A Low-FODMAP Grocery List, Aisle by Aisle

The first low-FODMAP grocery trip takes about twice as long as a normal one. You stand in the bread aisle reading labels, put a jar of pasta sauce back because it lists onion, and get home to find the chicken broth you grabbed has garlic in it too.

This list is meant to make that trip shorter. It is sorted the way most stores are laid out, it names the swaps that cover most cooking, and it flags the foods where the amount matters more than the food itself. Use it for your first shop, then keep it on the fridge.

Before you shop: three things to know

• Serving size is part of the answer. Many foods are low-FODMAP in a small portion and high-FODMAP in a large one. Sweet potato, avocado, canned chickpeas and almonds are common examples. Monash University, which developed the diet, keeps the current serving sizes in its app, and that app is the place to check an amount.
• Onion and garlic are the big ones. They show up in broth, sauces, spice blends, sausages, crackers and deli meat. Most of your label reading is looking for them.
• Low-FODMAP is a different diet from gluten-free. Wheat is limited because of the fructans it contains, which is why traditional sourdough spelt bread can be fine while some gluten-free breads made with inulin or apple are not.

Produce

Vegetables to buy

Carrots, cucumber, eggplant, green beans, kale, lettuce, baby spinach, potatoes, parsnips, bok choy, bean sprouts, red bell pepper and tomatoes. For flavor, buy scallions (use only the green tops), chives, fresh ginger and fresh herbs such as basil, parsley and cilantro.

Fruit to buy

Firm bananas, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, kiwi, grapes, pineapple and cantaloupe. One serving of fruit at a time is a good habit, since several servings in one sitting add up.

Small servings only

Zucchini, sweet potato, avocado, butternut squash, celery and broccoli are all low-FODMAP in a small portion. Buy them, and check the app for how much counts as small.

Leave on the shelf for now

Onions, garlic, the white part of leeks and scallions, most mushrooms, cauliflower, asparagus, apples, pears, watermelon, mango, cherries and stone fruit like peaches and plums.

Meat, seafood and protein

Plain, unseasoned meat and fish are low-FODMAP: chicken, beef, pork, lamb, turkey, salmon, white fish and shrimp. Eggs, firm tofu and tempeh round out the list. The things to read carefully are anything marinated, breaded, pre-seasoned or processed. Sausage, rotisserie chicken, deli turkey and meatballs very often contain onion or garlic powder.

Dairy and eggs

• Buy: lactose-free milk, lactose-free yogurt, butter, and hard or aged cheeses such as cheddar, parmesan, Swiss and mozzarella. Feta and brie are low-FODMAP too.
• Non-dairy milk: unsweetened almond milk is a common choice. If you buy soy milk, pick one made from soy protein, since soy milk made from whole soybeans is high-FODMAP.
• Skip for now: regular milk, regular yogurt and ice cream, which are high in lactose.

Bread, grains and pasta

Rice (white or brown), rolled oats, quinoa, polenta, rice noodles, gluten-free pasta, corn tortillas and traditional sourdough spelt bread. For gluten-free bread and crackers, read the ingredient list, because some add inulin, chicory root, apple or pear for fiber and sweetness.

Pantry

• Oils and condiments: garlic-infused oil, olive oil, soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, and maple syrup for sweetness.
• Canned and jarred: canned diced tomatoes with no onion or garlic, canned lentils and chickpeas (rinsed, in small portions), and peanut butter.
• Nuts and seeds: walnuts, peanuts, macadamias, pecans and pumpkin seeds. Cashews and pistachios are high-FODMAP.
• Spices: single spices instead of blends. Cumin, paprika, oregano, turmeric, chili flakes, black pepper and dried herbs are all fine on their own. Taco seasoning, curry blends and most rubs contain onion or garlic powder.
• Broth: regular broth almost always contains onion and garlic. Look for a broth labeled low-FODMAP, or make a small batch with the vegetables above.

The label checklist

When you pick up a packaged food, these are the ingredients to look for:

• Onion or garlic, including powder, salt and dehydrated forms
• Inulin, chicory root, or chicory root fiber
• Honey, agave and high-fructose corn syrup
• Apple or pear juice concentrate, often used as a sweetener
• Sugar alcohols ending in -ol, such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol and maltitol, common in sugar-free gum, candy and protein bars

The printable list

This covers a first week of cooking for one or two people, with enough variety for the dinners in our low-FODMAP dinners for a busy week. Cross off what you already have in the pantry.

Shopping for a household that doesn't eat low-FODMAP

In most homes one person is on the diet and everyone else isn't. You don't need two carts. Buy the low-FODMAP base for the shared dinner, and let the others add onion or garlic to their own plate at the end. A small dish of sautéed onions on the table works for tacos, bowls and pasta. One dinner, different diets has more on cooking one meal for several needs.

The list for next week

A printed list covers the staples. What it can't do is change with the week: seven dinners need seven sets of ingredients, and rebuilding the list every Sunday is the part that wears people down.

Eat Roostly builds that list for you. Set low-FODMAP as a diet for whoever needs it, along with anyone else's allergies or diets in the house, and each week's dinners are planned with the swaps already made. Connect Google Calendar and the planner reads your evenings first, so a late night gets something quick and a night away gets nothing planned and nothing bought. The week becomes one shopping list grouped by aisle, and if you shop at Kroger you can send it straight to your cart.