Sugar, even the natural sugars found in fruits, can speed gut motility and aggravate IBS symptoms. Don’t overdo sugar and fruits and avoid concentrated sources, including fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates, dried fruits, candies, and syrups.
Flavor Without Fat
Fat enhances the taste of food, infuses flavors throughout a dish, boosts satiety, and improves the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, so many of the recipes in this book include fat in modest quantities. But fat is also a common trigger for people suffering with IBS. If fat is a trigger for you, limit the amount of fat you have at meal, use water or Good-to-Your-Gut Vegetable Stock rather than oil for cooking and stir-frying, and keep nuts and their butters to a minimum. In addition, season your foods with low-FODMAP fat-free options, such as scallion greens, fresh and dried herbs, spices, and spice blends that are free of onion and garlic (as these are also IBS triggers). Excellent fat-free choices are All-Purpose Herb Blend , Tan-Tan Spice Mix , Sweet-n-Savory Spice Mix , Good-to-Your-Gut Ketchup , Good-to-Your-Gut Sriracha Sauce , tamari, balsamic vinegar, and rice vinegar.
In fact, vinegars in general make ideal fat-free seasonings, but of particular note are flavored balsamics (see Resources ), which can range from sweet to fruity to citrusy to spicy. Chocolate and strawberry balsamics are swoon-worthy when drizzled over almond-milk ice cream or yogurt, cantaloupe, kiwi, pineapple, or strawberries. Lemon and chile balsamics add a jolt of flavor to vegetables as well as rice and other gluten-free grains. And high-quality pomegranate, traditional dark, and white (also called “golden”) balsamic vinegars make exquisite salad dressings on their own.
