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Effects of Peeling or Cooking on FODMAPs in Fruits and Vegetables?

Does peeling, cooking or pureeing fruits and vegetables change the FODMAP content? Short version: this common questions does not have a good answer at this time.

Traditional nutrient database show little difference between cooked and raw fruits and vegetables. Published data from more complete FODMAP analysis has not yet explored many of these subtler variations in fruit and vegetable preparation.

It makes sense that peeling and cooking would affect certain FODMAPs in food, but there isn't enough info to be specific except in a couple of cases. We know that fructans in vegetables are water soluble and leach out into the cooking water, which is why onions and garlic in a soup or stew are potential problems even if you pick them out. We don't know specifically how many grams change, though. This effect could be useful for vegetables like broccoli and cabbage, I would think, suggesting that boiled and drained vegetables would have less fructans than raw or sauteed, but there is no data to prove it.

Peeled v. unpeeled apples and pears were analyzed in two studies by researchers at Monash University, Australia. Overall, peeled apples and pears by % weight actually had slightly more fructose than unpeeled (we might conclude fructose must be in the flesh of the fruit rather than the peel). Two varieties of apples were analyzed for polyols, peeled v. unpeeled . Peeled Granny Smith's had slightly more sorbitol than unpeeled. Peeled Pink Lady's had slightly less sorbitol than unpeeled. No generalization can be drawn, apparently. I have not seen any FODMAP data on cooked v. uncooked fruits.

It is hard to imagine any way that pureeing would change the fructose or polyol composition of fruits or vegetables. I am not aware of any specific data about whether pureeing can break down fructans in vegetables. My guess is that it can't break the molecular bonds of fructose links in fructans. Even if it could, would that be an advantage? Breaking down fructans, for example, would just mean the puree would be higher in fructose, which is also a FODMAP! (Might be helpful for someone without fructose malabsortion.)

What about food preparation methods that involve fermentation? Theoretically, the bacteria and/or yeast in fermented food could reduce the FODMAP content of the food before you eat it (instead of after you eat it, in your gut!). So far, we know that sourdough breads have less fructans than breads leavened with baker's yeast. The traditional two-day sourdough fermentation is what counts, not the word "sourdough" in the name or the flavor of the bread. These will usually be artisan breads from specialty bakeries. One clue to identifying a bread made by the sourdough process: there will be no baker's yeast in the list of ingredients.

Those are my thoughts on the subject, what about yours?

Updated 12/17/2012

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 - Dos and Don'ts for Vegetarians

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

The FODMAPS elimination diet may seem difficult for vegetarians. Foods commonly consumed by many vegetarians, such as soy products, milk, and legumes are not allowed during the primary phase of the diet. Not only do these foods make up a large portion of the vegetarian diet, but they are also typically high in protein. Vegetarians may wonder how to consume enough protein. However, there are many foods included in the FODMAPS elimination diet that are allowed and provide plenty of protein to the diet. Don't let confusion or worry slow you down. The following list of do's and don'ts will help navigate vegetarians embarking on this diet. 

Do:

• Choose vegetarian high protein, low FODMAPs foods: quinoa, green peas, spinach, nuts, nut butters, seeds, seed butters.
• Make a large batch of seitan and add it to any meal. It works in casseroles, stir fries, or on the grill. It freezes well, too. (Note: seitan contains wheat gluten--in fact it IS wheat gluten.)
• Use lactose-free dairy products instead of other dairy substitutes. Lactose-free milk contains about 8 grams of protein per 8 oz. serving. Lactose-free cottage cheese is another great source of protein containing about 12 grams of protein per half cup serving. 
• Eat breakfast for dinner. Cook up your favorite egg dishes and serve them for dinner. Its a fun way to incorporate this high protein food into your diet. 
• Read labels! Get familiar with food labels of your favorite foods. Find higher protein alternatives. 
• Get creative! Try new and different combinations. Adding new flavorings to dishes will help you forget the absent foods.  

Don't:

• Rely on almond or rice milk for protein. They have only a 1-2 grams of protein per 8 fluid ounce serving.
• Stay on the elimination phase for more than two weeks. You need to liberalize your diet sooner than meat-eaters in order to get adequate nutrients.
• Don't over think it. The FODMAPS elimination diet will be easier with a clear and relaxed mind.

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.

Which Tomato Products are FODMAPS-Friendly?

Fresh tomatoes contain fructose in very small amounts. They are FODMAPS-friendly. However, when tomatoes are processed into tomato paste, the fructose is concentrated a great deal. According to one of my favorite references, Cook's Thesaurus, just 1tablespoon of tomato paste is equivalent to 1 medium tomato! So tomato paste is NOT allowed during the elimination phase of a FODMAPS-elimination diet. Depending where you are in the world, tomato paste may be called tomato puree or tomato concentrate, so check food labels for all these terms.

Check the nutrition facts on the label to see how the product compares to fresh tomatoes (2 grams sugar per 1/2 cup) versus tomato paste (16 grams sugar per 1/2 cup). This tip assumes the product has no sugar added as an ingredient, and that the sugar listed on the nutrition facts panel is all coming from the natural sugars in the tomato.

After reading the label, if you're still not sure whether the tomato product you have is OK to eat during the elimination phase, you may have to open the can and look inside. Whole canned tomatoes or diced canned tomatoes with watery-looking juice in the can are OK to eat during the elimination phase of the diet. If the juice in the can is thicker than water, transfer the contents to a a freezer-safe container, stash in the freezer, and wait until the fructose challenge phase to eat this tomato product.

Fructose 101

Fructose is known as "fruit sugar". It is present in fruits, some vegetables, honey, granulated sugar, agave syrup and high-fructose corn syrup. In the past, the human diet was lower in fructose than it is today--think of how hard it was to get honey in the wild, for example, or what a treat it would have been in the past to have fruit out of season, much less a never-ending supply of ketchup, cookies, candy and other sweets. Now it seems as though fructose is everywhere in our food supply.

Our capacity to absorb fructose is easily overwhelmed; it is almost considered normal to experience abdominal pain, flatulence, bloating or diarrhea when we overdo the amount of fruit or fruit juice we consume--many people have experienced this phenomenon. But some of us experience symptoms with much smaller intakes of fructose. And most of us overlook the impact that large portions of sugary sweets, baked goods and soft drinks can have. And what about those honey or fruit juice concentrate-sweetened energy bars? Interestingly, apples are part of the traditional BRAT diet sometimes recommended to fight diarrhea. Umm...maybe apples and apple juice aren't such a good idea for some people with diarrhea.

Diagnostic dietary fructose intolerance tests are available, but are not ordered as frequently in the US as they are elsewhere. If you suspect you don't tolerate fructose very well, try cutting back on soft drink and other sweets. Limit tomato paste. Choose small portions of fruits that are lower in fructose, such as kiwi, berries, citrus fruits, and bananas. Read labels, and avoid or limit portion sizes of foods sweetened with honey, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, agave syrup and fruit juice concentrates.  See if you feel better!

Fructose malabsorption can occur on its own, or it can be part of the larger IBS picture.The FODMAPS elimination diet in IBS--Free at Last! can help you figure out how fructose fits into your IBS scenario.

It is important to distinguish dietary fructose intolerance, described in this posting, from hereditary fructose intolerance, which is a serious, hereditary disorder requiring a truly fructose-free diet.

Click here for more details about dietary fructose intolerance and how it causes GI symptoms.

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