Low-FODMAP Diet
A short-term elimination and reintroduction process for some people with IBS.
What Is It?
The Low-FODMAP diet was developed by researchers at Monash University in Australia to manage irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols — short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and can cause bloating, gas, and pain.
How It Works
The diet has three phases. Phase 1 (Elimination): Remove all high-FODMAP foods for 2-6 weeks. Phase 2 (Reintroduction): Systematically test each FODMAP group to identify your triggers. Phase 3 (Personalization): Build a long-term diet that avoids only your specific triggers while maintaining maximum dietary variety.
Potential upsides
- Can reduce IBS symptoms for some people
- Reintroduction helps identify individual triggers
- Aims to restore dietary variety after testing
- Has a defined short-term process
+ Common foods
- •Low-FODMAP fruits (strawberries, oranges, grapes, kiwi)
- •Low-FODMAP vegetables (carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, spinach)
- •Proteins (meat, fish, eggs, firm tofu)
- •Grains (rice, oats, quinoa, corn)
- •Lactose-free dairy
- •Maple syrup (as sweetener)
− Typically limited or excluded
- •High-FODMAP fruits (apples, pears, watermelon, mango)
- •Onions and garlic
- •Wheat in large amounts
- •Legumes (beans, lentils)
- •Dairy with lactose (milk, soft cheeses)
- •Sugar alcohols (sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol)
- •Honey and high-fructose corn syrup
Sample day
An illustration, not a personal meal plan.
EVIDENCE What the research says
A low-FODMAP approach can help some people with IBS, but it is not intended as a permanent blanket restriction. The reintroduction and personalization phases matter. Because diagnosis and nutrient adequacy can be complex, guidance from a dietitian or clinician is useful.
Read the evidence