Do you find yourself eating the same thing every day to prevent IBS symptoms? Or, do you buy your lunch most days because you don’t know what to make to manage your FODMAP triggers? Well, say goodbye to boring, repetitive or expensive midday meals because we’ve put together a bunch of our favourite low FODMAP lunches.
You can meal prep some of these in bulk at the start of the week or even in the mornings before you leave for work. We even have some grab and go options for those days when things are not going your way. So, no matter what kind of lunch eater you are, we have low FODMAP lunch ideas for everyone!
1. You can make friends with salad
Despite popular belief, you can in fact make friends with a killer low FODMAP salad. A salad should include more than just some lettuce leaves and tuna to ensure you feel satisfied until your next meal. A salad is a delicious and versatile meal for any occasion.
A balanced salad should include:
- A carbohydrate source (such as rice, quinoa, pasta, or even a side of bread)
- A protein source (such as chicken, tofu, beef or beans)
Once you have your carb and protein source sorted the rest is up to your imagination. You can add any kind of low FODMAP veggies to bulk up your salad from roasted kent pumpkin to the classic lettuce leaf.
Take your salad to the next level try topping it with some low FODMAP nuts and seeds or even some low FODMAP fruit. By varying these additions, you can keep your salad interesting and you’ll have your workmates asking to swap lunches!
2. The humble sandwich
The good old sandwich has been given a pretty bad wrap over the past few years but it still stands tall as a delicious, easy and healthy low FODMAP lunch option.
A balanced sandwich should have a lean protein source (such as chicken breast, canned tuna or tofu) and a variety of low FODMAP veggies (such as lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot etc.).
The great thing is you can quickly put a sandwich together in the morning before running out the door. If you’re lucky enough to have a toasted sandwich maker at work, you can take your sandwich to the next level by heating it up before you eat it.
3. The mixed bag
I’m sure we have all had one of those days where you’re not sure what you feel like for lunch. You’re peckish but you don’t feel like a full meal. Why not try putting together a low FODMAP lunchtime snack box?
You can add a variety of low FODMAP veggie sticks such as carrot or cucumber, some dip such as an olive dip, a protein source such as a boiled egg and some carbs such as some rice cakes or a wrap.
Then when it comes to lunchtime you can mix up how you eat all the components. This can add some creativity to your day and allows you to mix up your combinations until you feel satisfied.
4. The grab and go
Despite careful preparation, there’s going to be a day when you don’t have time to organise your lunch before leaving the house. Or even worse, you leave your lunch at home.
On those days it may seem tempting to buy a meal that doesn’t tick the low FODMAP boxes. But the problem is, this may leave you feeling worse than if you hadn’t eaten at all.
Instead, you could head to the nearest service station or supermarket and make an easy lunch on the go. This could be something as simple as a can of tuna with a pre-packaged salad (possibly without the dressing depending on the ingredients).
Alternatively, you could try some rice cakes topped with your choice of protein, low FODMAP dip and low FODMAP veggies. With the increasing availability of low FODMAP products in the supermarkets, finding something for lunch on the go is a breeze.
5. The “here’s one I prepared earlier”
A great way to have your low FODMAP lunches pre-prepared is to make an extra serving of dinner the night before. Alternatively, you could prepare a few lunches at the start of the week.
It’s as simple as cooking a larger serve at dinner time and packing it away. Or, you could make a large batch at the start of the week and pack it into containers. Just like that, you’ve got your low FODMAP lunches sorted for the next few days. Leftovers shouldn’t be kept in the fridge for more than 2-3 days for food safety reasons. So, if you are making more than this you could pop them in the freezer and then defrost them as needed.
Need help with the low FODMAP diet? Our FREE dietitian developed program will guide you through it, step-by-step. Includes a low FODMAP food guide. Sign up now.
If you are experiencing gut symptoms and have not been recommended a low FODMAP diet by a health professional, get started with the manage your gut symptoms program.
Reviewed by the healthylife Advisory Board March 2022
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