Happy Halloween, FODMAPers! Toni and I have been working behind the scenes at our practice, For a Digestive Peace of Mind, creating some fun Halloween treats suitable for those following the low FODMAP diet.
Halloween is often celebrated with a surplus of candy and spooky celebrations, and as you probably know, many of the popular treats served can contain hidden FODMAPs. Boo 🙁
Fear not! There are some low FODMAP options out there to enjoy…and because we believe Halloween should be less about the trickery and more about the treats, we’ve provided some suggestions to help guide you! 🙂
A few simple tips:
- Alway check the nutrition labels: Look for green lighted (ie low FODMAP ingredients) such as corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, soy lecithin, and confectioner’s glaze. Beware of high FODMAP ingredients such as: lactose, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, sorbitol, apple juice concentrate, and glycerin.
- Enjoy low FODMAP treats in moderation! No one feels great after a candy overload… so limit yourself to a few pieces of fun-size candy or treats at a time.
- If you plan on going to a Halloween party, get creative! Check out our low FODMAP snack suggestions below!
Lucky #13… types of candies that should work for you & your sensitive belly. Everyone is different, so enjoy to your personal tolerance.
- Dum Dums
- Haribo Gold Bears
- Jolly Ranchers
- Junior Mints
- Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut butter cups
- Marshmallows (made without high fructose corn syrup)
- Mounds
- Nerds
- Peeps (pumpkin, ghosts, you name it)
- Swedish fish
- Sweet tarts
- Sour patch kids
- Smarties
Want to get a little creative?
Consider making these spooktacular low FODMAP sugar cookies…check out my post here!
And here are a few more fun ideas…
Cheese plate of pumpkins, broomsticks and witch hats
Chocolate filled cookie spiders! Try a suitable chocolate sandwich cookie, (we like Glutino chocolate vanilla creme cookies) and insert gluten free pretzels (we love Snyder’s gluten free pretzels) into the cookie to make a spooky spider. The eyeballs are by Wilton and made primarily of dextrose and cornstarch. They can be purchased at Michaels crafts store and World Market. Fun, right?
Dark chocolate dipped pretzels and nonpareils. Simply melt semi-sweet chocolate chips and dip gluten free pretzels in chocolate to coat. Add a few nonpareils or scary eyes to make the pretzels, “Halloween-ready!”
And if you have very little time on your hands…use a permanent magic marker and make a cheese stick ghost, see here on Pinterest!
Or simply purchase a bag of white cheddar Cheetos…in skeleton shapes. A fun treat that is not loaded with sugar! Kids love them and they work well for FODMAPers. You might think they would be high in lactose (but check the nutrition fact label–little to no sugar—and lactose, remember, is a sugar!).
Everyone deserves a fun Halloween that includes a few treats. So…Eat, Drink and Be Scary!
Casey Coughlin
I love how your posts always relate to upcoming holidays and things I tend to be thinking about anyway.
I also really appreciate the creativity and how you always seem to come from the mindset of “FODMAPers have so many options!” I know that viewing my diet in this way has helped me tremendously.
Cheers!
katescarlata
Thanks Casey!
jmke
Try these, too –
Brach’s Maple Nut Goodies (sugar, peanuts, corn syrup, veggie oil, maple syrup, salt, flavors, soy lecithin…..)
Lifesavers Mints in Orange (sugar, corn syrup, flavors, citric acid, magnesium stearate, aspartame, color)
These treats have worked for me!
katescarlata
Thanks for sharing!!
Bonnie Hilton
Thanks for the suggestions. Sadly, I’ve already discovered that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups don’t seem to bother my gut. Lol.
I’m seeing posts for low FODMAP recipes that include tigernut flour. Are you familiar with it? Is it a good choice for low FODMAP?
Thanks.
katescarlata
Ha! Not sure tigernut flour has been tested. It appears to be more high in starch. I will try to see if its inline to be tested.
jmke
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were my favorite, too! I was happy to read on another website to try Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups – so I did! They’re good and seem to agree with me. At first I bought the regular size cups (http://shop.justins.com/Dark-Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Cups/p/JNB-000254&c=Justins@PeanutButterCups) at a local health food store. Then I found the mini-cups (http://shop.justins.com/Mini-Dark-Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Cups/p/JNB-003974&c=Justins@PeanutButterCups) at our Sprouts Market and I think I like them better because I won’t overdo it. 🙂
Kate
This post is great — and the candy list is helpful. Some of our favorites are on that list (and some we hadn’t thought to try)! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Annie
Hi, I’m wondering if you could do a post on blanched vs skin on almonds. In the app almonds and almond meal have very different servings, and different FODMAPs, but I can’t figure out if this is due to the skin/blanching or if it’s an error.
Marilyn
Please be aware that number 5 on the list, Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups, and not FODMAPer friendly–they contain chocolate liquor. Unfortunately, I found out the hard way with a bad reaction.
katescarlata
HI Marilyn, chocolate liquor should not be an issue from FODMAP standpoint–especially in such small amounts. I would work with your dietitian to assess why you had a bad reaction.
Pamela Rice
Hi Kate,
I had recently read an article about corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup and how the food industry has been getting away with labeling hfcs as corn syrup. Is there truth to this? In the earlier days of this diet I made rice krispy treats for my small sweet tooth. I still continue to have minor digestive issues despite cutting out even corn syrup. Might be some other item that is supposedly safe but is not safe for me (ex. cantaloupe) What do you think about the corn syrup v hfcs?