Diet Tips:Low FODMAP zucchini and rice slice

Image via taste.com.au

Low FODMAP Zucchini & Rice Slice .............................................................................................. Adapted from Taste.com.au recipe Serves 4 (1 serve is low FODMAP) .............................................................................................. INGREDIENTS • 1/3 cup white rice  • 2 teaspoons olive oil  • 1 medium zucchini (250g), grated  • 1 small carrot (100g), grated • 3 eggs, lightly beaten  • ¾ cup grated cheddar cheese  .............................................................................................. METHOD Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line base and sides of 9cm x 19cm loaf pan with baking paper, allowing 2cm overhang.  Place rice and 2/3 cup cold water in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Stand, covered, for 3 minutes. Add zucchini, carrot, eggs, rice and ½ cup cheese to a large bowl. Stir to combine. Spread mixture in prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and just set. Set aside to cool. Cut into quarters. Place in microwave-safe, airtight containers. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. .............................................................................................. NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION NUTRITION INFORMATION per serve Energy total Protein Fat total          - Saturated Carbohydrate Sugar Fibre 1208KJ 15.8g 18.3g 8.9g 14.6g 1.7g 1.4g

           

Diet Tips:Grain-based foods on a low FODMAP diet

By Jane Varney 

Grain-based foods have been demonised by a number of dietary trends in recent years (think paleolithic diets, low carbohydrate diets and gluten free diets). However, this reputation is ill-earned, with robust scientific evidence to suggest that diets rich in whole grains confer protection against a range of diseases, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

If you’re following a low FODMAP diet, you might feel it’s easier to restrict your intake of grain-based foods as many of them are high in FODMAPs and off limits anyway. Well this is far from true, as there are an abundance of healthy, tasty, low FODMAP grains to choose from. If you’re willing to expand your repertoire and try less traditional varieties, this will provide more choice, as will choosing grains that may be rated red/amber at a full serve, but green (low FODMAP) at a half serve.

Grain-based foods include those made from wheat, oats, rice, corn (maize), barley, sorghum, rye, millet, farro (emmer), freekeh, kamut, spelt, triticale, amaranth, buckwheat and quinoa. Processing greatly affects the nutrient composition of the grain-food end product, with whole grains being nutritionally superior to refined grains. Whole grains are those left intact after food processing and thus contain all three layers of the grain (the bran, endosperm, and germ). By contrast, refined grains are those that have had one or more parts of the grain removed during food processing, e.g. the bran. From a nutrition perspective, choosing foods rich in whole grains in preference to refined grains is preferable as they are more nutrient dense: rich in carbohydrates, protein, fibre, iron, magnesium, iodine, folate, and thiamine.

So which grains are low in FODMAPs? The following is a list of whole grain foods that Monash has tested and found to be low FODMAP at either a full or half serve: 

• Amaranth (puffed)
• Bourghul
• Buckwheat (kernals, flour
•  Corn (cob, polenta, tortilla, popcorn)
•  Millet (grain, flour)
• Oats (whole, quick, oatmeal)
• Quinoa (grain, flakes, flour, pasta)
•  Rice (brown)
• Sorgham (flour)
•  Wheat (wholemeal bread)

In future blogs, we’ll discover how to identify whether a processed food is likely to contain whole or refined grains and discuss uses of some of the less traditional grains. Stay tuned!

           

Diet Tips:Not just another stir fry!

By Marina Iacovou (PhD Candidate and Accredited Practising Dietitian)

Following on from our recent blogpost of a low FODMAP stir-fry recipe, keep in mind that a stir-fry is one of those dishes that can be made in many different ways – to suit all tastes and tolerance levels. A stir-fry may be made low FODMAP to start with, but when symptoms are well-controlled and you are ready to re-introduce foods into your diet, add in a moderate-FODMAP ingredient and continue to monitor your symptoms. If well tolerated, next time include another ingredient from the moderate-high FODMAP group. When you get started with re-introducing foods into your diet, you may like to try an ingredient you have missed eating for some time, or work with your dietitian to create a list of ingredients to be re-introduced first.

