Banana Bread adapted for those of you on a low FODMAP diet. It can be difficult to find recipes to suit your dietary needs - the solution? Learning how to substitute ingredients! ⁣Just three simple swaps and hey presto my favourite banana bread recipe is IBS friendly.⁣

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Banana Bread with Spelt and Honey | Serves 8-10

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup Spelt Flour (swap for The Healthy Baker Low FODMAP Flour) ⁣

1 tsp Baking Soda⁣

1/2 tsp Salt⁣

1/2 tsp Cinnamon⁣

1/3 Cup EVOO⁣

1/2 Cup Honey (swap for 100% pure Maple Syrup)⁣

2 Eggs⁣

1 Cup mashed Banana (FODMAP content is still low per slice if you use ripe) ⁣

1/4 Cup Milk (swap for Lactose Free Milk)⁣

1 tsp Vanilla Extract⁣

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Directions⁣

Preheat oven to 180 Celsius and grease and line a 20cm x 10cm loaf tin with baking paper.⁣

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Sift spelt flour and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and cinnamon and stir to combine.⁣

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Beat olive oil and honey together in a separate bowl. Add eggs and beat well. Mash bananas into mixture, then add milk and vanilla and stir to combine.⁣

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Fold the wet ingredients through the dry ingredients until just combined. ⁣

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Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a skewer inserted to the middle comes out clean.

I’m always searching for yummy snacks for patients with dietary requirements. Top of the request list is sweet foods that can satisfy while still containing nutritious ingredients. Part of a dietitians job is sharing/adapting recipes for our patients - so I’m going to start sharing more of these recipes with you guys.

Tahini, Walnut & Dark Chocolate Biscuits I Serves 12

✅Gluten free ✅Low FODMAP (up to 2 biscuits) ✅Vegan

Ingredients 

1 1/4 cup almond meal

1/2 cup tahini

2 tbs olive oil

1 tsp vanilla

4 tbs pure maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped 

1/4 block dark chocolate, chopped (vegan options include Loving Earth)

For top: 1 tablespoon seeds of your choice

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Roll into 12 balls. Place on lined baking tray and press down lightly with back of fork. Cook in 160 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden.

Easy vegetarian Jacket Potatoes that are IBS and Coeliac friendly. There’s no denying the evidence, plant based diets help to lower inflammation and prevent chronic disease, including the number one killer - heart disease.

There are many different types of plant based diets, and while a one size (e.g. one diet) fits all approach never works, there are a few things that all plant based diets have in common: ⁣⁣

1. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (e.g. minimum 5 serves veg per day)⁣

2. Choose wholegrains and focus on variety (e.g instead of bread everyday try brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, millet etc.)⁣

3. Eat your legumes and lentils! And as often as possible

4. Snack on nuts and seeds ⁣

5. Use extra virgin plant based oils for cooking (e.g. extra virgin olive oil) ⁣

6. Limit red meat including beef, pork, lamb (e.g no more than 2 serves per week)⁣

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Jacket Potatoes with Spicy Slaw and Homemade Pesto | Serves 4⁣

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Ingredients⁣

4 medium sweet potatoes (regular potatoes for low FODMAP)⁣

1 packet supermarket slaw mix - my favourite is Coles Kaleslaw salad kit (shredded kale, carrot and red cabbage for low FODMAP) ⁣

1 tbsp Sriracha sauce (sambal oelek for low FODMAP)⁣

1/2 cup natural yoghurt (lactose free for low FODMAP) ⁣

1 1/2 bunch fresh herbs (I used basil and coriander) ⁣

1/3 cup peanuts ⁣

20-30g parmesan cheese ⁣

1 fresh red chilli 

Juice and zest of 1 lemon ⁣

1/3 cup EVOO⁣

2 cloves garlic (garlic infused EVOO in place of regular EVOO for low FODMAP)⁣

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Directions

Bake potatoes in 180 degree oven for 45-60 minutes until skins are crunchy.⁣

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Place fresh herbs, peanuts, parmesan, garlic, chilli, lemon juice/zest, salt (to taste) and EVOO in food processor and blend to desired consistency. ⁣

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Dress slaw with yoghurt and sriracha and put aside.

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When potatoes are cooked, cut open, spoon out centre and mash in a bowl with the pesto, a drizzle of EVOO and salt/pepper to taste. ⁣

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Spoon back into jackets, dollop slaw on top and serve with any of your favourite veg - my go to is sauté mushroom.

Quick and easy tuna pasta with recipe options for IBS and Coeliac. Fish is the major sources of long-chain omega-3 fats and is also rich in other important nutrients such as vitamin D and selenium, high in protein, and low in saturated fat. ⁣⁣The take home message for all of you meat eaters out there - replacing red meat (beef, lamb and pork) with fish 2 nights per week can make a big difference to your overall health. Even better - throw in at least 1 vego night per week! ⁣⁣⁣

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Tuna Pasta with Basil and Chilli | Serves 4 ⁣⁣⁣

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Ingredients⁣⁣⁣

1 tbsp EVOO⁣⁣⁣

1 red onion, finely chopped (low FODMAP option 1 cup green leek leaves) ⁣⁣⁣

1 red capsicum, diced ⁣⁣⁣

1 red chili, finely chopped⁣⁣⁣

1 tsp ground cinnamon⁣⁣⁣

1 bunch basil, leaves picked, stalks chopped⁣⁣⁣

2 Cans whole tomatoes (400g)⁣⁣⁣

2 Cans tuna in olive oil (280g)⁣⁣⁣

Sea and pepper to taste⁣⁣⁣

2 small/1 large lemon, zest and juice⁣⁣⁣

Generous handful grated parmesan⁣⁣⁣

Serve with San Remo pasta wholemeal spaghetti (Coeliac & low FODMAP option Casalare gluten free brown rice pasta)⁣⁣⁣

