If you’re a fan of pizza, and your stomach isn’t, you don’t necessarily have to avoid the family favorite. Choosing your ingredients carefully may help you avoid the uncomfortable gas, pain and bloating. Here’s what to do.
Start with this low-FODMAP pizza crust recipe from Monash University. It’s super easy to make, and unlike other crust recipes, doesn’t require any rise time. That means you can prepare it while your oven preheats and have dinner on the table in a flash. The key to making it tummy friendly is the gluten-free flour. Grains such as wheat and rye that contain gluten are high in oligosaccharides. That’s one of the carbohydrate types that should be avoided if you are following a low-FODMAP diet. Note: The low-FODMAP diet isn’t gluten-free, but it is low in this particularly pesky protein.
Need a primer on FODMAPs and why they sometimes cause digestive distress? Check out our guide.
Be careful when it comes to sauce. Many prepared pizza sauces contain onions and garlic, two ingredients that are best avoided if your insides are sensitive. Look for a sauce without onion and garlic, or simply use slices of fresh tomatoes brushed with oil.
Before you load on the toppings, keep in mind that every gut is different. Also, FODMAPs stack. So a little here and a little there may add up to a big pain in the gut if you are sensitive.
FODMAP-friendly veggie toppings
Olives
Green peppers
Oyster mushrooms
Spinach
Fresh pineapple
FODMAP-friendly meat toppings
Chicken
Ham
Bacon
Shrimp
Sausage is okay if it is free of onions and peppers
Just a reminder, a low-FODMAP diet is not a dairy-free diet. Your body may be able to handle a moderate amount of cheese, but not ample portions of mozzarella, Parmesan and Romano. Monash gives the nod to up to ½ cup of mozzarella. Go easy if you’re sensitive to lactose, or choose a lactose-free variety.
A friendly note about fiber
A low-FODMAP diet can help you discover which foods are triggering your gas, bloating or Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. That’s a good thing! But it may also lead to constipation due to a lower fiber intake.
A FODMAP-friendly fiber supplement can help. According to Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Derek Timm, “Some fiber supplements are high in FODMAPs. Fiber supplements containing inulin, GOS, wheat dextrin and IMOs; are all ingredients which should be avoided by those looking to reduce FODMAPs in their diet.”
Sunfiber uses clinically proven guar fiber as its fiber source. It can help address the fiber deficiency, without worsening of symptoms, during the elimination phase of the low-FODMAP dietary program.
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