What is low FODMAP? It’s a way of eating that is designed to decrease symptoms like gas, bloating, abdominal distention, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain. It can improve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but can also be used to identify triggering foods for other functional gastrointestinal disorders as well, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (1).
If you are having symptoms such as these, please see your healthcare provider to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. The following is simply a cookbook review, not a recommendation for any particular diet!
The Everything Low-FODMAP Diet Cookbook by Colleen Francioli is an excellent starting point for those interested in reducing GI symptoms. It’s a topic avoided by many, but if we consider that 10-20% of us suffer from IBS, it seems like a topic that we should explore (2). Furthermore, obesity has been associated with more serious IBS, and some studies also show that those of us with obesity are up to 2.6 times more likely to suffer from IBS (3). As for GERD, it’s been estimated that 18-27% of Americans have this disease.
FODMAP stands for Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols, which are harder to digest carbohydrates. Avoiding these foods may help some of us reduce uncomfortable/painful digestive symptoms (1). I can tell you with certainty that polyols (sugar alcohols) do a number on me!
I’m not going to review the health aspects of this book, as that’s out of my wheelhouse. If you’ve been diagnosed with any functional gastrointestinal disorder, please ask your healthcare provider if a low-FODMAP diet may help your symptoms. For the rest of us, let’s dig into some intriguing recipes to expand our repertoire of healthy options. After all, this is a cookbook!
Recipes comprise the greatest part of this book. (Only one chapter of 16 is on the diet itself.) These are the recipe categories:
- Breakfast
- Appetizers
- Soups and Salads
- Vegetables and Sides
- Sandwiches
- Poultry, Pork, and Beef
- Fish and Shellfish
- Vegan and Vegetarian Main Dishes
- Snacks and Main Dishes for Kids
- Cookies and Bars
- Desserts
- Condiments, Sauces, and Dressings
- Snacks
- Drinks
- From Scratch
Each recipe includes clear instructions as well as the following nutritional information: calories, fat, protein, sodium, fiber, carbohydrates, and sugar. Some recipes include additional remarks, like pairing ideas or substitutions.
Where this cookbook falls short is photography. There are only 24 photos for literally hundreds of recipes. This is definitely not what we’ve become accustomed to! The photos that are included are quite nice, and I must admit that the recipe I chose to make is among those 24.
If you are into seeing photos of meals that look good enough to eat, this book is definitely not for you. Those who enjoy an interesting design will likewise be disappointed.
Glorious Strawberry Salad is perfect for a light dinner meal when topped with grilled chicken (as suggested in the book). I substituted pecans for walnuts and feta for goat cheese as that was what I had on hand. This was a delicious salad and although I thought it strange to eat avocado with strawberries, I really enjoyed the flavors together!
Do you have any requests for a particular type of cookbook review? Please comment below with your ideas. Thank you!
I hope you will visit your library or bookseller soon to try a new cookbook. Let’s keep our food prep healthy and interesting – this can be a big help in maintaining our weight.
(1). Francioli, Colleen, CNC. The Everything Low-FODMAP Diet Cookbook. F+W Media. 2016.
Maintain Weight Loss 