Don’t let the low FODMAP diet hold you back from enjoying a good breakfast. From oatmeal to cold cereal, fibre-filled smoothies to easy proteins, this list of 25 low FODMAP breakfast ideas should reassure you that there are lots of easy and tasty options that are also gut-friendly.
Low FODMAP toast
Whether you toast bread, bagels or English muffins, “toast” is a pretty common breakfast food. Breads made from wheat and rye (and barley) contain fructans, the FODMAP we aim to limit on the low FODMAP diet. Therefore, you have two primary low FODMAP toast options: gluten-free or sourdough. Although sourdough bread contains wheat, the fermentation process breaks down the fructans, thereby rendering it low FODMAP.
How to adorn your toast? Let us count the ways:
- Peanut butter and firm banana slices;
- Almond butter (1 Tbsp) and jam;
- Fried egg and cheese – open-faced toast or egg McMuffin-style in an English muffin.
- Avocado – Yup, that’s right! Monash University re-tested avocado recently and increased the low FODMAP serving size from 30 grams to 60 grams – so avocado toast is back on the menu!);
- Smoked salmon with lactose-free cream cheese;
- Bacon, tomato and lettuce;
- Homemade low FODMAP hummus and cucumber;
- Cheese and tomato.
Oatmeal and other low FODMAP hot cereals
Since I’m writing this blog in December, it’s fitting that our journey through low FODMAP breakfast ideas begins with hot cereal. Perhaps the best-known hot cereal is oatmeal, which is basically oat grains cooked in water – who knew?! Oatmeal is incredibly simple and makes a great base for nutritious additions like fruit, nuts, seeds, yogurt, and even protein powder.
If you don’t like oatmeal or it triggers digestive symptoms, several other low FODMAP grains can also be cooked in water to create hot cereal.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal made from rolled oats and topped with low FODMAP fruit and nuts (or seeds) is the ultimate gut-friendly breakfast. If you have time, consider slow-cooking your oatmeal in lactose-free milk for a extra protein and a creamy almost rice-pudding-like consistency.
In a rush? Try the individual packages of plain instant oatmeal and add low FODMAP fruit and nuts for a heartier meal on the go.
Overnight oats with chia is a popular option for a quick and easy breakfast before work. Prepare it the night before and enjoy it cold or warmed in the microwave.
Baked oatmeal
Baked oatmeal is having a moment right now. If you haven’t heard of it, baked oatmeal involves combining many of the ingredients you might enjoy in your usual oatmeal and then baking the mixture in the oven to produce a sort of soft oatmeal square. It’s easy to make on a Sunday and heat up for a quick, soluble-fibre rich breakfast all week. Give this low FODMAP blueberry walnut baked oatmeal a try for a modern take on a classic.
Quinoa porridge
If oatmeal isn’t your jam or you’re looking to change things up, consider this hot quinoa porridge with berries and cinnamon or a cool low FODMAP quinoa yogurt parfait.
Millet porridge
Yup, millet porridge is a thing. Try this stovetop cinnamon-spiced millet porridge for yet another oatmeal alternative.
Chia pudding
Similar to oatmeal, chia pudding is chock full of gut-friendly soluble fibre that can do double duty in alleviating both constipation and diarrhea. Like the hot cereals listed above, this coconut chia pudding with cantaloupe can be enjoyed both warm or cold.
Low FODMAP breakfast cereal
Breakfast cereal is usually heavily processed, low in fibre and high in sugar. Only a small list of cereals have been certified as low FODMAP in the Monash University FODMAP app, and unfortunately most of them are low in fibre.
Tips for choosing a healthier breakfast cereal:
- Watch out for sneaky FODMAPs by checking the ingredients list for high FODMAP items such as inulin, sugar alcohols, and barley.
- For cereals made with mostly oat and oat flour, keep your portion modest (eg. 1/2-3/4 cup) to reduce the risk of consuming too many FODMAPs.
- Use a low FODMAP milk like lactose free milk or unsweetened and fortified almond milk.
- Round out your cold cereal breakfasts with a low FODMAP fruit and a boiled egg for protein (especially if you use almond milk, which is low in protein).
- If you choose a lower fibre gluten-free cereal, like Rice Krispies, consider adding chia seeds, flax seeds, or a high fibre breakfast topper like Nature’s Path Qi’a breakfast topper (Chia, Buckwheat & Hemp Superfood Breakfast Topper Cereal).
Healthier low FODMAP breakfast cereals:
- Nature’s Path Mesa Sunrise Cereal (5 grabs fibre and 6 grams sugar per 46g cereal).
