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Dinner Ideas for Vegetarians

Guest post by: Jillian Smith, Nutrition student at the University of New Hampshire and Intern

Dinner can be a stressful time in everyone's lives. You may be rushing home from work or carting the kids from one location to the next. No one wants to have to worry about what they will prepare for dinner. Many of the following ideas are meals you could serve to the whole family. Here are some delicious dinner ideas to try at your next meal:

- Whip up an easy zucchini gratin with lactose-free milk and sharp cheddar cheese. Top with gluten-free bread crumbs for a golden crust.

- Qunioa veggie burgers are a yummy substitute to veggie burgers containing soy products. Your whole family will love them. Serve with homemade oven-baked fries. 

- Stir-fry your favorite allowed vegetables. Serve over brown rice and sprinkle with nuts.

- Make a batch of brown-rice pasta and add a plethora of allowed vegetables. This pasta primavera will have you wanting seconds. Top with cheddar cheese or nuts. 

- Make-your-own pizzas! Use a gluten-free pizza crust such as Udi's pizza crust and top with a variety of ingredients. (Note: many gluten-free pizza crusts contain xanthan gum, some people don't tolerate too well.)

- Toss qunioa with a bunch of greens for a hearty salad. 

- Breakfast for dinner! Serve pancakes, waffles, or eggs for dinner for a surprising treat. 

- Bake a warm, satisfying shepherd's pie with seitan!

These dinner ideas are full of protein and flavor. Fill yourself up and put a smile on your face. Be your own chef. Enjoy!

 

Lunch Ideas for Vegetarians!

Guest post by: Jillian Smith, Nutrition student at the University of New Hampshire and Intern

Lunch is a difficult meal for many people. The endless possibilities can be confusing. When to eat, what to eat, how much to eat, are all common worries that individuals face. To some, lunch means a sandwich at noon. To others, it means a couple of snacks between breakfast and dinner. Whatever your view of lunch is, it is an important component of the diet. 

As a vegetarias on the FODMAPS elimination diet, you will find it beneficial to make your own lunch. This ensures proper nutrient composition especially adequate protein. If you are on the go, think of ways to pack up your lunch for a tasty meal away from home. As noted before, keep it interesting. Try leftovers from your dinner the night before or create something new. Don't stick to the same old traditions. Be creative in the kitchen and lunch will be a breeze. Here are some ideas that lead to a delicious lunch:

- Make a sandwich with gluten-free bread such as Udi's white sandwich bread. Spread some mayo and add your favorite allowed veggies. Add a slice of cheddar cheese to amp up the quantity of protein.

- Instead of a vegetable sandwich, smear the bread with nut butter and add slices of banana. Press the two sides together and enjoy this kid-friendly feast. 

- Roll it up! Spread tahini sauce on a Trader Joe or Food for Life's brown rice tortilla, and add your favorite mix of greens, cucumbers, red peppers, shredded carrots, and cheddar cheese for a greek-style wrap. Rice tortillas can be a little crumbly, and they handle much better when slightly warmed in the microwave with a sprinkle of shredded cheese on top before stuffing.

- Make your salads interesting. Combined different fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and cheeses to always keep you on your toes. Homemade dressing makes it special! Try a blend of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

- Bake up a frittata and serve with a small side salad. The protein in the eggs will keep you naturally satisfied. 

- Bake a pizza! Use a gluten-free pizza crust such as Udi's pizza crust and top with your favorite vegetables. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and bake to perfection.

- Make a large batch of soup and freeze so it is always on hand. Serve a warm bowl of soup with some rice crackers for a favorable crunch. 

These lunches will have you forgetting that you are ever eliminating foods from your diet. Try them today and bring delight into your mid-day meal. 

FODMAPS for Vegetarians

Guest post by: Jillian Smith, Nutrition Student at the University of New Hampshire and Vegetarian

At first glance, the FODMAPS elimination diet may seem daunting. You search and search, but soon realize that foods like milk, beans, and soy products are absent from the list of allowed foods. Don't fret. It should not be too tough for lacto-ovo vegetarians to get by for a couple of weeks during the trial using lactose-free milk products, eggs, nuts, and seeds as protein sources. It is important to monitor your diet to ensure that you are consuming at least 46 grams of protein each day for women and at least 56 grams of protein each day for men. 

There are many allowed foods included on the FODMAPS elimination diet that are high in protein. Quinoa, an amino acid rich seed, is an alternative to many grains. One cup of cooked quinoa contains about 8.14 grams of protein. Adding vegetables such as green peas and spinach to your diet is a sure way to increase your protein consumption. Nuts and seeds are an easy way to fill you up while providing an extra boost of protein. Sharp cheddar cheese and lactose-free dairy products are great substitutes for the dairy products previously eaten. A meat substitute known as seitan can be used in place of soy products. It is produced from vital wheat gluten and contains about 26 grams of protein per half cup servings. It is easy to find ways to ensure proper protein intake. It just takes a moment of research and an open mind. 

