Meal Prep Tips for IBS & the Low FODMAP Diet
The start of the year can always be a bit hectic. The holidays have fully passed and everyone is full of motivation to knock out their new goals and intentions. When the calendar gets full, meal prep is one of the first habits to fall away, even if it is at the top of the goal list. We don’t feel like we have the time to get groceries and cook meals, so we end up eating out more, eating more processed foods, or skipping meals when nothing is available. The result is that our energy levels get thrown off, which can exacerbate stress, and our symptoms flare up due to triggers found in the foods we are grabbing. There’s no shame in this happening every now and then, but it can be hard for an entire month, or multiple months, and lead you to not feeling well or being productive at work.
Instead of falling into this cycle, I want to share some of my quick and easy meal prep tips so you can continue to keep up with your meals, save money, and avoid symptoms! Before we dig in to the actual foods, let’s talk about how to balance a meal. Ideally, each meal should include non-starchy carbohydrates (most of your veggies), a little starch (grains, potatoes, lentils, chickpeas), protein (meat or plant-based), and healthy fats (from fish or plants). This balance of nutrients ensures you get all the nutrients your body needs, and also helps stabilize hormones to support your energy throughout the day. Some meals may not be perfectly balanced, but this is the goal for as many of them as possible. The exact balance of them may depend on your preference and your body’s needs. If you need more help figuring that out, work with a dietitian, like myself!
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With that balance in mind, let’s start with my time-saving tips, then we will get to your meal ideas!
Keep it simple! Think back to a balanced meal… when you are making your grocery list, grab a few items from each category so you can easily put them together for a week of meals. Yes, you may eat similar foods each day and it may be a bit boring, but you’ll save time and energy.
Mix up flavors with premade low FODMAP sauces. This part can get pricey if you go overboard, but it will save you time. Instead of making your own pasta sauce, salad dressing, or other sauce to add flavor to your meal, grab one that’s already made and won’t contain your triggers. That’s where Fody Foods and Casa de Sante can come in handy! It may be harder to find these last minute, so be sure to order a variety in advance and keep your pantry stocked for the busy weeks.
An hour of planning and cooking will save you hours from ordering food. It’s tempting to think you have no time to get groceries and prep a few meals, but think about how much time you spend ordering, going through a drive through, or going out to grab meals when you haven’t prepped? How much mental energy do you spend figuring out where to go and what to eat? Planning an hour on a weekend day may seem like a lot, but it will actually save you time during the week to get other things done.
Order your groceries. This can also get pricey, but if you don’t have an easily accessible grocery store, or you literally don’t have the time to do the shopping, order your groceries on your lunch break to be delivered after work! I like Instacart for this, but there are other options, like Amazon and Postmates, that may work for you too.
Avoid shopping one week at a time (or less) by getting some foods that are more shelf-stable. Instead of only getting fresh produce or meat that will spoil within the week, grab items that can last longer, like dry pasta and sauce, frozen meat and vegetables, grains, and premade low FODMAP soups (Fodmapper is great!). Another option would be to buy things you can make and freeze for later meals (will share more of that below).
Don’t do it all alone. If you live with others, whether it be a significant other or a roommate or a large family, get those you live with involved in meal prepping, too! You’d be surprised how fast and easy meal prep can get with extra hands helping. If you’re thinking that others in your house wouldn’t want low FODMAP meals, but honestly they may not even know the difference! If they do, make things you can choose different sauces for and use your low FODMAP sauces for yourself!
Meal ideas that require very little time (10-15 min):
Brown rice pasta + low FODMAP pasta sauce + chopped zucchini
Minute brown rice + ground turkey or beef + steamed carrots + teriyaki sauce
Corn tortillas + eggs + cheddar cheese + spinach
Corn tortillas + ground meat or canned lentils + shaved broccoli florets + taco sauce + salsa + cheddar
Overnight oats: oats + strawberries, banana, or blueberries + maple syrup + almond milk + cinnamon + chopped walnuts or pecans
Quinoa + canned chickpeas + olives + diced tomatoes + spinach + parsley + lemon juice
Potato gnocchi (not ricotta) + pasta sauce + spinach
Sourdough bread + deli meat (no garlic/onion) + slice cheddar + tomato + lettuce + mayo or mustard
Can tuna + low FODMAP dressing + romaine lettuce + diced tomato + diced cucumber + rice crackers
Salad: greens mix + shredded carrots + canned chickpeas + tomato + cucumber + red bell pepper + pumpkin seeds + low FODMAP dressing
Meal ideas that require a little more time (15-25 min):
Quinoa + grilled chicken breast + green beans + sauce
Stir fry: chopped bell pepper + bok choy or green beans + chopped carrots + edamame or chopped meat + soy sauce or aminos + minute brown rice
Minute brown rice + baked salmon (lemon, salt, pepper) + roasted green beans
Batch cooking ideas that require more time, but create more meals (30 min +):
Crockpot soups or stews (can leave and cook all day, or cook while prepping other food)
Crockpot ready packs: put all ingredients for a soup or stew in a large ziplock bag that you can put in the crockpot before leaving for work
Low FODMAP shepherd’s pie
Roast chicken + roasted veggies (potatoes, carrots, green beans)
Crustless quiche: eggs + cooked veggies + bacon + cheddar + almond milk
Oatmeal bake
How do you take those ideas and make them go far? Cook in larger batches! Yes, you may be eating pasta every day for lunch, but at least you have it and you don’t have to worry about what you will eat. If you’re cooking for a larger family, this gets more challenging, so I encourage you to look at the crockpot options. Some recipe blogs that may be helpful are A Little Bit Yummy and FODMAP Everyday.
How to save $$ : If your budget is tight and you’re worried about spending too much, you have a few options to save more. You can choose conventional produce over organic, and focus on items that will be priced lower (ex: broccoli crowns versus packaged florets). You may find that you will spend a little more time to save money by making your own dressings and sauces, and making grains from their dry form versus buying the precooked options. Frozen produce and meat may also be a little less expensive, too, if you’re getting large amounts of those, and the bonus is that you won’t waste as much by them spoiling. If you know you need to buy some convenience items, I added a small chart of ones that may be a little cheaper. They may have more sugar added and be slightly more processed, but they can help out with your budget as you move through the holidays. You can also look out for any sales brands may be having or use discount codes to save more (yes, I get paid for the affiliate partnership, but it can still be helpful).
If you have no time for meal prep and would rather spend a little more to have low FODMAP meals, Epicured offers meal delivery to the United States. You can save $20 on your first order with code Erin20. This is a great option for those weeks you know you don’t have time, and would rather not be stuck going out to eat for every meal.
My Go-To Products:
Pasta Sauce: Prego Sensitive $, Thrive Market or Fody Foods $$, Raos Sensitive Marinara $$$
Salad dressing: Homemade $, Fody Foods or Casa de Sante $$
Sauces & Marinades: Aminos or Soy Sauce $, Fody Foods or Casa de Sante $$
Spice Mixes: Fody Foods or Rachel Pauls Foods $$
Discounts:
For Thrive Market, you’ll need a membership to take advantage of their prices. You can get 25% off your first order and a free 30 day trial here, if you want to try that!
Fody Foods - ERINFODY15 saves you 15%
Instacart - get $10 off your first order with code EJUDGE1E71B6
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