Calcium, Iron and Fibre on a Low FODMAP Diet
Being on a low FODMAP diet feels like you are always missing out on something. And unfortunately besides a lot of delicious foods, it is also important nutrients. And while many of us don’t have a choice but to stay on such a restrictive diet to keep those tummy problems at bay, it becomes super important to change the way we cut out foods and instead replace them, to ensure your diet is still giving you enough of everything you need.
With the foods cut out in a low FODMAP diet, it’s probably no surprise that most FODMAPPER’s out there aren’t getting enough calcium, iron and fibre. While it isn’t as simple as adding a little Greek yoghurt to your day, its not impossible to meet your daily requirements either. And don’t feel bad, the general population on a non-restrictive diet don’t get enough calcium, iron or fibre either!
Calcium is super important to the body as it carries out a lot of important functions such as making muscles move, helping nerves carry messages between the brain and every part of the body, helping blood vessels move blood throughout the body, helping release hormones and enzymes to make the body function and of course to maintain strong bones, something that becomes super important as we get older. It becomes really important if you are pregnant or planning on being, as you are developing a little person’s entire skeletal system and that is a lot of bones!
When most people think of calcium they think of dairy, and it’s true that dairy foods are a great source of calcium. But luckily there are other sources of calcium for those that can’t handle the dairy. These include tin salmon, soy protein based milks and cheeses (Soy protein - not whole soy products. Whole soy will most likely be on your intolerance list), fortified almond milks and yoghurts, fortified coconut yoghurt, firm tofu, kale, broccoli, chia seeds, fortified cereals and of course lactose free dairy products.
To get the most calcium out of your food there are two things that will help. Try to limit salt and coffee with meals containing the above foods. Salt will increase the excretion (getting rid of the calcium out of your body) and coffee can inhibit absorption. This does not mean don’t have coffee at all; it just means that it is important to have calcium sources at a different time to your brew. You can easily do this by having your morning coffee then eating later (25-30 mins) or having coffee away from main meal times.
Iron is extremely important for energy and to help carry oxygen around your body, while also being quite helpful in maintaining healthy cells, skin, hair and nails. Iron deficiency is common not only to those on a low FODMAP diet but also to most of the population in Australia. For vegetarian FODDMAPER’s this is not surprise as most plant based iron sources are generally higher in FODMAP’s. For non-vegetarians this can still be higher due to a lack of vitamin C helping absorb the iron.
While meats are an obvious choice for iron sources there are still FODMAP friendly vegetarian options including tofu, eggs, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, raw spinach and iron fortified breads cereals. To increase that iron absorption adding Vitamin C to these options is highly recommended. Strawberries, kiwi fruit, red capsicum, tomatoes, oranges, kale and broccoli are all great tummy friendly options. Try having things like quinoa porridge with strawberries or eggs with tomatoes. For lunch or dinner try a salad containing spinach, kale, roasted red capsicum topped with pumpkin seeds or a stir fry containing broccoli, capsicum, meat or tofu served with a quinoa and rice mix. Remember to also avoid coffee at meal times to get the best absorption!
With so many fruits, vegetables and grains on the out list, it’s little surprise that fibre in lacking in most FODMAPPER’s diets. Besides being mega important to digesting food properly, fibre also helps to lower blood cholesterol levels and can help with weight loss thanks to its ability to make us feel fuller for longer.
The best source of fibre will always be fruits and vegetables, and while plenty are on the banned list there are still plenty that get the green light (some depending on serve amounts!) that should be making up your five serves. Broccoli, kale, spinach, tomatoes, red capsicum, sweet potato, potato, pumpkin, carrot, cucumber, strawberries, raspberries, oranges, kiwi fruit – there are plenty to still choose from! Other sources of fibre are still also essential and can be tolerable, including LSA, almonds, quinoa, GF cereals, buckwheat flours, brown rice and rolled oats.
A balanced diet that ticks of all the nutritional requirements that us humans need to function is important. So as the old campaign says ‘ Don’t stop it, swap it’!
Rach
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