recipe bank.

Breakfast	Vegetable and egg muffins http://fodmapmonash.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/vegetables-muffins.html
Morning snack	Yoghurt and mixed berries One tub of lactose free yoghurt with a hand full of mixed berries with optional oats. (See the app for the recipe in the breakfast sections.)
Lunch	Tuna salad with cruskits Nicoise salad with tuna and for some extra crunch you may like to have your salad with some rice cruskits. (See the lunch recipe section to guide you on making this salad and enjoy with our low FODMAP certified cruskits from Arnott’s)
Afternoon snack	Eggplant dip and vegetables Carrots, cucumber and red capsicum with 4 Tbs of eggplant dip Yes you may be thinking 'but isn’t eggplant dip usually high in FODMAPs?' Well this one isn’t. Ingredients: 2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds or 900 grams) 60 ml lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon sea salt – or normal salt 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons of cottage cream cheese – optional Directions: Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place eggplants on the tray and prick the skin of the eggplant several times with a toothpick. Roast for 35 minutes or until eggplant is soft. Set aside to cool. Cut the eggplants in half lengthways. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh into a bowl and roughly chop. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and salt. Mash with a fork until well combined. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until you are ready to use the dip. Enjoy!
Dinner	Grilled steak, steamed vegetables and wedges (See the dinner recipe section in the app for a guide on making this meal)
Dessert	Cranberry jelly and fruit (See our app dessert section for this and more delicious treats to try)

           

Diet Tips:Quinoa Porridge with Banana & Yoghurt

By Shirley Webber (Research Dietitian)

 

Looking for a gluten free low FODMAP breakfast. Here is a nutritious option to help boost your morning energy.

Ingredients:

• 125 ml water

• 250ml lactose free milk (low fat alternative if tolerating lactose)

• 50g quinoa flakes (raw) or 160g cooked

• 1 banana

• 50g lactose free yoghurt or if tolerating dairy opt for a plain low fat Greek yoghurt

• 1 tsp maple syrup

• Sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION per serve
Energy total Protein Carbohydrates Sugar Fat total -          Saturated Fibre	1968kJ 19.3g 76.4g 37.8g 8.9g 4.2g 6.7g

 

 

 

 

Directions:

1.       In a small saucepan, bring the water and half of the milk to the boil on the stove, then add your quinoa flakes, Turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer for approximately 5 minutes.

2.       Meanwhile slice 1 medium banana and set aside.

3.       When the quinoa reaches a thickened consistency pour into a bowl and top off with the remaining milk. Add the yoghurt and banana with a drizzle of maple syrup. Sprinkle some cinnamon over the quinoa porridge for extra flavour.

Enjoy!

Diet Tips:Survival guide to the festive season: Part 1

By Shirley Webber (Research Dietitian)

Is the thought of a Christmas feast stressing you out? Well here are a few tips and tricks to help you through the party season.

There are many challenges to be faced during this festive season from catching up with work colleagues and friends for celebratory drinks, nibbling on finger food and frantically running all over town to find the perfect gifts. This all makes for a month of and following a normal diet can feel almost impossible.

Reaching for takeaway and the munchies becomes increasingly easier but can leave many with symptoms and zero energy for meeting deadlines and enjoying this time of year. This inevitably leads to the “I’ll be good after Christmas” and the New Year’s resolutions to be “healthier”. The best way to avoid the symptoms, adding weight and/or need for resolutions is to form some habits that will not only help you through the holiday period but will set you up for a better start to 2017.

You can start now by following our top 5 tips for maintaining a healthier holiday.

1. Make time for breakfast!

You may have heard the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day however from a number of published research articles the breakfast meal itself may not be what’s important but rather the behaviours that breakfast encourages.

When skipping breakfast people tent to get hungry quicker in the day and may then compensate for this missed meal by eating a larger meal for lunch or increases the likelihood of snacking which may then lead to the creeping up of weight or even worst IBS symptoms due to eating the first thing your hands can reach.

Studies have shown that having breakfast can kick start your metabolism with the body burning 10% of the energy that you consume and if your breakfast includes a protein this goes up to 15%. This diet induced thermogenesis (DIT) slows down throughout the day so you can make the most of it at breakfast time.

Another breakfast bonus is that studies have shown that those people who regularly eat breakfast also tends to be more active in the morning and therefore could burn more energy. Now that’s just what you want during this busy time.