Hey FODMAPers! Today’s post includes tips to save a few bucks while following the low FODMAP diet. There is no need to go broke while you learn if you or rather your intestine 🙂 are sensitive to FODMAPs in your diet.
Purchase veggies and grains that are naturally low FODMAP and don’t cost a boat load. Belly-filling options include: white and brown rice, oats, potatoes, rutabaga, turnips, spaghetti or kabocha squash.
Look for discounts or coupons for speciality products: You might want to visit your favorite products on their manufacturer’s website as they often post coupons that you can print and use.
Visit the grocery store with the best deals for the week ahead or based on their general pricing structure. Instead of going to Whole Foods (“Whole Paycheck”) for all your groceries, try your local grocer’s gluten free section for special wheat free/ low FODMAP products or Trader Joe’s which often offers goods at more reasonable price point. Even Walmart and Target sell a few suitable food items that meet the low FODMAP diet specs, often at a bargain price.
Review grocery flyer prior to shopping to select low FODMAP sale items and plan your menus around the items on sale. My husband is known to hit 2 grocery stores a week to get the best deals on food for our family. Thankfully, he loves grocery shopping! 😉
Trim the cost of low FODMAP snacks: Ditch the pricey pre-made snack items and whip up more wholesome snacks from whole foods: an orange and 10 almonds, cheese stick(s) with grapes (20), homemade popcorn, banana with peanut butter and a maybe a few chocolate chips. 🙂 Purchase a few of your favorite low FODMAP granola bars or cookies for treats–but use these more strategically, such as consuming these items only when traveling or away from home.
Use frozen unsweetened low FODMAP fruits and plain low FODMAP frozen veggies. I always keep frozen strawberries and blueberries on hand. They are often less expensive than fresh and are tasty all year round. I add frozen berries to my oats as they are cooking, mix in to a smoothie or layer in a lactose free yogurt parfait. Frozen spinach is nice to have on hand too: add to homemade tomato sauce, cook simply with garlic infused oil, or mix into to your favorite low homemade low FODMAP soup recipe.
Make your own low FODMAP granola! Here is a recipe for my peanut butter granola or try my maple granola here.
Make your own low FODMAP trail mix. This is my favorite snack for airplane travel. I love to make up a batch and bring for my mile high snacking pleasure.
Make your own low FODMAP flour blend.
Cook in bulk and freeze. It’s easy to toss leftovers after the 2nd day. But, if possible, freeze leftovers. You will be happy to have them available when you are rushing to get dinner on the table. I love to make a big batch of soup or marinara sauce–both freeze well— and are easy to defrost and save time when I need to whip up a quick meal.
Freeze gluten free/low FODMAP breads to keep them longer.
Make up oatmeal packets for on the go! Mix up 1/4 cup quick oats, 1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional), 1 tablespoon chopped pecans or pepitas and a sprinkle of chia seeds in a snack size ziplock bag. I add a plastic spoon to the bag for serving! When traveling, I use the to-go coffee cups available in my hotel room, add oats to hot cup, top with hot water from coffee pot sans coffee and stir and eat w/ the spoon I packed in the bag. I love to do this for when I travel. These to-go oatmeal packs can be used on a plane too–just ask for a cup of hot water!
Meal plan for the week ahead! I find if I create a weekly menu plan, I spend far less money on grocery shopping for the week, eat healthier, feel less stressed in the kitchen and enjoy cooking more as I have all the ingredients on hand to make an amazing meal!
Use canned chickpeas on salads as an inexpensive protein source. The Monash Team has deemed 1/4 cup of drained and rinsed chickpeas to be low FODMAP. At such a bargain price, keep a can or two of chickpeas at home to add to a low FODMAP pasta salad recipe, as a topper to your salad or even make my low FODMAP hummus. Just remember to limit to 1/4 cup serving per sitting!
I hope these tips help save you some stress and keep a little extra money in your wallet!
Upcoming Post: I would love to do a post on your favorite go to beverages when you are away from home or out with friends. Do you have a favorite drink at Starbucks that works for you? A special go to cocktail? Any smoothies that work? Would love some inspiration for this post….so please leave a comment with a few beverage ideas that work for you. And…Thanks!
Rhianon
Great tips, Kate—thanks!
Now for my fave Starbucks beverage – Decaf Sugar Free Cinnamon Dolce Latte with Coconut Milk. Although the coconut milk that is used is from a carton, not the canned variety as you recommend, I seem to tolerate it pretty well. Note that I get a “tall”, and not the “grande” or “venti” size, just to be on the safe side.
When in doubt, a good ol’ decaf Café Americano (black) works pretty well, too.
Lola
Hello Kate –
I have a question not related to this post…
Are you familiar with “gomacro” protein bars? My teenage daughter has been following the low FODMAP diet for some time and consuming one of these bars regularly, which we have just realized contains coconut sugar (2.11 grams per bar), as well as pea protein (have not confirmed amount).
Since coconut is o.k., we had (wrongly) assumed that coconut sugar was o.k. Also, were thinking that pea protein (since not a carbohydrate) would be alright.
Now wondering about whether her consumption of these 2 ingredients has completely negated her experience so far on the low FODMAP diet. I realize that reactions to ingredients are very individual, but if you could provide any input on this situation, it would be much appreciated. We just don’t have a sense of whether a small amount of these ingredients is still likely to be problematic.
Thank you very much.
Lola
Rhiannon
Great tips, Kate—thanks!
Now for my fave Starbucks beverage – Decaf Sugar Free Cinnamon Dolce Latte with Coconut Milk. Although the coconut milk that is used is from a carton, not the canned variety as you recommend, I seem to tolerate it pretty well. Note that I get a “tall”, and not the “grande” or “venti” size, just to be on the safe side.
When in doubt, a good ol’ decaf Café Americano (black) works pretty well, too.
Megan King
Would you consider a post on how to stick to your low FODMAP diet when you go to a guest’s house, restaurant, or conference/trip where food is provided?
I like water with a lemon wedge in a mason jar with screw top lid for travel. I also like to do a wine spritzer with a few ounces of wine, a splash of sparkling flavored water and a few frozen berries to keep it cool. Sometimes I will blend 1 part strong coffee with 1 part lactose free milk in the blender with 1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon and ginger and a bit of stevia for a latte. 🙂