Stir-fries can be made to suit vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians and meat-eaters – the options are many.  Some other dishes that can be adapted in the same way include, pizza, wraps consisting of a variety of meats, tofu and vegetables, and baked potatoes. See link for a previous blogpost on baked potatoes http://bit.ly/1SzdxH2

Below is a list of the many ingredients you may include from the green serves (low FODMAP), the amber serves (moderate FODMAP) and the red serves (high FODMAP) for a stir-fry that suits your tastes and tolerance-level. All of these and more can be found in our Monash University low FODMAP diet app.

Low FODMAP (green)	Moderate FODAMP (amber)
Carrots	Snow peas (7 pods)
Capsicum	Celery
Green beans	Button mushroom (1/2 tablespoon)
Firm Tofu	Savoy cabbage (3/4 cup)
Chicken	Coconut
Been	Hazelnuts (20 nuts/30g)
Prawns	Peas (18)
Spring onion (green part)	High FODMAP (high)
Lemon / lime juice	Spring onion / shallots
Oyster sauce	Garlic
Bean sprouts	Mushrooms
Bok choy	Snow peas (10 pods)
Choy sum	Cauliflower
Red cabbage	Silken tofu
Snow peas (5 pods)	Almond / cashews
Peanuts	Mung beans

You may also like to include white, basmati or brown rice as the base to your stir-fry dish. Alternatively, try rice based noodles such as rice vermicelli.

Flavour with chilli, a variety of herbs and spices and garlic infused oil - for example, some ginger or galangal and lemongrass with coriander. You may also like to add, soy sauce, oyster sauce or a sweet and sour sauce. There are many ways to flavour a stir-fry and other dishes – it all depends on your preference.

Here are some images of a stir-fry I created at home which included a number of low FODMAP and moderate FODMAP ingredients, flavoured with ginger, coriander, an Asian stir-fry sauce and lime, served with basmati rice.

              

Please feel free to share your ingredient ideas for a stir-fry with us and others – not all stir-fries need to be the same.

Enjoy!

Diet Tips:Dietary Fibre Series - Resistant Starch

By Dr Jaci Barrett 

This is part 4 of our series on dietary fibre. This week we’re talking about resistant starch! 

What is resistant starch?

As suggested by the name, resistant starch is starch that escapes digestion by the small intestine. There are four types of resistant starch:

• RS1 is not accessible by digestive enzymes – sources include partially milled grains and legumes
• RS2 escapes digestion because of the nature of the food – sources include underripe bananas and high-amylose starches
• RS3 is produced when foods are cooked and then cooled – sources include bread, tortillas, cooked then cooled potatoes, rice and pasta
• RS4 is a chemically modified starch

What does resistant starch do in the gut?

Resistant starch and other types of fibre move through the gut to the large intestine where they act as food for the gut bacteria. Resistant starch acts as a prebiotic – see previous blog post in this series ---link. Fermentation of resistant starch releases beneficial short chain fatty acids which promote a healthy colon.

Resistant starch is slowly fermented in the large intestine. It differs from FODMAPs due to this slow fermentation rate. FODMAPs are rapidly fermented and result in rapid increases in intestinal gas which, in IBS, can induce symptoms of pain, bloating and discomfort. 

Resistant starch is slowly fermented over time. The gradual release of gas does not result in the same degree of gaseous distension and discomfort as with FODMAPs.

What are some good food sources?

Food sources of the different subtypes of resistant starch are listed above, but the following table outlines the amount of resistant starch per serve in foods with a green low FODMAP serve, so that you can seek out high resistant starch foods to include in your diet to improve bowel health.

Food	Resistant Starch (g)
Underripe banana, 1 medium	4.7
Rolled oats, 1/4 cup, uncooked	4.4
Oats, 1 cup, cooked	0.5
Lentils, 1/2 cup, cooked	3.4
Hi-maize resistant starch, 1 tablespoon	4.5

Reference: Murphy MM, Douglass JS, Birkett A. Resistant starch intakes in the United States. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008;108(1):67-78.