Diet Tips:4 Christmas Leftover Ideas that are low in FODMAPs and great for the whole family!

By Peta Hill (Paediatric dietitian)

 

If your family is fed up with traditional leftovers this Boxing Day, here are some twists to keep them interested:

1.       Mexican – fill gluten free quesadillas or wraps with leftover roast meats and salad. Jamie Oliver’s Boxing Day Quesadillas are super easy and low FODMAP when created with gluten free quesadillas, but note cranberry sauce has yet to be tested – use a small amount to test tolerance or substitute with strawberry jam.

2.       Pasties –Jamie Oliver recommends using leftover vegetables from your roast dinner to fill gluten free pasties – a great idea to get the kids interested in eating their veggies! Substitute leek in this recipe for chives or the green tips of spring onion.

3.       Skewers –thread skewers with leftover ham and canned pineapple chunks and grill until heated through.

4.       Rice paper rolls – leftover meats can also be used to fill sheets of rice paper. Taste’s turkey ricepaper rolls are a great example of this, combining shredded leftover turkey with rice vermicelli noodles, snow peas*, carrot, peanuts and mint in rice paper sheets.

*Fun facts – 5 snow peas are low in FODMAPs and should be tolerated by most individuals with IBS.

Handy hint – involve the kids in meal preparation or bring the ingredients to the table for self-assembly. This encourages picky eaters to be interested in food and interact with new foods.

           

Diet Tips:Going to the Movies? Can I Snack on Popcorn?

Newly Tested Food: Popcorn

By Lyndal McNamara (APD)

Exciting news from the Monash FODMAP team- Your favourite movie treat has now been tested and meets our low FODMAP criteria in a <100g serving! So what does a 100g serving of popcorn actually look like? To answer this question we ventured to our local cinema and investigated the typical popcorn buckets on offer, and here are the results:

 So the good news is that you can still enjoy a small box of cinema popcorn (or 1/3 of a medium box or ¼ of a large box if you are sharing) as part of your low FODMAP diet. It is important to note that many cinemas now offer flavoured popcorn or flavouring sachets that you can add yourself. If you are planning on choosing a flavoured option, just be sure to check the ingredients list first for any high FODMAP ingredients such as garlic powder, onion powder, honey or high fructose corn syrup.

Cinema popcorn is also usually popped in oil with butter and salt added, so can be quite high in calories, saturated fat and sodium. High fat foods can trigger IBS symptoms in some individuals, so consider this type of popcorn an occasional treat and be mindful of how much you eat in one sitting.  Despite this, a typical serve of plain, air-popped popcorn (60g) makes a nutritious and satisfying snack, providing around 9g of dietary fibre and 8g of protein. Why not try making your own air-popped popcorn at home with one of these low FODMAP flavour toppers- Enjoy! Lyndal McNamara (APD)

•   For a savoury option, lightly spray your hot popcorn with olive oil spray and sprinkle with smoked paprika, dried oregano and parmesan cheese (1 tbs. max)
•  For a sweet option, lightly spray your hot popcorn with coconut oil spray and sprinkle with cinnamon, icing sugar (1 tsp max.) and cocoa powder 

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:New App Food Category - Nutritional Drinks

We get many enquiries from dietitians about the FODMAP content of nutritional drinks, so are excited to announce the latest product to join our Monash University Low FODMAP Certification program, ProNourish™ by Nestle Health Science. 

ProNourish™ is a nutritious, low FODMAP drink that can be included as a mini-meal or snack by people with digestive sensitivities such as IBS. The drink provides a range of vitamins and minerals, is high in protein, a source of fibre, and importantly, low in FODMAPs, as confirmed by analyses performed at Monash University laboratories. 

This final point differentiates the Nestle product from other similar products in the market place, many of which contain high FODMAP ingredients such as inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS). ProNourish™ is available in two delicious flavours, French Vanilla and Strawberry Banana. 

The product is listed in the Monash University Low FODMAP diet smartphone app under the new, ‘Nutritional Drinks’ category and is available for purchase by US consumers both in-store and online.