FODMAP food list: Free template

A FODMAP food list is a structured reference that organizes foods by their fermentable carbohydrate content. It separates the low FODMAP options a patient can eat freely from the trigger foods highest in FODMAPs.

FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) are short-chain carbohydrates the small intestine absorbs poorly. They ferment in the large bowel, where they trigger bloating, gas, and pain in people with IBS and related functional gastrointestinal disorders.

This guide breaks the food down across every major category, so dietitians and practitioners can walk patients through the elimination and reintroduction phases. The low FODMAP diet was developed by researchers at Monash University and remains the gold standard for IBS dietary management. Clinical evidence supports it for reducing symptom severity in 50-76% of IBS patients under professional supervision.

Key takeaways

A FODMAP food list organizes foods by fermentable carbohydrate content, so you can guide patients through elimination and reintroduction.

Low FODMAP foods are safe in standard portions, while high FODMAP foods are avoided completely during the elimination phase.

The protocol runs in three phases: Elimination over 2-6 weeks, reintroduction over 6-8 weeks, then long-term personalization.

Portion size decides the rating, so a handout that names a food without its serve size will mislead the patient.

Practice management software like Pabau lets you share the list, track adherence, and record tolerance patterns in one system.

What is a FODMAP food list and why it matters

The FODMAP food list separates foods into low (safe) and high (trigger) categories based on how fermentable their short-chain carbohydrates are. FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. These carbohydrates pass into the large intestine largely unabsorbed.

Gut bacteria ferment them there, producing gas and bloating. They also draw water into the bowel, which is what turns a meal into cramping and urgency a few hours later.

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), or another functional GI disorder react to high FODMAP foods. The result is abdominal pain, distension, diarrhea, and constipation. A consultation structured around the list helps practitioners find and remove those triggers, which reduces flares and improves quality of life.

Low FODMAP foods by category

Low FODMAP foods are safe in standard portions during the elimination phase. Portion size is what decides the rating. One stalk of celery is low FODMAP, and two stalks are high. The reference below is organized by food group and follows Monash University FODMAP research, the authoritative source for food ratings.

Low FODMAP vegetables

• Carrots, green beans, zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers (red, yellow, green)
• Bok choy, broccoli (green florets only), cucumber, lettuce, spinach
• Olives, tomatoes, parsnip (small quantity), pumpkin
• Celery (1 stalk max per meal), corn, ginger root

Low FODMAP fruits

• Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, kiwifruit, orange, mandarin
• Banana (unripe/green), cantaloupe, honeydew melon, lemon, lime
• Passionfruit, pineapple (1 cup max), rhubarb, dragon fruit

Low FODMAP grains, bread & starches

• Rice, rice noodles, rice cakes, gluten-free bread (certified, low FODMAP variety)
• Oats (1 serving max), quinoa, polenta, tapioca, potato, sweet potato
• Corn tortillas, rice pasta, buckwheat

Low FODMAP and gluten-free are separate restrictions, so check certified products rather than assuming the two overlap. A patient who needs both can work from a gluten-free diet plan alongside this list.

Low FODMAP protein sources

• Beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey (unbreaded, plain)
• Fish and seafood: Salmon, tuna, cod, shrimp, canned fish (in water)
• Eggs (all preparations), tofu (firm), tempeh

Low FODMAP dairy & alternatives

• Lactose-free milk, almond milk (unsweetened), rice milk, oat milk (low FODMAP certified)
• Hard cheeses (cheddar, parmesan) – aging leaves the lactose content negligible
• Feta – a soft brined cheese rather than a hard one, but still low FODMAP at about 40 g
• Lactose-free yogurt (plain, unsweetened), lactose-free butter, lactose-free ice cream

Low FODMAP nuts, seeds, condiments & beverages

• Nuts: Macadamia, peanuts, pine nuts, almonds (10 nuts max per serving)
• Cashews only in activated or soaked form, at about 15 g. Regular cashews are high FODMAP at any normal serve
• Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds
• Condiments: Salt, pepper, herbs (fresh or dried), garlic-infused oil (garlic solids removed), soy sauce, white vinegar
• Beverages: Water, coffee, tea (black, green, herbal), juice (small quantities of low FODMAP fruit juice)

High FODMAP foods to avoid during elimination

High FODMAP foods are the primary trigger sources, and they are removed completely during the elimination phase of 2-6 weeks. Each one carries fermentable carbohydrates at concentrations shown to provoke GI symptoms in susceptible patients.

The three phases of the low FODMAP diet

The low FODMAP diet runs as a three-phase protocol, and each phase has its own clinical objective. Success rests on patient adherence and on systematic tracking of the symptom response.

