The warm weather has officially arrived! Welcome to summer – yeah! One of the best things about summer is the fresh, local produce available at farmer’s markets and grocery stores. Sweet strawberries, juicy cherry tomatoes, fresh zucchini… real food goodness! Sometimes it’s challenging to not fill my basket with a little too much when I see all these delicious local treats, so when I have an excess of beautiful produce, I like to get creative with fresh salads with loads of different ingredients.

Salads are a simple way to add more tasty, seasonal vegetables to your menus. If you experience digestive distress however, salads and salad dressings can be full of ingredients that may trigger symptoms. To make sure your salad is nutritious, delicious, and digestive-friendly, follow these three steps:

Step 1: Start with low FODMAP ingredients

A salad is a dish of endless possibilities! They can be as simple as couple of ingredients tossed in a light dressing on the side of a meal like quinoa, grilled red peppers, kalamata olives and feta cheese or you can make a balanced meal. When creating a meal-type salad, simply add protein like chicken or shrimp, grains like quinoa or wild rice, cheese, nuts or fruit. Whatever type of salad you’re going for, the trick to a digestive-friendly salad is choosing low FODMAP ingredients. Foods high in FODMAPs can be difficult to digest causing uncomfortable IBS symptoms like gas, bloating and abdominal discomfort. To find out what ingredients are low or high in FODMAPs, download the Monash University Low FODMAP App And don’t worry… there are loads of great low FODMAP salad ingredients like baby kale, arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, nuts, seeds and all kinds of cheese!

Step 2: Low FODMAP salad dressing

Salad dressings are tricky as they tend to be full an array of ingredients to make them tasty and some are high FODMAP. Some ingredients that may trigger digestive symptoms include onions (or onion powder), garlic (or garlic powder), milk, apple cider vinegar, and gums (xanthan gum). Again, take a look at the app recommended above to know which ingredients to avoid. My suggestion to help reduce gas, bloating and other symptoms of IBS is to make a homemade dressing. It may sound intimidating, but trust me it’s a simple way to be sure what you’re eating will make you feel great!

There are 4 parts to a balanced and flavourful vinaigrette: acid, oil, sweet, and flavour enhancers. My process of making salad dressing is less of a recipe and more of a formula. Simply pick from a list of low FODMAP ingredients that fit into each category. Feel free to get creative! You’ll have the perfect dressing for any type of salad you choose to make.

(All the suggested ingredients are low FODMAP).

The first step if you’re looking to improve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or another digestive disorder or disease, is to understand more about the Low FODMAP diet and if it can help. Download my free eBook to help you better understand this diet and get started implementing simple steps to get rid of symptoms like gas, bloating, pain, diarrhea or constipation related to IBS. Click here to get a copy emailed to you right away.

Low FODMAP Recipe: Simple Homemade Salad Dressing

INGREDIENTS

Acid (Choose 1 to 2):

Balsamic (<1tbsp), rice wine, red wine, white wine, lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice

Oil (Choose 1 to 2):

Olive, canola, grapeseed, sesame, avocado, pumpkin, flavoured oils (i.e. garlic infused olive oil)

Sweet (Choose 1):

Maple syrup, brown/white sugar, fruit jam, pureed fresh or fruit (i.e. blueberries or strawberries), fruit chutney

NOTE: A sweetener is not necessary in a vinaigrette, but it adds flavour, reduces the “tang” of your acid, and lessens the amount of oil you need to add. Another way to reduce tang and use less oil in your dressing is to add a couple tablespoons of water.

Flavour Enhancers (Choose 1 to 5):

  • Ginger
  • Hot sauce
  • Dijon mustard
  • Soy or fish sauce
  • Fresh or dried herbs: rosemary, dill, oregano, bail, cilantro, mint, parsley, tarragon
  • Spices: paprika, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, chili powder, red chili flakes

NOTE: Flavour enhancers like spices, and mustard will also act as emulsifiers in your vinaigrette. This means the oil and acid will mix together nicely to give your dressing a smooth consistency.

INSTRUCTIONS

Start with 2 parts acid in a bowl and slowly whisk in 3 parts oil. Alternatively, combine both the acid and oil ingredients in a mason jar, screw on lid (tightly!) and shake vigorously to mix well. A good amount to start with is 2 tablespoons of acid to 3 tablespoons of oil.

Add your sweetener and flavour enhancers. Start with a small amount (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sweetener and/or flavour enhancers). With stronger sauces like hot sauce, start with a smaller amount (about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon). If using fresh herbs, start with 1 tablespoon. Whisk or shake, then taste test! Always use a bite of your salad to taste – as your ingredients will alter how your dressing tastes! Adjust the ingredients to flavour as desired. If you’re creating a new dressing, be sure to write down the amounts you used so you can re-create it!

Cover and store vinaigrette in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Use your dressings on salad, as marinades or to top grilled fish or seafood. OR any other way you wish!

If you decide to get creative in the kitchen and test out the formula above for making your very own homemade salad dressing, give it a try on one of these Low FODMAP salad recipes:

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad

Tempeh Taco Salad

Strawberry and Cucumber Salad

Step 3: Raw versus cooked vegetables for easier digestion

Do you find that eating salad seems to cause digestive distress? …. even if all of the ingredients are low FODMAP? Raw vegetables are high in insoluble fibre, which has been shown to potentially worsen IBS symptoms in some. It can be especially bothersome if you consume large amounts at one sitting, as with a big salad! If you’re having this problem, stick to smaller portions of salad like just a cup or focus on more cooked vegetables in your salads which are easier to digest.

 

 

Wishing you good gut health & wellness,

Stephanie and The Team

Follow Us on Instagram

Get the latest Instagram tips and advice from @stephanieclairmont

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
Error: No posts found.