Eating out on a low FODMAP diet: Greek cuisine

When dining out, our advice is to limit rich, spicy, heavily flavoured or sauced foods such as curries, soups or pasta dishes.  We also advise you choose plain meat or fish dishes with plain rice or rice noodles, baked potatoes served with fresh salads or steamed vegetables.

Pizza restaurants are a popular eatery among Australians.  Many of them now make gluten-free bases and all you need to do is choose low FODMAP toppings.  But have you ever thought about going Greek for a low FODMAP meal? Because it’s not all about garlic and onions.  

Whilst we recommend you avoid dips, moussaka, pasticho (baked pasta with béchamel sauce) and the honey based desserts – there is still plenty to choose from. 

Some classic foods that can be found at most traditional Greek restaurants and are low FODMAP include:           

• Saganaki with lemon - a grilled Greek cheese
• Haloumi -  a Cypriot cheese which is often grilled       
• Olives – ask for plain olives or with a marinade of olive oil and rosemary or oregano with coriander seeds (no garlic)
• Horta - pan fried wild greens, lemon, olive oil
• Elliniki Salata – lettuce, tomato, cucumber, olives – olive oil, vinegar based dressing with herbs (ask for no onion)
• Plain Greek yoghurt – if you are not lactose intolerant or simply ask for a small amount
• Chargrilled fish, scallops
• Htapodi - chargrilled octopus, olive oil, lemon.
• Garithes- Chargrilled tiger prawns, ouzo spiced salt            
• Quail
• Tiganites Patates - potatoes fried in olive oil, oregano, salt                    
• Psites patates – roasted potatoes
• Arni Sto Fourno - Slow roasted shoulder of lamb on the bone
• Chicken from the spit
• Mixed grills - with salad and patates 

In loving memory of Amanda Banfield