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:Low FODMAP Asian chicken noodle salad

By Lyndal McNamara (APD)

Asian chicken noodle salad        ............................................................................................. Serves 4 .............................................................................................. INGREDIENTS 1 Large packet rice noodles  500g skinless chicken breast, diced  1 tbs. garlic infused olive oil  1 red capsicum, julienned  1 green capsicum, julienned 2 medium carrots, julienned  ½ bunch spring onions (green tops only), chopped  ¼ cup oyster sauce  ¼ cup soy sauce  1 Tbsp fish sauce  1 tsp brown sugar  1 tsp crushed ginger  1 tsp red chilli flakes  ½ cup crushed peanuts    .............................................................................................. METHOD 1. Julienne capsicums and carrots and chop spring onion tips, set aside 2. Cook rice noodles according to packet instructions, drain and set aside to cool 3. In a small jug, add oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, crushed ginger and chilli flakes and stir to combine, set aside  4. Heat oil in large wok, add diced chicken and sauté until browned and cooked thoroughly  5. Turn off heat and add cooked rice noodles, sauce and julienned capsicum and carrot to the wok, stir to combine  6. Divide noodle salad into four bowls and garnish with spring onion tips and crushed peanuts                .............................................................................................. TIPS • Use salt reduced soy sauce and oyster sauce if available  • This recipe can be enjoyed as both a hot or cold dish  • During the rechallenge phase of the Low FODMAP diet, try adding some amber vegetables (such as broccoli) to this recipe to boost its prebiotic fibre content! (see the Monash University low FODMAP App for more details)  NUTRITION INFORMATION per serve Energy total Protein Fat total          - Saturated      Carbohydrate Sodium 1998KJ 37g 15g 2.9g 44g 1674mg

Diet Tips:Being vegan on a low FODMAP diet

By Dr Jane Varney

Are you vegan and following a low FODMAP diet? The combination of these dietary restrictions can make finding nutritious food choices difficult, but as you’ll discover, not impossible. 

A vegan diet excludes all animal-derived products, meaning meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy, eggs, animal fats, and honey are all off limits. Vegans instead must rely on plant-based foods to meet their nutritional needs, such as fruit, vegetables, breads, cereals, grains, legumes, lentils, soy products, nuts and seeds. As you can see from this list, many of the foods suitable on a vegan diet are naturally high in FODMAPs, which is why balancing the two dietary restrictions is difficult. 

It is also where the expertise of a dietitian comes in. Unless a low FODMAP, vegan diet is carefully planned, the diet will be deplete of essential nutrients including protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega 3 fatty acids and fibre.

So what foods are suitable to eat on a low FODMAP, vegan diet? Below is a brief list. Just remember to check the Monash app for serving sizes and consult with an experienced dietitian about balancing your diet and managing your symptoms.

•          Milk alternatives: coconut milk, almond milk, hemp milk, rice milk and soy milk (made from protein)
•          Soy products: Firm tofu, tempeh
•          Grains: polenta, buckwheat, quinoa, oats, amaranth, bourghul, millet, rice and sorghum flour
•          Nuts: brazil nuts, peanuts, macadamias, pecans, almonds (1/2 serve), walnuts
•          Seeds: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, tahini paste (1/2 serve) and sesame seeds
•          Fruit: bananas, strawberries, orange, kiwi, grapes, mandarins
•          Vegetables: carrots, broccoli, eggplant, green beans, capsicum, kale, potato, tomato and zucchini
•          Pulses: canned lentils, butter beans (1/2 serve), canned chickpeas (1/2 serve), red/green lentils (1/2 serve)

Diet Tips:Low FODMAP Chicken and Gnocchi Pasta Bake

Recipe by Lyndal McNamara (Dietitian)

Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 1 large red capsicum, diced
• 200g Jap pumpkin, diced
• 2 tsp. garlic infused olive oil
• 1x 500g packet gluten-free gnocchi*
• 1x 500g jar tomato passata (tomato puree)
• 100g baby spinach leaves
• 1 large handful fresh basil leaves
• 400g cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 2 tsp. cracked black pepper
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Spray a large baking dish with olive oil spray.
2. Add chopped zucchini, capsicum and pumpkin to baking dish and toss with garlic-infused olive oil to coat. 
3. Roast vegetables in oven for 20-25 minutes or until beginning to soften.
4. Meanwhile, cook gnocchi according to packet instructions; drain and set aside. 
5. Heat tomato passata in a large pot and stir through baby spinach leaves and basil leaves until wilted slightly. Add cooked chicken, black pepper, gnocchi and roasted vegetables and stir to coat in sauce.
6. Pour gnocchi and sauce mixture back into the baking dish and top with grated Parmesan. Bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until golden.

Tips:

• *Gluten-free gnocchi is typically made from Low FODMAP ingredients including potato, potato flour/rice flour/corn flour and egg. Be sure to check the packet first for any added high FODMAP ingredients.
• Consider including one or more serves of 'moderate' FODMAP vegetables during the rechallenge phase or as tolerated for a prebiotic boost (e.g. substitute Jap pumpkin for butternut pumpkin or sweet potato, add a small amount of green peas etc.) - use the app to guide you.

Nutrition Information/serve:

Energy	1721kJ
Protein	31.8g
Fat	9.2g
Saturated fat	3.6g
Carbohydrates	50.6g
Fibre	8g
Sodium	802mg

Diet Tips:Low FODMAP Vegetarian Frittata

By Monica Rundle (Student Dietitian) & Lyndal McNamara (Dietitian)

National Nutrition Week is almost here and this year's theme is 'Try for 5'- which challenges all Australians to look for new ways to incorporate 5 serves of vegetables into their everyday diet. This simple vegetarian frittata recipe provides 3 or your 5 daily serves of vegetables per portion and is a quick, healthy lunch or dinner option that the whole family will enjoy!

Top tip- Use leftover cooked/roasted low FODMAP vegetables from a meal earlier in the week to make your frittata! This will make dinner preparation even faster and is a great way to reduce food wastage.

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

·         ½ medium sweet potato, cubed

·         2 tbsp. olive oil

·         1 tsp. paprika

·         3 spring onions (green tops only), chopped

·         1 bunch of broccoli, chopped

·         1 medium zucchini, grated

·         5 eggs

·         Dash of lactose-free milk (or other low FODMAP milk alternative)

·         ½ cup mixed herbs (basil/parsley)

·         4 tbsp. chives 

·         ¼ cup Danish feta

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Method

 

Step 1	Pre heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Toss sweet potato in half of the oil and paprika, place on lined baking tray. Roast in oven for 45 minutes of until tender
Step 2	Heat the remaining oil in a large 22cm ovenproof frying pan over medium heat.  Sauté spring onion and once softened, add the broccoli stirring occasionally until charred. Add zucchini; cook for 2 minutes or until softened. Remove from heat.
Step 3	Combine eggs, milk and mixed herbs in a food processor. Process until herbs are finely chopped and egg mixture is fluffy.
Step 4	Once cooked, add the roasted sweet potato to the broccoli mixture within the frying pan, and turn heat back to medium.  Add the egg mixture to the frying pan and stir until well combined. Sprinkle with feta and chives and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook for 8 minutes of until the egg mixture has mostly set.
Step 5	In the meantime, preheat the grill on high. Place the frying pan under the grill and grill until golden brown and egg mixture is set. Top with rocket salad (see below for recipe).

Rocket Salad

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

·         2 cups rocket

·         1 cup baby spinach leaves

·         ½ medium avocado

·         ¼ cup black pitted olives

·         3 tbsp. olive oil

·         1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

·         Pinch of salt and pepper

Method

Step 1

Add salad ingredients to a bowl. To make dressing, add oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to a jar. Shake well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add to salad, toss and serve with frittata.

Nutrition Information/serve:

Energy	1791kJ
Protein	13.6g
Fat	35.0g
Saturated fat	6.3g
Carbohydrates	11.8g
Dietary fibre	6.6g
Sodium	266mg