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Directions

Heat EVOO in heavy-bottomed pan and cook onion (or leek leaves), capsicum, chili, cinnamon and basil stalks on a medium heat for 5 minutes until vegetables have softened and are slightly sweet. ⁣⁣⁣

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Turn up heat and add tomatoes, tuna and a good pinch of salt. Bring to boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.⁣⁣⁣

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Toss pasta into the tuna and tomato sauce with the roughly torn basil leaves, lemon zest and juice and parmesan.⁣ ⁣

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Please note this post is not endorsed by any brands - I just know how much my patients love product recommendations!

For those of you with sensitive tummies I guarantee that this Ginger & Pumpkin Soup recipe will hit the spot! ⁣If you’re currently following a low FODMAP diet to manage IBS, it’s likely you’ve noticed that many high-fibre foods are also high in FODMAPs. This is very problematic considering that up to 70% of IBS sufferers display dysbiosis — an abnormal gut microbiota (e.g. imbalance of bacteria living in your large bowel). This is why I recommend to my patients that they incorporate low FODMAP prebiotic (a type of fibre that feeds your gut bugs) rich foods daily. Which can be as simple as adding a can of brown lentils to your soup, having 2 kiwis per day, or adding oats and chia seeds to your breakfast. ⁣

Pumpkin, Lentil and Ginger Soup | Serves 4⁣

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Ingredients⁣

2 carrots, diced ⁣

1 1/2 cups leek leaves ⁣

2 tbsp garlic infused EVOO ⁣

1/2 tbsp regular EVOO

1/2 Japanese pumpkin (do not use butternut - it contains mannitol & GOS which may trigger symptoms) ⁣

1 L vegetable stock (use Massel or Fodmapped brands) ⁣

1 can brown lentils, drained & rinsed thoroughly ⁣

Large nob ginger⁣

1 tsp cinnamon ⁣

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Directions⁣

1. Cut pumpkin and roast at 180 Celsius with regular EVOO and cinnamon until soft and golden. ⁣

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2. Sauté carrot, leek leaves and ginger (leave in large thumb sized pieces) with garlic infused EVOO on a medium heat until soft.

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3. Add stock and cooked pumpkin to pot and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes.

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4. Take off heat, remove ginger and blend until smooth, then add canned lentils and simmer again on medium heat for 5 minutes.

The nightshade (or Solanaceae) family is made up of tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, goji berries, tobacco and peppers. What do all of these fruits and vegetables have in common? They all contain alkaloids, a substance suspected to cause inflammation.

Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring compounds that are rich in nitrogen. There are literally thousands of identified alkaloids. They are produced not only by plants, but also by fungi, bacteria and even animals. For example, did you know that Adrenaline, an important hormone produced by the body to help us deal with stressful stimuli, is also classified as an alkaloid?

In plants most of the known functions of alkaloids are related to protection, and it is for this reason that nightshade fruits and vegetables are suspected to cause inflammation. Specifically, it is the glycoalkaloids, a subclass of alkaloids that includes solanine and chaconine, which are thought to possess pro-inflammatory effects once ingested. This is because these glycoalkaloids act as natural pesticides and fungicides that defend the plant against animals, insects and fungi that may attack them.

But is there really any evidence to suggest that we should be excluding these fruits and vegetables from our diets? Not according to current research. To date, there is little proof to suggest that the small quantities of glycoalkaloids present in nightshades, can produce dangerous effects when consumed as a part of a balanced diet. This claim is backed by The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, who have concluded that the levels of glycoalkaloids present in nightshade fruits and vegetables are not of a toxicological concern.

There is currently a limited number of studies available that explore the nutritional and inflammatory effects of glycoalkaloids. Further, to add to the confusion, the outcomes of these studies provide conflicting results. For example, a small number of mice studies have suggested that potato glycoalkaloids may adversely affect inflammatory bowel disease. However, by complete contrast, preliminary investigations using human cell studies, have demonstrated that these same glycoalkaloids may possess anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic benefits.

So what’s the bottom line? If you suffer from an inflammatory condition, be assured that there is currently no conclusive evidence to suggest that you should exclude nightshade fruits and vegetables from your diet. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables including nightshades can help you to live a longer and a healthier life, providing your body with a diverse range of nutrients and phytochemicals that benefit your health.

Collectively tomatoes, red peppers and eggplants offer rich dietary sources of carotenoids (including β-carotene and lycopene), polyphenols, vitamin C, and fibre - just to name a few! All of these food components are thought to possess anti-inflammatory effects, either through their ability to scavenge and remove dangerous free radicals from the body, or via the promotion of good gut health.

These fruits and vegetables also form a large component of the Mediterranean diet; this is a diet characterised by high intakes of fresh fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts/seeds and olive oil, and a moderate intake of fish and seafood. The Mediterranean diet is rich in antioxidants, heart healthy fats (including omega-3), and fibre. This explains why it has the potential to not only reduce elevated levels of inflammation in the body, but may also help to prevent the onset of many inflammatory conditions, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.