Phase 1: Elimination (2-6 weeks)

The elimination phase removes all high FODMAP foods to establish a symptom-free baseline. Most practitioners recommend 2-6 weeks under dietitian supervision, depending on symptom severity. Patients eat only low FODMAP foods and beverages, and they record symptom frequency, severity, and suspected triggers.

A printable food diary template keeps that record consistent enough to read back at the next appointment.

Phase 2: Reintroduction (6-8 weeks)

Once symptoms settle, reintroduction tests one high FODMAP food at a time over 3-7 days. Monash and clinical guidance put the full reintroduction process at roughly 6-8 weeks. Each food is tested in increasing portions, and the symptom response is documented against the portion that produced it.

Many patients discover during this phase that they tolerate small quantities of foods they had cut out entirely.

Phase 3: Personalization (ongoing)

The personalization phase builds each patient’s own tolerance map. The aim is a sustainable long-term diet that keeps food variety as wide as possible while symptoms stay quiet. Many patients bring back 50-70% of previously avoided foods at lower portions.

The downloadable PDF is formatted for practice use. Print it, share it through a secure patient portal, or attach it to your consultation notes.

How to use the list with patients

Handing the list over once is not patient education. Weight loss practices that already run structured diet programs have most of this workflow in place, and the same five steps apply to FODMAP work.

1. Baseline consultation: Present the list at the first FODMAP consultation. Explain the elimination phase and why the first 2-6 weeks need strict adherence.
2. Symptom tracking: Ask the patient to keep a food and symptom diary, noting portion sizes, timing, and GI symptoms. That record is what identifies the remaining trigger patterns.
3. Document in patient notes: Record the patient’s baseline FODMAP knowledge, symptom severity score, dietary restrictions, and the elimination timeline you agreed.
4. Reintroduction guidance: Share the list again during phase 2, highlighting which foods get tested and in what order. Sequence it around the symptoms that bothered the patient most in phase 1.
5. Personalization mapping: After testing, write a personalized summary of safe foods, borderline foods, and absolute triggers. Tie each one to the symptom response that placed it there.

What changes for SIBO patients

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth overlaps with IBS but has a different mechanism. The excess bacteria sit in the small intestine itself, rather than arising from colon dysbiosis. The low FODMAP diet is one of several dietary approaches used for SIBO, and it is usually combined with further restrictions.

Antimicrobial or probiotic protocols run alongside it under gastroenterology supervision. For SIBO-specific guidance, follow the patient’s gastroenterologist and Cleveland Clinic low-FODMAP diet guidance, because SIBO management is more nuanced than IBS dietary modification alone.

Why a dietitian should supervise the protocol

Dietitian supervision is strongly recommended. This list is a comprehensive reference, but individual FODMAP tolerance varies widely from patient to patient.

A registered dietitian experienced in the low FODMAP protocol can tailor elimination timelines, portion guidance, and reintroduction sequencing. That tailoring is what holds adherence together across the 8-14 weeks the full protocol usually takes.

Food ratings are revised as new testing data arrives, so check the Monash University FODMAP app before you print an updated handout. A nutrition assessment form captures the dietary history and symptom baseline you will measure that progress against.

How Pabau supports a low FODMAP program

Most practices email the list as a PDF attachment and then wait for the patient to bring a paper diary to the next appointment. The diary gets lost, the elimination start date lives in somebody’s memory, and the reintroduction schedule is rebuilt from scratch at each visit.

Pabau keeps the whole program on one patient record. You share the food list through the patient portal and collect the food and symptom diary as a digital form. Each response then sits beside the appointment it belongs to.

The result is a tolerance map you can read in seconds at the next consultation. Nobody retypes a diary, and the reintroduction sequence picks up where the last visit left it.

Run FODMAP programs from one patient record

Share the food list through the patient portal, collect food and symptom diaries as digital forms, and keep tolerance notes on the patient’s record.

Book a demo

Conclusion

The FODMAP food list turns IBS management from trial and error into a structured three-phase protocol. Eliminate the triggers, reintroduce them one at a time, then personalize what the patient keeps.

Applied under supervision, that sequence brings significant symptom relief to 50-76% of IBS patients. The trade-off worth remembering is the portion line. A food named on a handout without its serve size will send a patient straight back into symptoms.

Download the free PDF above and pair it with a dietitian’s supervision. Then book a demo to see how Pabau keeps the diary, the notes, and the tolerance map on one record.

Continue your research

Managing a different GI trigger list? Diverticulitis diet plan sets out the same eliminate-then-rebuild structure for a different condition.

Need a gentler starting point? Bland diet food list template gives patients a short, low-irritant food list while symptoms are still acute.

Is reflux in the picture too? 7-day GERD diet plan maps a week of meals for patients whose symptoms overlap with reflux.

Rebuilding fiber after elimination? High fiber diet plan helps you raise intake again without undoing the reintroduction work.

Frequently asked questions