UPDATE Dec 2021: I just re-released my popular low FODMAP snacks ebook with 8 new recipes! It also includes a bonus list of 60 healthy low FODMAP snack ideas. Click here to learn more! Keep reading below for my top tips to make a healthy low FODMAP snack.
Let’s start off with defining what a snack means. When I say “snack”, I basically mean a mini meal that you eat between your main meals. A snack has healthy foods, a variety of nutrients and can be helpful for avoiding high hunger levels between meals. It’s so much easier to cook a healthy dinner if you aren’t ravenous! I recommend having 1 to 3 snacks per day – the number can vary based on your hunger levels.
What about cookies, chips, pastries, french fries, etc.? I call those foods “sometimes foods” “treats” or “desserts”. It’s perfectly okay to enjoy these foods occasionally, but we want to make sure most of the food we eat are nutritious.
A snack is also different from “grazing”. Grazing is munching on a small amount of food many times throughout the day. For example, if you had a piece of toast first thing in the morning, then some grapes on the way to work, and then a handful of chocolate at your desk, then 20 minutes later a bite of a muffin in the breakroom, and then some more grapes 30 minutes later… that is grazing. Eating a tiny amount of food won’t fill you up and you will likely feel hungry again soon after. Instead of grazing, plan out snacks that are healthy and filling.
Here are my top tips for making your healthy low FODMAP snacks filling and satisfying:
1) Two different food groups
If you include different food groups in your snack, you will get a greater variety of nutrients! For example, add sliced strawberries to lactose-free yogurt, or dip some crackers in peanut butter.
2) Protein
Eating protein can increase our satiety (aka how full we feel) and help us feel energized until our next meal. Some low FODMAP foods that contain protein include eggs, meat, poultry, hard cheeses, lactose-free yogurt and milk, nuts, seeds, tofu, and edamame.
3) Fibre
Protein isn’t the only filling nutrient! Fibre is also very low in calories and can help us to feel fuller. It is found in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and soy.
If diarrhea/loose bowel movements are an issue for you, soluble fibre will likely be better tolerated than insoluble (click here to learn more about fibre).
4) Limit added sugars and salt
Most processed snacks contain a lot of sugar and/or salt. Sugar adds a lot of calories to our diet but does not fill us up.
A small amount of sugar and salt can add flavour to our food and make our homemade snacks taste good! However, we want to limit snacks that are high in sugar and salt.
5) Eat enough calories
Cucumber slices are a healthy option, but they are very low in calories and won’t fill us up by itself. It’s important that our snacks have enough calories to give us energy.
Our calories requirements are influenced by many factors, including age, gender, size, activity levels and more. Aim for your snack to have approximately 100-200 calories – you can eat more or less depending on your hunger levels.
Try combining cucumber slices with some homemade hummus for a more filling snack. Or you can dip cucumbers in this the easy tzatziki dip, one of the recipes in my ebook!
What’s your favourite healthy snack?! I am currently obsessed with dipping veggies in tzatziki sauce! Let me know in the comments!
