A healthy weekly meal ‘pitch’ for a Low FODMAP life! <1> A healthy weekly meal ‘pitch’* for a Low FODMAP life! There are many challenges to keeping to a healthy diet; busy lifestyle, cost of food, lack of time, ‘too hard’ basket! And, if you add to this list, the issue of a food allergy or intolerance, the challenges are compounded! So, what do you do when you are confronted with a list of ingredients you can no longer eat? Well, irrationally, the minute your brain is programmed ‘can’t’ it will no longer see the ‘can’ – so we have put together a really simple, delicious weekly meal ‘pitch’ that will provide some basic guidelines of what you CAN eat, so you are being kind to your body and keeping healthy as well! As this weekly meal ‘pitch’ has been designed with both a Low FODMAP diet and the ‘new’ Australian Guide to Healthy Eating in mind, it has been written specifically for Women aged 19-50. However, with some small adjustments to serving quantities, it is also applicable for men in the same age bracket or women, men and children who are younger or older. * ‘Pitch’ is another way of saying proposal or suggestion – we are providing you with some meal suggestions and it is up to you whether you accept them or not! <2> 2 The new Australian Guide to Healthy Eating has recently been reviewed and launched and can be viewed here The Guide requires women aged 19-50 to consume the following foods each day: • 5 serves vegetables and legumes/beans • 2 serves fruit • 5 serves Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain, such as breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, couscous, oats, quinoa and barley • 2.5 serves meat, poultry, eggs, fish, nuts and seeds and legumes/beans • 2.5 serves Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives (mostly reduced fat) Men aged 19-50 are required to follow the same with the only difference being that they should add one extra serve of vegetables and one extra serve of meat each day to achieve the minimum daily recommended intake. <3> 3 What is a Low FODMAP Diet? FODMAP is an acronym that has been developed by researchers at a university in Melbourne and it describes a group of sugars that are poorly absorbed by some people. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligo-saccharides Di-saccharides Mono-saccarides And Polyols. People who have been diagnosed with a condition that can be managed with a low FODMAP diet such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Fructose Malabsorbtion, should avoid FODMAP sugars which include fructose, lactose, polyols, fructans and galacto-oligosaccarides. <4> 4 These FODMAPS are are found in these foods: Fructans: Excess Fructose: Honey Apples Mango Pear Avocado Watermelon High Fructose Corn Syrup Corn Syrup Solids Apricot Agave syrup Lactose: Milk Icecream Custard Dairy Desserts Condensed and Evaporated Milk Milk Powder Yoghurt Margarine Soft Unripened Cheeses (eg. Ricotta, Cottage, Cream, Marscarpone). Galacto-Oligosaccharides (GOS): Legume beans (eg. baked beans, kidney beans, bortolotti beans), Lentils Chickpeas Artichokes (Globe) Artichokes(Jerusalem) Asparagus Beetroot Garlic (in large amounts) Leek Onion (brown, white, Spanish, onion powder) Raddicio lettuce Spring Onion (white part) Wheat (in large amounts) Rye (in large amounts) Inulin Fructo-oligosaccharides Brussel Sprouts Broccoli Cabbage Chicory Dandelion leaves Eggplant Polyols: Apples Apricots Avocado Cauliflower Capsicum Cherries Corn Longon Lychee Mushrooms Nectarines Pears Plums Prunes Sorbitol (420) Mannitol (421) Xylitol (967) Maltitol (965) Isomalt (953) If this is the first time you are seeing a reference to FODMAP, we recommend you do some more research and importantly speak to your Doctor or Accredited Practicing Dietitian. <5> 5 What can I eat? The simple answer is lots of