Hello Friends…I hope everyone here in the Northeast is staying warm and keeping their spirits up… The 8 feet high snow drifts are unbelievable! Nothing says HAPPY like a little oatmeal, chocolate, chia, coconut and almond bite-full of yumminess. I make these no bake energy bites quite often for a little healthy treat.
The good thing about these little delicious bites is that you can get creative and add a little bit of this and that depending on your tolerance. My recipe makes 12 bite size balls and you should be satisfied with 2. At this portion size, you truly modify the quantity of FODMAPs that you consumer that are naturally contained in the oats and almond butter–both are ‘moderate sources’ of FODMAPs. I would not eat a whole tray of these tasty treats…Just keep that in mind!
My daughter Chelsea and I whipped these up yesterday afternoon after a full day of work. They take just a few minutes to make!
I did want to take a moment and announce the lucky winners to my recent blog give-a-ways! Jordan won the 21 Day Tummy Cookbook: Yay!! And Deirdre won the #FODMAPer tote bag! I am in the midst of another #FODMAPer tote bag give-a-way on Instagram–so check it out for another chance to win!!
I have a few other give-a-ways up my sleeve, including a chance to win one of my recently launched Balanced Boxes for a Digestive Peace of Mind on the go! The idea of the box came from my desire to make embarking on a low FODMAP diet a bit funner. I truly want people with IBS to feel less isolated and to enjoy a little pampering. I started the term #FODMAPer so that in essence, a person with IBS might feel more like part of a community than alone. Many people with IBS suffer in silence….and yet in westernized countries—IBS is rampant.
And remember, the low FODMAP diet is a learning diet that is utilized to help identify your personal triggers. It is not meant to be followed long term! It is important to do the challenge phase of the diet and to eat the most liberal diet your body allows you to eat! There will be parts of the low FODMAP diet you may follow long term…but you should be able to add some foods back into the diet after the elimination diet phase. If the low FODMAP diet only offers partial relief, work with your health care provider to uncover other possible conditions or food intolerances that may be limiting your progress. Always read reputable articles by health professionals, be weary of people on the internet that sound smart but have no credentials.
Ingredients
- Makes 12 balls: Serving size 2
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, rough chopped
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons shredded coconut, optional
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Prepare a small cookie sheet or tray with parchment paper.
- In medium bowl, add all of the ingredients and stir to blend.
- Roll mixture by the tablespoon with your hands into one-inch balls and place on parchment paper.
- Place cookie sheet in refrigerator to allow the bites to set.
- Place balls in air-tight container in refrigerator.
- Enjoy for up to 1 week.
Channon Pate
Kate,
I was diagnosed with IBS 4 years ago and have tried the fodmap diet. The last several months I can only eat white rice, potatoes some days, meat some days, and oatmeal somedays. I have symptoms daily even on that diet help please!!!!!!!!! My MD says it is just my IBS but I cant keep living like this i feel like death =o(
desperate for help
katescarlata
Channon, I encourage you to get tested for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth which may be a part of your symptom picture. Work with a GI doctor that is willing to look outside the box at other issues complicating your picture. I would encourage you to visit with a registered dietitian that is well versed in digestive health–he or she may uncover other avenues for you to take–supplements, further testing, etc. Keep advocating for yourself!
Channon Pate
Thank you =o)
Delena
Kate,
I’ve learned so mush from your blog and it’s helping! I wondered about mixing oats, raisins, and almonds – all have Oligos so does that mean that I’d need to eat half of the typically ‘safe’ amount of each if I eat them together? (1/8c oats, 1/2 T raisins, 5 almonds)
Thanks!
Thyra
Hi Kate
What a great internet site and blog you have 🙂
I have followed the FODMAP diet for almost three years now. After two years of having a constantly upset stomach it was a relief to finally find something that really worked! Because of this, and the fact that it was difficult to find information on the diet in Norway until recently, I have been reluctant to reintroduce food groups. Still, I have reintroduced lactose and some avocado and mushroom.
When reintroducing I started wondering about polyol groups. Many just list them all as one group, but I see that you distinguish between them. Could you help me with some clarification here. Blackberry contains sorbitol while mushrooms contains malitol, is that right? What about avocado, blackurrant, cherry and plum?
I also wondered about psyllium husk, guar gum and xanthan gum. I think they are listed as low FODMAP, but I was wondering if they are known to cause other troubles in the tummy?
Thank you!
katescarlata
Hi Thyra,
Welcome to you all the way from Norway!
I do differentiate between mannitol and sorbitol as absorption can vary in individuals between these 2 polyols.
Blackberries contain sorbitol, button mushrooms contain mannitol, avocado and most ‘stone’ containing fruits are a source of sorbitol. I would consider downloading the Monash app which will answer all your questions and be a great resource for you.
Guar gum and xanthan gum are polysaccharides–longer chain carbs—so don’t fit criteria to be FODMAPs–but they are fermentable and therefore can cause gas–and be troublesome for some.
Thyra
Thank you!
I did have the Monash app on my previous phone (that I broke a little while ago), and it is very useful for determining quantities, but not so much for the grouping unfortunately (GOS and fructans and grouped together and so are all the polyols).
Good clarification concerning the guar gum and xanthan gum, but psyllium husk should not be a problem then? I know it’s important to listen to your own body, but I also have endometriosis, and so I have to try a to differesiation one stomack ache from another at times. 😉
Thank you again for your help and great blog
Marcy
Will Oscar Maer Turkey “bacon” selects work for the elimination “diet”? 0 sugars, 0 fiber, 0 toatl carbs. Ingredients: Turkey, cultured dextrose, sugar, salt, walter, culteured celery juice, potassium choloride, canolda oil, distilled vinegar, sodium phosphates, cherry powder, smoke flavor autolyzed yeast extract, dextrose, soy lecithin. I switched to turkey bacon recently, since my cholesterol increased… Thank You! Looking forward to trying your new recipe as well!
Meech
Hi Kate,
I just wanted to first of all say that your website is amazing and a life-saver! My question is about nuts and seeds, I read that soaking nuts and seeds overnight and then rinsing them makes them easier on the stomach because it neutralizes enzyme inhibitors. I eat chia seeds daily and found they expand tenfold when soaked, so would do actually contribute to constipation if not soaked? (I do drink a lot of water but I am still constipated all the time.) Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!
rose sell
These look absolutely delicious…. can’t wait to try them. No need to worry, they probably won’t last a week.
Thank you for all your hard work in producing this web site.
Betty Bruno
Thanks for the post, Kates. Almond Butter is a great tasting and natural source of healthy fats.