The Low FODMAP diet has been incredibly helpful for my IBS symptoms. In fact, 80% of IBS sufferers report that this diet helps their gastrointestinal symptoms! It is amazing how Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols can effect your gut!
When I first started on the Low FODMAP program, I downloaded the Monash App on my phone, shopped for the approved foods… and then was at a standstill. I didn’t know what to do with my new FODMAP friendly kitchen! Determined not to cheat, I started gathering recipes from the internet and pinned them to my Low FODMAP Pinterest board. Now I have 300+ resources, guides and recipes for the Low FODMAP plan that I can turn to when I need some guidance.
Not only that, I picked up some Low FODMAPS Diet Books and Low FODMAPS Cookbooks to be a physical presence on my Low FODMAP journey. I found each of these books to be very helpful for following the Low FODMAP protocol. In my opinion, each book is a must-have when you are going FODMAP free!
The 2-Step Low FODMAP Eating Plan By Sue Shepherd PHD
About the Book:
If you suffer from a digestive disorder, you’re likely familiar with a long list of unknowns: I don’t look sick, so what’s wrong with me? What foods exactly are causing me discomfort?
The 2-Step Low-FODMAP Eating Plan is here to answer those questions, provide delicious food ideas that feel good to eat, and help pinpoint specific intolerances in less than eight weeks. Listen to your gut and go low-FODMAP—already proven the most effective dietary treatment worldwide for irritable bowel syndrome and other dietary conditions (including gluten, lactose, and fructose intolerance).
Dr. Sue Shepherd’s all-new 2-step plan presents a reliable approach to identify what foods you can enjoy, and eliminate only those that cause symptoms (and that doesn’t necessarily mean gluten!):
- First: Restrict FODMAPs (certain poorly absorbed carbs) to discover a new baseline of health.
- Next: Slowly reintroduce them, step-by-step, to learn which FODMAPs are tolerable, and in what amounts.
- The Result: A custom-made eating plan with delicious food that will make you happy and healthier!
With menu plans for adults, kids, vegetarians and vegans, anyone can do it. Dr. Shepherd also delivers a guide to shopping and how to approach food labels, travel information and tips for eating out, and over 80 crave-worthy recipes. Stop guessing what foods cause distress and start living symptom-free today!
My Thoughts:
Sue Shepherd is a huge name in the FODMAP world. Her books have been so helpful to me on my journey. This is her newest book – and it was a must-have for me. The 2-Step Low-FODMAP Eating Plan has all the latest data on the FODMAP diet – since a few things have changed over the years.
It is a great guide for a beginner, since it tries to simplify the Low FODMAP diet plan into just two-steps. The charts in this book make it so easy to understand FODMAPS. For example, pages 24-27 are charts that I live by! Overall, this book is set up really nicely, has stunning photography, describes the plan well and has tasty Low FODMAP recipes.
The Complete Low-FODMAP Diet By Dr. Sue Shepherd and Dr. Peter Gibson
About the Book:
“A must-have survival guide” —Gerard E. Mullin, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Integrative GI Nutrition Services at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
“What can I do to feel better?” For years, millions of adults who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have asked this question, often to be met with scientifically unfounded or inadequate advice.
The low-FODMAP diet is the long-awaited answer. In clinical trials, over three quarters of people with chronic digestive symptoms gain significant relief by reducing their intake of FODMAPs—difficult-to-digest carbs found in foods such as wheat, milk, beans, soy, and certain fruits, vegetables, nuts, and sweeteners.
In The Complete Low-FODMAP Diet, Sue Shepherd and Peter Gibson explain what causes digestive distress, how the low-FODMAP diet helps, and how to:
• Identify and avoid foods high in FODMAPs
• Develop a personalized and sustainable low-FODMAP diet
• Shop, menu plan, entertain, travel, and eat out with peace of mind
• Follow the program if you have IBS, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or diabetes, and if you eat a vegetarian, vegan, low-fat, or dairy-free diet.
And, with 80 delicious low-FODMAP, gluten-free recipes, you can manage your symptoms, feel great, and eat well—for life.
My Thoughts:
It is no surprise this book is a #1 Best Seller on Amazon in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It has been a very good book for me, and obviously many others too! In this book you’ll find everything you need to help you become FODMAP free.
The first sections of the book explain IBS, FODMAPs and tell you how you can avoid them. The second part of the book is about 200 pages of FODMAP-free recipes to help you stick with the IBS diet. I found the “Putting the Low FODMAP Diet Into Practice” to be a very helpful chapter for meal planning and organizing all of the information learned from the beginning of the book. Definitely one of the best Low FODMAP resources!
The Low-FODMAP Diet Cookbook By Sue Shepherd
About the Book:
The low-FODMAP diet is changing lives. Stop suffering from the discomfort of a digestive condition such as IBS, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or nonresponsive celiac disease, with this Low FODMAP diet book.
The Complete Low-FODMAP Diet introduced this revolutionary treatment, which is rapidly becoming the first-line recommendation by doctors and dietitians worldwide. FODMAP is an acronym that stands for a group of difficult-to-digest carbohydrates found in foods. More than three quarters of adults with IBS who reduce their intake of these foods gain relief.
Now, this follow-up cookbook brings you 150 simple, delicious, and brand-new recipes that are full of flavor but low in FODMAPs. The mix includes:
- breakfasts to start the day off right (Blueberry Pancakes; Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins)
- starters and sides for every occasion (Spring Rolls; Chicken, Bacon, and Pesto Mini Pizzas; Stuffed Roasted Bell Peppers)
- soups and salads full of flavor (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad; Creamy Seafood Soup)
- entrées that make you feel good (Chicken and Vegetable Curry; Speedy Spaghetti Bolognese; Beef Satay Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce)
- desserts that satisfy (Flourless Chocolate Cake; Almond Cookies; Baked Blueberry Cheesecakes).
The low-FODMAP diet puts an end to suffering in silence, fearing the possible consequences of every meal, or confining yourself to a handful of bland, “safe” foods.
My Thoughts:
Once you have an understanding of the FODMAP diet, high FODMAP, moderate FODMAP and low FODMAP foods, this recipe book will help you in the kitchen! It takes all of the work out of searching for recipes that don’t include your triggers. All the 150 recipes are simple, flavorful and gut-friendly!
There are so many recipes that I love from this FODMAP cookbook! My favorite meals so far (which I cannot stop making) are Spanish Chicken with Creamy Herbed Rice, Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad and roast Squash and Chestnut Soup. If you are a cookbook lover and trying to follow the Low FODMAP diet, this is a great choice!
These are some of the low FODMAP books that I have on my shelf. I have seen an amazing turn around with my IBS symptoms by following this diet. I feel more in control of my body and healthier too! If you are looking to start (or get back on track) with low FODMAPS these books are great guides! Here’s to feeling healthy and eating well!