- Quaker Corn Squares (3 grams fibre per 30 grams, or 4 grams fibre and 8 grams sugar per 45 grams).
- Cheerios – Multigrain (3 grams fibre and 8 grams sugar per 45 grams).
Low FODMAP yogurt parfaits
Similar to smoothies and hot cereal, low FODMAP yogurt parfaits can be made from many different ingredient combinations.
Start with lactose-free yogurt (or coconut yogurt), add a low FODMAP fruit like blueberries, firm banana slices or kiwi, and sprinkle low FODMAP granola or low FODMAP nuts & seeds on top.
For some yummy, homemade low FODMAP granola, try:
- Low FODMAP granola with buckwheat, pecans and maple syrup
- High protein quinoa and oat granola.
- Maple walnut granola.
Low FODMAP breakfast baked goods
Pancakes
Fluffy low FODMAP pancakes make getting up on Saturday morning a whole lot easier! Consider freezing some pancakes and reheating them during the work week when time is tight.
Muffins
Blueberry flax muffins are high in fibre and easy to snatch from the freezer for a quick breakfast on the go.
French toast
If you’re not keen on gluten-free bread, try this low FODMAP sourdough cinnamon French toast recipe for a tastier alternative.
Breakfast cookies
Low FODMAP cookies for breakfast? Yup! With these Ultimate Healthy Breakfast Cookies, dessert becomes a healthy breakfast.
Low FODMAP smoothies
Even on a low FODMAP diet, which is fairly restrictive, there are many combinations for low FODMAP smoothies as long as your portion is around 1 cup. Here are a few tasty options:
- Kiwi-based smoothies that can help keep your bowels moving regularly.
- Chocolate peanut butter smoothie.
- Blueberry chia smoothie.
- Low FODMAP strawberry smoothie.
Low FODMAP breakfast delivery options
Gut Feelings is a Canadian low FODMAP meal delivery service that offers two oat bowl options that you pop in the microwave and away you go:
- Chai latte oat bowl.
- Peanut butter and jelly oat bowl.
Similarly, Modify Health in the US also has low FODMAP breakfast options for delivery (eg. blueberry rice porridge with almonds and breakfast vegetable scramble).
Breakfast proteins
Eggs
There are many egg dish options for breakfast. If you want to keep things super simple, boil some eggs on the weekend, leave them in their shells, store them in the fridge, and grab one when you need one. Fried eggs are pretty easy too, but take about 5-10 minutes on the stove.
Egg bites
Low FODMAP egg muffins with spinach, peppers and bacon are easy to grab and go, and make a great protein accompaniment to carb-heavy foods like hot or cold cereal, toast and muffins.
Smoked salmon
Smoked salmon works great on a sourdough or gluten-free bagel with capers, lemon, dill, cucumber, and lactose-free cream cheese.
Scrambled tofu
No list of low FODMAP breakfast ideas would be complete without a solid vegan option, like this scrambled tofu recipe. Firm tofu is low FODMAP 1 cup (170 grams) or less.
Sausage and bacon
Sausage and bacon are processed meats that are high in saturated fat and sodium. Eating them once in a while is perfectly fine, but I wouldn’t suggest that they be a daily or even a weekly staple in anyone’s diet.
If you eat sausage or bacon more than once a week, try a lower saturated fat version like turkey sausage or turkey bacon.
Dairy
Since dairy contains lactose, which is one of the restricted FODMAPs on the low FODMAP diet, choose lactose-free milk, yogurt and soft cheeses (eg cream cheese, ricotta). If you prefer to go dairy-free, choose low FODMAP dairy alternatives like unsweetened almond milk and coconut yogurt.
Dairy-based breakfasts:
- Lactose-free cottage cheese with low FODMAP fruit (eg. canned pineapple) or low FODMAP vegetables (eg. cucumber).
- Yogurt parfaits – see above.
- Cheese board – hard cheese, gluten-free crackers like Mary’s, low FODMAP nuts, seeds and fruits. Note: hard cheeses like cheddar and mozzarella are very low in lactose, so you don’t need to buy the lactose-free version.
Can’t have eggs, dairy or oats?
Instead of eggs, try scrambled tofu, nut butter, turkey sausage or bacon.
Swap out lactose-free milk for fortified, unsweetened almond milk.
Replace lactose-free yogurt with coconut yogurt.
Instead of oats, try a different hot cereal like quinoa porridge (see hot cereal section above for more ideas).
As you can see, there are many low FODMAP breakfast ideas out there waiting for you to discover. If you need more help navigating meals on the low FODMAP diet, then give me a shout.
xoAndrea, RD
