
Are you struggling to get in enough fiber while on the Low FODMAP diet? You are definitely not alone! Due to the nature of the Low FODMAP diet, a lot of it comes down to portion sizes. I’ve found that this can really limit my clients when it comes to meeting their fiber needs.
If you’re still new to the Low FODMAP diet, check out my Beginner’s Guide to the Low FODMAP Diet.
What are the fiber recommendations?
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Per the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (1), women need a minimum of 25 grams of fiber per day, while men need a minimum of 31 grams per day. If you are dealing with IBS, constipation or other digestive issues, you may need more fiber! You may also need to modify the way in which you’re getting fiber (see more below).
Fiber goals:
- Women 25-35g/day
- Men 31-38g/day
So how are you supposed to get this much fiber in on a daily basis, especially while following a limited diet like Low FODMAP? Planning! To keep it simple, let’s say you eat three meals a day so you’ll need about 10 grams of fiber per meal. If you’re someone who eats 4-5 smaller meals each day, then you’ll need between 6-8 grams of fiber per meal.
What to do if you have a hard time with fiber?
- Go low and slow with increasing. I highly recommend keeping a food log for a few days to see what your baseline fiber intake is like. Then you can increase it by 2-5 grams/day (or even per week!) to get up to your goal. The only rules here are to take your time with increasing and to chew your food thoroughly (this helps with digestion).
- Just like with chewing your food thoroughly, food can be easier to digest the more broken down it is. Think about the form: nut butter may be digested better than whole nuts, cooked veggies over raw, fruit in a smoothie, etc. If you are very nervous about increasing your fiber intake, then start with an easier to digest form of fiber first. Then you can adjust as tolerated (ex: berries in smoothie to berries on your oatmeal).
High Fiber, Low FODMAP Foods
I compiled this list based off of Monash’s FODMAP guidelines and I highly recommend downloading their app for their most up to recommendations and portion sizes (2).
Please note, fiber is broken down when you cook it. So, if you normally eat raw broccoli that will have a little bit more fiber than a boiled or roasted broccoli. It will also be a little bit harder to digest! Remember, if you’re new to a high fiber diet then you want to go low and slow. Lean into more cooked versions of high fiber foods and gradually adjust how you’re cooking them or increase the amount.
Low FODMAP, High Fiber Fruits
- Raspberries ⅓ cup: 2.5-3 grams
- Blueberries (1 cup): 3.5-4 grams
- Kiwi (2): 4 grams
- Passion fruit (2): 4 grams
- Avocado (½): 7 grams (check this)
- Banana (unripe, green, medium): 3 grams
Low FODMAP, High Fiber Grains
- Quinoa (1 cup): 5 grams
- Wild rice (1 cup): 3 grams
- Brown rice (1 cup): 3.5 grams
- Chickpea pasta (1 cup): 8 grams
- Rolled oats (½ cup, uncooked): 4 grams
Low FODMAP, High Fiber Legumes
- Lentils (¼ cup): 4 grams
- Chickpeas (¼ cup): 3 grams
- Edamame (½ cup): 4 grams
Low FODMAP, High Fiber Nuts & Seeds
- Chia seeds (2 Tbsp): 8 grams
- Ground flaxseed (1 tbsp): 2 grams
- Pumpkin seeds (¼ cup): 3 grams
- Peanut butter (2 tbsp): 2 grams
- Almond butter (1 tbsp): 1.5 grams
Low FODMAP, High Fiber Vegetables
- Baby carrots, raw (1 cup): 4 grams
- Baked potato, 1 medium with skin on: 3.8 grams
- Broccoli, florets (¾ cup): 1.9 grams
- Carrots, cooked (1 cup): 2 grams
- Eggplant (1 cup): 2.5 grams
- Kale, raw (1 cup): 1 gram
- Spaghetti squash, ½ cup: 2.2 grams.
- Sweet potato (½ cup): 3 grams
High Fiber, Low FODMAP Meal Ideas
Now onto the fun part! Below are a few Low FODMAP friendly meal suggestions that are relatively high in fiber. Start with one idea if you’re a total fiber newbie or use all these suggestions if you’re really trying to optimize your fiber intake.
*Grams of fiber is an approximation based on research and food labels. Actual amounts may vary based on portion size, brand and cooking process.
Breakfast:
- Oatmeal with ⅓ cup raspberries and 1 tbsp almond butter (8.5g)
- Avocado toast: ½ avocado smashed on sourdough (white 1 gram, whole wheat 3 grams) with 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds (1.5g): 9.5-11.5 grams
- Lactose free yogurt with 1 tbsp chia seeds and 1 cup blueberries (8 grams)
Lunch:
- Quinoa bowl: 1 salmon filet (maple mustard glaze) with ½ cup quinoa (5g), ¾ cup cooked broccoli (2g) (total 7g)
- Brown rice bowl: ½ cup firm tofu (3g), 1 cup brown rice (4g), 1 cup green beans (3.5g) with LoFo Sesame sauce (FODY or homemade).
Dinner
- Chickpea pasta with FODY pasta sauce and parmesan (5-8 grams depending on brand/portion size)
- Spaghetti squash with lentil bolognese (6.2 grams)
Snacks/Dessert
- Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding (11 grams). This is my favorite recipe!
- 1 cup baby carrots with 2 Tbsp peanut butter (about 5 grams)
- 1 cup blueberries with a handful of pecans (about 5 grams)
Looking for more help with the Low FODMAP diet? Grab one of my made for you 7 day Low FODMAP Meal Plans here.
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