How do I use the Monash Low FODMAP app? Part 1.

How can you use the Low FODMAP app to make your low FODMAP journey so much easier?

By knowing how the traffic system rating of FODMAPs is used, you can work out which foods can easily become high in FODMAPs and alternatives foods that may be easier to use.

FOOD GUIDE

The food guide gives a traffic light rating to foods, classified into groups such as fruit, vegetables, and Bread (+ cereals + rice + pasta).

Go into the any section (eg Vegetables) and you will see a summary of the veggies classified using the traffic light system: the first dot classifies the FODMAP status of the food:

• low in FODMAPs for a normal serve (GREEN DOT)

• moderate in FODMAPs for a normal serve (ORANGE DOT)

• or high in FODMAPS (RED DOT)

If the first dot is green

This means that for a normal serve (as per the Australian dietary guidelines), the food is low in FODMAPs.

If the green dot is followed by an orange or red dot it means that higher amounts may result in the food becoming moderate or high in FODMAPs- so watch how much you eat in a sitting.

Tap on the vegetable section under the food guide and tap on Beetroot, pickled, and you will see the following:

1. Fructose: green dot

2. Lactose: green dot

3. Mannitol (a polyol): green dot

4. Sorbitol (a polyol): green dot

5. GOS (a polysaccharide): green dot

6. Fructan (a polysaccharide): green dot

All the FODMAP subunits are green and that for a normal serve of pickled beetroot, it is low in FODMAP

Compare this to beetroot, canned and you will see the following (same as above)

1. Fructose: green dot

2. Lactose: green dot

3. Mannitol (a polyol): green dot

4. Sorbitol (a polyol): green dot

5. GOS (a polysaccharide): green dot

6. Fructan (a polysaccharide): green dot

All the FODMAP subunits are green which means that a normal serve of canned beetroot (1/2 cup or 60g) is low in FODMAPs.

…but scroll down on the canned beetroot page and you will see for double a normal serve (120g)- there is an orange dot for fructan so is moderate in FODMAPs. But who would eat 120g of beetroot (1/2 small tin) in one sitting? Not something you really have to worry about!

If the first dot is red

Means that a normal serve (as per the Australian dietary guidelines) is moderate in FODMAPs. So don't eat a normal serve.

If followed by a green dot- means that at reduced sizes, the food is actually low in FODMAPs. So can eat this serve sizing.

Tap on beetroot and you will see 4 subgroups:

1. Fructose: green dot

2. Lactose: green dot

3. Mannitol (a polyol): green dot

4. Sorbitol (a polyol): green dot

5. GOS (a polysaccharide): red dot

6. Fructan (a polysaccharide): red dot

So for these subgroups: only 2 sub units of FODMAPS are an issue: GOS and FRUCTAN which means that fresh beetroot is classified high FODMAP for a normal serve (75g).

Scroll down for the same food.....and you will see that GOS and fructan now have an orange dot for 1/4 a whole so is MODERATE in FODMAPs for this amount

Scroll down again...and you see all the FODMAP sub units are GREEN so ok for this serving size which is 2 thin slices of fresh beetroot (20g)- not a lot!

These examples of beetroot show that while fresh beetroot is high FODMAP for a normal serve, there are alternatives of pickled or tinned vegetables that are Low FODMAP for a normal serve. But be careful, try and choose only one of these high FODMAP foods in low FODMAP doses per sitting to help avoid stacking, and wait 3-4 hours before choosing another high FODMAP food in low FODMAP amounts is consumed.

This is a conservative approach to avoiding stacking but a very effective and easy way to understand how to include high FODMAP foods safely in your diet, even during the elimination pahase.

Some Low FODMAP Foods Have an Upper Limit

THere are a number of foods that are classified as low FODMAP for a normal serve but actually do have a FODMAP limit if you eat more than the low FODMAP amount. There are many examples of this with one being sweet potato. Sweet potato os low FODMAP for a normal serve which is defined as 75g (1/3 cup) but if you happen to love sweet potato, for eample Sweet Potato fries, then it would be easy to eat 2/3 cup (150g) which is actually moderate in FODMAPs (fructans) and at 3/4 cup turns into high FODMAP. Knowing which foods you normally eat that can turn into high fodmaps can help keep you low FODMAP.

Do you need to measure all Low FODMAP foods?

Many Low FODMAP Foods don't have an upper limit, depsite having a serving size.

For these foods, you can ignore the serving size and just eat as you want to!

Take Home Message

You definitely don't need to go weighing each food, just because the app has a weight for all the foods listed. Only low FODMAP foods that can easily turn into high FODMAP foods and serving sizes of HIGH FODMAP foods thatcan be low FODMAP in lower doses.

As a Dietitian specialising in FODMAPs and other Food Intolerances- I work through your diet and give you easy to use information on which FODMAPs you need to be mindful of and which ones you can really just eat and not worry about amounts.

Tune into PART 2 of this post to find out how else you can maximise the Monash Low FODMAP app.