IBS—Free at Last!

How to Talk to Your Restaurant Server or Chef about FODMAPs

 

 

© Andrey Kiselev | Dreamstime.com

It takes a minimum of 20 minutes to do a good job explaining FODMAPs to someone who has never heard of it before...you're just not going to do justice to the topic in 30 seconds with your restaurant server, no matter how hard you practice beforehand. Here are some tips for dining out that might help you get the sort of meal you are looking for:

 

• Start with those restaurants at which you are a regular customer.

• You might also have good luck with national chain restaurants; such restaurants have professional menu developers and documentation available for ingredients/allergens in each menu item.

• For a thorough discussion about your special dietary needs, make an appointment, or at least call the day before around 4 p.m., the slowest time of the day in most restaurants.

• Many restaurants are trying to cater to diners on gluten-free diets, so that is a good place to start, since a gluten-free diet automatically excludes fructan-containing grains. If you have to explain what you need in a real hurry, say “gluten-free, with no onions, garlic, sauces, or gravies.” (You and I know that gluten isn't a FODMAP but there is no need to try to explain all that to the restaurant staff, so save your breath).

• You can then go on to review the major ingredients and available substitutions in each meal. Choose simply prepared mains without sauces, since they often contain FODMAPs. Grilled steak, shrimp, or chicken is often available. Grilled or broiled fish and seafood (hold the crumbs) works well, too. FODMAP-friendly side dishes include tossed salad (hold the onions) with oil and vinegar, baked potato, french fries or plain rice (not pilaf), and simply prepared vegetables.

When mealtime arrives, relax, and enjoy your meal. Your food for an occasional restaurant meal does not have to be 100% perfect for this diet, as it would have to be for a food allergy or celiac disease. Be sure to thank your server, the cooks, and the restaurant manager for their help, and don't forget to tell your friends or give them a good review!

Sushi--Maybe, Maybe Not

Is sushi during the holidays a tradition I've been in the dark about until now? Maybe it is a coincidence, but I've had several questions lately about whether sushi is OK to eat on the FODMAPs elimination diet. Technically, I would say "no", because I don't know enough about the type of carbohydrates in nori (sheets of edible seaweed used to wrap sushi) to bless it as FODMAPS-friendly. But realistically, I would say "maybe". If I had to guess I would say nori may be similar to other leafy greens, which are allowed.

Sushi fans should be aware that commercially "seasoned" sushi vinegars are often sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. However, if you are making homemade, or can verify that your sushi bar of choice is seasoning its vinegar with sugar, then you should be able to enjoy some kinds of sushi on the elimination phase of the diet.

Make sure the fillings you select are FODMAPS-friendly: yes to rice, fish, seafood, cucumbers, melon, carrots, spinach leaves, sesame seeds, wasabi, soy sauce; no to avocado, scallions; a tablespoon of fresh ginger has next to no potential FODMAPS, so it should be fine in that quantity.

Enjoy your sushi at the holiday party!

 

Thai take-out, anyone?

I spent part of today planning a menu for a FODMAPS-friendly meal I plan to serve next week at a local doctor's office. I decided that it would be easiest to order out, rather than make a meal from scratch, so I could focus my energy on my presentation about IBS and food. Thai food relies on rice and rice noodles rather than wheat-based products, making it a good bet for a FODMAPS-friendly meal.  My favorite Thai restaurant, Mekhong Thai in Portland, Maine, makes all their food to order. I stopped in today at a slow time, 3:30 pm, and asked the manager "1,000 questions" about their recipes, especially the sauces. I found several delicious possibilities.

You should question your server or the manager at your local Thai restaurant to see if local customs vary. For example, although fresh spring rolls in Maine are made with a rice paper wrapper, when I ordered them recently in Chicago at a very well known Thai restaurant I was very surprised to find that they were prepared with a wheat flour wrapper of some kind.

Here are the items I am considering for my luncheon:

• Beef or chicken satay with peanut sauce. Although some peanut sauces contain coconut milk (not FODMAPS-friendly), at this restaurant is doesn't.
• Fresh spring rolls, vegetable or with shrimp, pork, or chicken--I will order mine with no scallions. All the other ingredients are OK: rice paper, lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts, cilantro, carrots, rice vermicelli. It is served with a clear peanut sauce, which is made from scratch with granulated sugar (OK).
• Thai salad, hold the onions, scallions, and tofu: lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, and bean sprouts, topped with peanut sauce. I wonder if they would substitute chicken for the tofu for an extra buck or two?
• Steamed brown rice
• Chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, scallop or calamari stir fried with sweet and sour sauce, hold the scallions and pineapple: snow peas, tomatoes, and carrots. Maybe they will throw in some broccoli for me. Home-made sweet and sour sauce made with granulated sugar and vinegar.
• Considering Thai fried rice, but would have to ask for it without the sauce, since the oyster sauce and soy sauce it is seasoned with both have wheat. Might still be good.

Well, it looks like there is quite a lot to choose from; I don't think it will be a hardship selecting a FODMAPS friendly meal at this place.

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