April is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month! IBS is a prevalent and complicated disorder, plaguing between 25 and 45 million people in the United States, according to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders. Symptoms of IBS (including but not limited to abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation) can range from mildly inconvenient to very severe, and they can come and go in waves.
Many who suffer from IBS can manage symptoms with changes in diet and lifestyle. For a lot of people, this means cutting down on or eliminating certain trigger foods from their diet – and this really varies from person to person. It is no walk in the park trying to figure out which foods are triggers (it has taken me many years, stomach aches, and emergency bathroom runs), but luckily, the low FODMAP diet has been known to help figure out what foods may be causing discomfort and pain.
FODMAP is an acronym for several short-chain carbohydrates that can cause gastrointestinal distress for those with IBS or other digestive disorders. FODMAP stands for:
- Fermentable
- Oligosaccharides
- Disaccharides
- Monosaccharides
- AND
- Polyols
FODMAPs are in all sorts of foods, many which are healthy. It can be so frustrating “eating clean” yet finding yourself feeling utterly miserable. Learning about FODMAPs helped me understand what types of foods I should eat in moderation, what I should cut out altogether, and what I can enjoy safely. It hasn’t solved all of my gastrointestinal woes, but it sure has made an enormous difference in how I feel. To find out more about the low FODMAP diet and how it can help, please consider reading my post about irritable bowel syndrome and the low FODMAP diet – especially if you know someone who suffers from IBS.
One reason I started this blog was to bring awareness to various digestive disorders that I live with – but another reason was to also help others who may suffer understand that living with IBS can still be delicious and manageable at the same time.
That’s why my post today is going to focus on a few gut-friendly kitchen staples that I couldn’t live without. Once I found these products, the idea of having to sacrifice onion, garlic, and many other delicious ingredients seemed less devastating. Don’t get me wrong – cooking without certain foods undoubtedly can be frustrating, sad, and leave me scratching my head. But, with a bit of a mindset change, and some crucial substitutes that I could easily get my hands on, everything finally seemed a little less daunting. Changing the way I cooked has drastically impacted my health and well-being.
I am deeply obsessed with all of these products and use at least one of these daily. They are in no particular order because there is no way I could possibly rank them.
Garlic Scape Powder from Gourmend
If you’re thinking, “What the ding dang heck is a garlic scape?” you are not alone. I had never heard of it until fairly recently. Gourmend, a low FODMAP foods company, calls garlic scape powder a “gently delicious alternative” for people who are sensitive to garlic. The powder is made from “the tender stem and flower bud of hard neck garlic plants” and tastes “sweeter, smoother and more mild than traditional dried and fresh garlic,” according to the product description on their website. This is a certified low FODMAP product, tested by Monash University, leaders in research surrounding IBS and the low FODMAP diet.
I used raw garlic or garlic powder in JUST ABOUT EVERY SINGLE THING I COOKED before realizing garlic wasn’t great for my gut, so I lost it when I first discovered this powder. “A garlic powder substitute!? This seems TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!” I ordered it immediately and was giddy when it arrived.
If you are looking for a perfect substitute for garlic powder, this isn’t it. BUT – if you are looking for something to give you back some of the flavor that you are missing from garlic and onions – this product fits the bill. I no longer actively avoid recipes with garlic powder in them because this is a really nice substitute that can bring a lot of savory flavor to a dish. I highly recommend adding this to your spice rack if or someone in your home is sensitive to onions and garlic.
Gourmend also makes a garlic chive powder that I am really looking forward to trying once it is back in stock.
Maybe it’s because I cook and eat Mexican food all the time, but salsas from Fody Foods have become my saving grace. There are tons of great low FODMAP salsa recipes out there, but there isn’t always time to whip up your own homemade if you are trying to get dinner on the table quickly (or if you just want a quick snack).
I have been using their mild red salsa for a long time now, and recently, Fody Foods debuted their salsa verde and I was absolutely elated. Tomatillos are not always in stock at my grocery store, so being able to have gut-friendly salsa verde on hand at any time has been such a treat!
Speaking of Fody Foods, they also make amazing pasta sauces that are 100% worth checking out if you are onion and garlic-free! And on the note of pasta sauces, check out my post on Prego’s Sensitive Recipe Italian Sauce. Game changer.
Fody Foods often has promotions on their website – I subscribe to their emails so that I know when different items are discounted. I rarely pay full price for an item as I stock up on a bunch of my favorites when they are on sale. You can also pick up some of their products around select stores – they even have a store locator! Thrive Market also carries many of their products at discounted prices. Amazon does, as well, but the prices are often higher than anywhere else.
Vegetable and Chicken Soup Base from Fody Foods
This stuff is worth its weight in gold. I go through bottles of this like you wouldn’t believe, especially during soup and chili season. I honestly DO NOT KNOW what I would do without it. I use these when I need broth or stock in a recipe.
