Being vegan on a low FODMAP diet

Are you vegan and following a low FODMAP diet? The combination of these dietary restrictions can make finding nutritious food choices difficult, but as you’ll discover, not impossible. 

A vegan diet excludes all animal-derived products, meaning meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy, eggs, animal fats, and honey are all off limits. Vegans instead must rely on plant-based foods to meet their nutritional needs, such as fruit, vegetables, breads, cereals, grains, legumes, lentils, soy products, nuts and seeds. As you can see from this list, many of the foods suitable on a vegan diet are naturally high in FODMAPs, which is why balancing the two dietary restrictions is difficult. 

It is also where the expertise of a dietitian comes in. Unless a low FODMAP, vegan diet is carefully planned, the diet will be deplete of essential nutrients including protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega 3 fatty acids and fibre.

So what foods are suitable to eat on a low FODMAP, vegan diet? Below is a brief list. Just remember to check the Monash app for serving sizes and consult with an experienced dietitian about balancing your diet and managing your symptoms.

• Milk alternatives: coconut milk, almond milk, hemp milk, rice milk and soy milk (made from protein)
• Soy products: Firm tofu, tempeh
• Grains: polenta, buckwheat, quinoa, oats, amaranth, bourghul, millet, rice and sorghum flour
• Nuts: brazil nuts, peanuts, macadamias, pecans, almonds (1/2 serve), walnuts
• Seeds: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, tahini paste (1/2 serve) and sesame seeds
• Fruit: Firm bananas, strawberries (5 mediums), orange, kiwi, mandarins
• Vegetables: carrots, eggplant, green beans, green capsicum, kale, potato, tomato (common tomatoes are low in 65g or approx. 1/2 of a tomato) and zucchini
• Pulses: canned lentils, butter beans (1/2 serve), canned chickpeas (1/2 serve), red/green lentils (1/2 serve)