To be upset about going back on the Fodmap diet

[AnnoyedALot]

I was diagnosed with a bowel disease a couple of years ago. I revisited the consultant recently to get advice on my medicine/symptoms and he has diagnosed me with IBS as well.

Worse still, he is sending me to a dietician to try the fodmap diet. I gratefully agreed as I need to get my bowel under control again.

But I have already tried this diet years ago and it was awful. Most of the stuff I should eat was out of our budget. So I ended up eating a tiny limited diet. I was so miserable.

Is there anything I can do to make it bearable or affordable this time around ?

Do you think I could chop up and boil some sweet potatoes and add them to scrambled eggs ?

Lean fried turkey mince? You can have chives and the green parts of spring onion.

Have you tried spinach raw by itself, or with a bit of soy sauce? A million times nicer than when it's cooked. It's got the crunch texture, doesn't go all watery and tastes sweet/salty from the soy sauce. You just take it out of the bag and there's no chopping required.

For a two minute cheap lunch: raw spinach, lettuce, grated carrots, ginger (get a lump and leave it in the freezer, lasts for ages and ages), GF soy sauce. Put it all together in a corn wrap. Packet of roasted chicken pieces for sandwiches (plain, check for flavourings). Roll up together. Add some rice with it if you're hungry--maybe get the microwave packets? Although they can definitely be more expensive.

One of the boullion things is lactose-free, I think it's the vegan one. Also nutritional yeast flakes (sort of like marmite but not) will give more flavour to a basic tomato sauce. Jar of passata in a pan, no oil or anything (super cheap in lidl as well). Salt. Pepper. Basil. Thyme. Yeast flakes. Could even put some red peppers in there (you can pre-roast these for more flavour. Turn oven on. Put peppers in a tray. Add salt and pepper. Put under the grill. If they go a bit black, that's just trendy .) Add this to GF pasta. You can even freeze some to heat straight up.

Would your DH make you a baked potato with tuna/chives/chopped peppers? The rest of the family could have the same thing as you. Super filling, cheap and tasty

Do give Polenta another go as there are about a million ways of preparing it. one way s a bit liked mashed potato other ways can be almost bread like, but yes I expect that it could be very gritty if undercooked.

mince should be ok once or twice a week though, while it does have SOME fat you could easily have mince in a wrap a bit like a burrito, and stay well below your 40gs

Haven't RTFT so I will regret posting as everyone is probably better informed...

But I found that the local Chinese and Asian supermarkets were awesome. Lots of Asian people at a diet with very little dairy, lots of rice noodles rather than wheat, good cheap veg and protein. Garlic (that bastard) is the one to watch but honestly, the Chinese supermarket felt like there was more, cheaper choice.

And lots of eggs and tuna.

Thank you soup I was desperately trying to remember what it was actually called! They often sell it in the world foods section of Tescos v cheaply for a couple of kilos.

Stop boiling veg, it tastes horrible! Put your sweet potatoes chopped up in the oven instead, so they keep some crunch. I got over my dislike of textured vegetables when I moved in with DH who pointed out to me that anything that's been boiled within an inch of its life for 15 minutes is definitely going to taste horrible. If you really have to boil it, put a stock cube in the water. This stuff is beef-flavoured and low FODMAP:

This is going to sound really wankery, but why don't you make your own stock for your soups? Save up some chicken carcasses, and simmer them for many, many hours with various veg: celery, onions (including skins), carrots and anything else you have lying around, plus some herbs. Once done drain the stock off then put over a high heat until it reduces.

I save up my chicken bones in the freezer then, when I have far too many enough I make a load of stock, pour into muffin trays and freeze. The one thing you shouldn't add until it's reduced is salt, so I usually leave it out altogether and season well when I use the stock.

If you have an Asian supermarket near you stock up on herbs to add taste.

Also do you like stir fry?

Rice noodles can be used and then some chicken and any of the veg you're allowed to eat and like tossed in together with a bit of soy sauce?(bean sprouts and Bamboo shoots are both ok on FODMAP)

I like rice noodles and stir fry.

We don't have a Chinese supermarket but apparently we have an asian supermarket just 4 miles away ! So like check that out with DH at the weekend. As he will have a better idea of what could be cooked.

Sweet potato in the oven for how long ? 30 minutes ?

GF Soy sauce
GF pasta
GF stock

Sound like good buys.

Also if you need protein which is premade/cooked a lot of coop roast chicken pieces are fodmap free and low fat.

Tesco gf fusilli is good. I've never found good gf spaghetti.

30ish mins, 180fan? Give it a poke with a skewer and see if it's soft. Remember to add salt and pepper and optional spices like paprika :)

Good grief...we need buy whole chickens and I can't be doing with making stock. I will put that in the helpful but highly unlikely ever to do it like. My fault not your suggestion.

Anyone suggest a chicken stock pot/cube which is low Fodmap ?

Annoyed yes. Your whole post is correct. AND do i get the tiniest hint that you're beginning to feel a little better about this all??

Sainsburyrs GF spaghetti is good Etymology

soup maybe I'm just bad at cooking it but mine always stuck together from Sainsbury's :( haven't had the same with fusilli.

that's interesting, I've not had any sticking issues at all...

perhaps they've changed the recipe, I've only been buying sainsburys for a few months.

This knorr touch of taste concentrated chicken stock appears on fodmap friendly food lists www.sainsburys.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/gb/groceries/knorr-touch-of-taste-gravy--chicken-180ml?langId=44&storeId=10151&krypto=zE0RYCE6PtBdo9rbYZRx6oFj2ihBUrGulCZ7DGOQUluSwXDaLfiq5SPrjl5LGK0z%2BB92w6bmsqogUVuO5l5qHDedFG9o5lJp%2Fg2cqKlLtZNrzXjhc%2FKdT9dV2OtftXkE&ddkey=https%3Agb%2Fgroceries%2Fknorr-touch-of-taste-gravy--chicken-180ml

Sweet potato toast www.familyfoodonthetable.com/sweet-potato-toast/

Not all NHS local trusts have stopped gluten free prescriptions. They’re discussing making it nationwide but atm it’s still up to the individual areas. Possibly but helpful to OP but in case anyone else is reading the thread. Worth asking your GP to see where your area stands.

Sweet potatoes are really nice just roasted like you’d roast a jacket potato.
Give it a rinse under the cold tap, put a couple of small slits in the top of it or carefully stab it with a fork, put on an oven tray and bake in the oven at 200 for about 35-45 mins depending on the size. (Just guess and start checking on them after 35 mins. Very hard to over cook them though so you can go for the longer time if unsure.)
Poke through the skin with a sharp knife after the times up and when they’re soft, they’re ready.
Cut open length ways and just it eat straight out of the skin. You can eat the skin too but I find it a bit tough on the bottom side.
It’s like easy sweet potato mash. Comforting snack on its own and a good side dish for other things. No need to keep an eye on it and basically zero prep.

Good luck. Being diagnosed with something chronic is shit and a shock. It’s natural to fight against at first and there’s nothing wrong with feeling sorry for yourself for a bit, most people would, it’s crap. But there’s something you can try and hopefully it’ll improve your day to day life which means it’s so worth giving it a really good go no matter how hard it’ll be. You can do it.

*’possibly not helpful to’

Good grief...we need buy whole chickens and I can't be doing with making stock.

If you do, you could do hot pot, which is really fun for the family and everyone cooks what they want so it's very adaptable. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_pot It's definitely a special occasion meal but something to think about.

I would definitely ask DH to cook you a Foodmap friendly spag bol.
Instead of the onion and garlic use celery, it’s lovely, slow cooked with meat.