Most boxed or canned stocks and broths have some traces of onion and/or garlic in them. Some people with IBS may be able to tolerate that, some may not. If you need to avoid onion and garlic completely, this soup base is a perfect substitute for chicken or vegetable broth or stock. Simply mix one teaspoon with one cup of water and voila!
Aside from being low FODMAP, I like that I can make small amounts of this when I need it. I hate opening a box of broth or stock to only use 1/4 cup and end up wasting the rest. I know many people like boullion cubes for this reason. I use these powders in place of boullion cubes, which are often packed with dehydrated onion and garlic.
As I mentioned above, you can find Fody Food products in select stores using their store locator, purchase directly through their website (they often have promotions), and on Thrive Market. Amazon also carries many Fody Food products, but at higher prices.
Paleo Powder Foods is an awesome brand dedicated to creating clean, delicious spice blends and breading mixtures that are healthy without sacrificing flavor. Their products are made without sugar and other additives that are often found in spice blends.
When I first discovered this brand, I thought to myself, “Bummer, another cool product that I probably can’t eat,” since spice blends are often made with onion and garlic. Then, I saw that they cater to a bunch of different “lifestyles” – including salt free, AIP, and…LOW FODMAP!!! When a brand creates something specifically catered to the low FODMAP diet, they instantly become heroes in my book.
Paleo Powder has one million different uses in my kitchen. I mainly use it in place of taco seasoning and cook with it frequently when I am preparing Mexican food. It has a nice kick to it, so I find that a little goes a long way. It is the seasoning I use in my favorite recipe I’ve ever created, Mexican lasagna rolls. It is also great on baked, steamed, or grilled veggies and proteins.
Paleo Powder recently came out with low FODMAP “breadless breading” – I can’t wait to give this product a try very soon as a substitute for breadcrumbs.
Garlic infused oil was the first major IBS life-changing discovery I made when I realized I need to avoid cooking with garlic and onion. It can give you the taste of garlic without actually consuming it. That’s because the fructans (the F in FODMAP) in garlic are not soluble in oil – if you fry a little garlic in oil THEN REMOVE THE GARLIC COMPLETELY, the oil will absorb the taste of the garlic but not any of the actual garlic. You even get the same beautiful fragrance when you fry something up in a little garlic infused oil. Magic!
You can make your own garlic infused oil or, more conveniently, purchase some to have on hand whenever you need it. IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO GARLIC, IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT NOT ALL GARLIC OIL IS CREATED EQUAL! READ LABELS, PURCHASE, TASTE, AND USE WITH CAUTION! Some garlic oil has chunks of fresh or dehydrated garlic in it. This is a NO GO for low FODMAP diets or people avoiding garlic, because you will actually consume garlic if you use it. Many companies don’t clarify on the bottle whether or not there is actual garlic in the oil, or if it’s just infused with the flavor of garlic. Talk about confusing! When I first went searching for a garlic infused oil at a reasonable price, I found myself frustrated and confused by all of this.
If you are in this same boat, luckily, our friends at fodmapeveryday.com have done extensive amounts of detective work to help us know what’s really in various brands of garlic oils. They wrote two detailed articles on everything you need to know about garlic oil, and they share what brands they consider appropriate for those on a low FODMAP diet. I HIGHLY recommend reading these two articles if you want to know more about garlic infused oils:
- Know What’s in Your Garlic Oil by fodmapeveryday.com
- Recommendations for Commercial Garlic-Infused Oils by fodmapeveryday.com
I have a garlic infused oil that I love, but according to the above article, this oil must be “approached with caution” if you are following a strict low FODMAP diet since it is not low FODMAP certified. Mantova Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil has not given me any dietary issues, but that does not mean it would not necessarily trigger someone else with IBS, so try with caution if you are sensitive to garlic. As long as this does not bother my belly, I will stick with this brand because it is way more affordable compared to some other garlic oils AND it’s easy to get my hands on thanks to Amazon. If you are not sensitive to garlic and just want to kick your flavor up a notch…TRY THIS! I use this almost completely in place of regular olive oil. Who doesn’t love the taste of garlic in just about everything?
Other Brands Worth Exploring
I want to give HUGE shout outs to a few other low FODMAP companies like Casa de Sante and Rachel Pauls Food. Not only do they have other certified low FODMAP products that are delicious and safe for those with IBS, but they also have tons of recipes and ideas for gut-friendly and happy eating. I 100% recommend checking out their websites and blogs for more information.
If you are new to the low FODMAP diet, cook without certain FODMAPS, or know someone on a low FODMAP diet, I hope these product suggestions can help make your life a little bit easier! Happy IBS Awareness Month!
Taco Cat 