After the challenge phase, adding back beans, lentils, and soy products gradually, as tolerated will help meet the daily requirement for protein. Vegetarian sources of protein are an important part of the diet, so vegetarians may choose to eat most of their FODMAPS in this form, and keep their buckets from filling up by continuing to use lactose-free milk products, lower FODMAPS fruits and vegetables, and limiting the amount of wheat products in their diets most of the time.

Vegans must pay extra attention to their diets. Without lactose-free milk products and eggs it going to be more difficult to get enough protein on the elimination phase. Including foods high in protein such as quinoa and seitan will help a lot, but there may be a situation where the alternate approach described in Chapter 6 will be useful. Most vegans are definitely going to be eating galactans in order to meet their protein requirements. Using the food frequency tool in the book, the vegan can review his/her diet for other outstanding sources of FODMAPS and focus on cutting back on them.

Need to Lose Weight? How to, on the FODMAPs-Elimination Diet

People with IBS can be overweight for all the ordinary reasons, but having IBS presents some unusual challenges around weight management. While trying to "eat healthy", many IBS sufferers find out the hard way that they don't tolerate a diet high in all the fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products they are urged to eat. That understandably makes it difficult to eat a diet appropriate for weight loss. Although weight loss is not the primary purpose of the FODMAPs-elimination diet, it is certainly possible to lose weight while following it, and many of my client do just that. Key points:

• The food lists can be used as a guide to selecting the grains, fruits, vegetables and milk products that are the least likely to cause GI distress in those with FODMAPs intolerance, so go ahead and eat healthy for a change! It's a great feeling!
• Portion sizes of foods that are in bold-face type in the book should never be exceeded, because they have small amounts of FODMAPs. I usually recommend just one "bold-face" food per meal or snack.
• On the other hand, portions of the other allowed foods can be adjusted to meet your needs. If you are trying to lose weight, consider using the portions provided in the food lists as a guide.
• Most people who are trying to lose weight should limit "allowed extras" to about 100 calories per day.
• The sample menus provided in the book provide approximately 2000 calories. Althought that is a common "reference" calorie level, it may be more than you need, especially if you are sedentary, female, older, or of small stature. Try cutting back one serving from each food group. Don't consume less than 1200 calories without professional guidance--it is hard to get adequate nutrients on less than 1200 calories.
• Don't be to eager to replace wheat-based baked goods with commercial gluten-free products, which tend to be loaded with calories, sugar and fat. It is easier, cheaper, tastier and healthier to just steer away from breads and baked goodies than to try to replace them.
• To lose about 1 pound a week, a person should cut back about 500 calories per day. Take a hard look at what you are eating and see what you could do without or change. The best candidates for losing calories without losing valuable nutrients are extras like candy, desserts, alcoholic beverages, and refined carbohydrates. Big bowls of white rice or wheat free cookies might be FODMAPs-friendly but can still provide too many calories for your needs.
• Exercise is a lot more fun when you don't have to worry about being within a 20-yard dash of the toilet! Now that your diarrhea is better, maybe it's time to start an outdoor exercise program. Walking, biking, kayaking, hiking...they all can be yours again!

Please remember, this post is for educational purposes only. Please consult your own health care providers for specific advice about weight management or beginning an exercise program.

 

 

"Healthy" is in the Eye of the Beholder and Other Disclaimers

"If those are healthy recipes, sign me up!"  Readers are psyched to have old favorites such as macaroni and cheese blessed by a dietitian!

Perhaps this would be a good time to offer some disclaimers: 

• We all need party foods or comfort foods sometimes, even if we're on a special diet. Clearly, it's an important concern! So,I have offered some low-FODMAPS party and comfort food recipes for your consideration, not that I would recommend them for everyday fare.
• When it comes to nutrition, "healthy" is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. By this, I mean that we all have unique diet and nutrition priorities, depending on our medical, family, genetic, diet and exercise histories. What appears to be healthy for one person may not be appropriate for the next, and vice versa. The recipes presented on this blog are designed for those whose highest dietary priority is reducing IBS symptoms due to intolerance of FODMAPS carbohydrates such as lactose, fructose, fructans, galactans and polyols. In the portion sizes suggested, these recipes will fill that bill.
• If, in addition to IBS, you have other medical diagnoses, take prescription medications or have other health issues such as over- or under-weight, you should consult a registered dietitian to assist in designing an appropriate diet. Do not diagnose yourself with IBS. If you have gastrointestinal symptoms suggestive of IBS, consult your physician to rule out other serious medical conditions and to receive a proper diagnosis. This web site does not provide medical advice, and is not a subsitute for personal medical care provided by a qualified health care professional.

Updated 9/20/2011

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Holiday Feast

Wondering what to eat for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner while on the FODMAPS elimination diet?  How about the following menu? I'll post recipes over the coming days:

Assorted, fancy olives
Guacamole with tortilla chips
Roast chicken or turkey
Turkey gravy
Company Mashed Potatoes
Broccoli slaw
Cranberry orange relish
Pumpkin custard with whipped cream

Sounds pretty good to me! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

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