things! There are lots of foods that are low FODMAP foods! Sweeteners Fruits Banana Blueberry Grapefruit Grapes Honeydew melon Kiwi Lemon Lime Mandarin Orange Raspberry Strawberry Artificial sweeteners that do not end in -ol Glucose Maple syrup Sugar (sucrose) Lactose Alternatives Butter Hard cheese, brie and camembert Lactose-free products, such as lactose-free ice cream and yogurt Gelato Rice milk Sorbet Nut Milk Grains Gluten-free products Rice Polenta Quinoa Spelt products Buckwheat Vegetables Beans Bean Sprouts Bok choy Carrots Celery Corn Eggplant Green beans Ginger Lettuce Olives Parsnip Potato Pumpkin Scallions (green parts only) Silverbeet Sweet Potato Squash Tomato Zucchini <6> 6 Word of Caution Ideally you will eat whole foods or those that are naturally ‘free’ from what you can’t eat. However, if you can’t or convenience tempts you to choose products with more than a couple of ingredients you must be mindful of what the ingredients are – and more importantly, if they are a number or a word you can’t understand, what their origins were. Many additives/preservatives started from wheat, corn or simple sugars and will undo all your low FODMAP hard work! A useful resource is the book or iphone application from The Chemical Maze click here to download , it will help you out in deciphering the ingredients! <7> 7 The Low FODMAP Healthy Weekly Meal ‘Pitch’ Thai Chicken noodle salad (chicken, vermicelli noodles, carrot, green beans, capsicum and bean shoots) Piece of fruit Roast Vegetable Salad served with pan seared steak, polenta and an olive and caper dressing 1 tub lactose free yoghurt Vegetable sticks, corn cakes and 60g ricotta cheese 15g nuts Poached eggs with spinach and roasted tomatoes with gluten free toast Salmon Salad Gluten Free Wrap (pink salmon, roast veg, spinach, celery, carrot) Piece of fruit Vegetarian Korma Curry with rice and papadums served with cucumber raita Glass soy milk 15g nuts Wednesday Banana and Cinnamon on Gluten Free Toast Glass soy or lactose free milk Fried rice with tofu, egg and vegetables Fruit GF Pork Schnitzel with apple and silverbeet coleslaw and mash potato Veggie Sticks Cheese and GF Crackers Spelt Cereal with blueberry, strawberry and cranberry with lactose free milk (or no additive Soy, Rice or Oat milk) Baked pumpkin with silverbeet coleslaw, toasted pepitas and sesame seeds Fruit Grilled fish with Asian greens and brown rice Veggie Sticks Soy yoghurt Gluten Free Toast with spread Oat based muesli (no wheat) with lactose free yoghurt and passion fruit Tuna and vegetable Brown Rice salad (tomato, parsley, olives and capers) Piece of fruit Home Made Chicken Pizza (vegetables, chicken) GF Crispbread with slice cheese and celery and spinach Carrot sticks Rockmelon, Grape, Kiwifruit and Orange fruit salad with lactose free yoghurt Chicken, cheese and salad GF Sandwich Fruit Baked tomato and vegetable rice Boiled eggs (2) Veggie sticks Corn Cakes 15g nuts Poached eggs with bacon, tomatoes and spinach with gluten free or spelt toast Quinoa and vegetable salad Fruit GF Beef Burgers with chargrilled veggies and mixed potato salad 15g nuts Glass soy milk Fruit Tuesday Monday Soy, Nut or Rice Milk Smoothie with Berries and Spinach Thursday Snacks/Treats Friday Dinner Saturday Lunch Sunday Breakfast Note: This menu ‘pitch’ has been written as a guide and has not been developed by an accredited Dietician. If you would like specific support for your diet, please consult your GP or Dietician/nutritionist. Recipes are available at www.imnotfussy.com.au/Fans/HealthyMealPitchRecipes.aspx <8> 8 References: http://www.lowfodmap.com/fodmaps-explained/ http://shepherdworks.com.au/ http://consultations.nhmrc.gov.au/files/consultations/AGTHE-%20For%20 Public%20Consultation-%20Dec%202011.pdf http://www.med.monash.edu.au/ehcs/research/ <9> 9