Valentines’ Day is such a fun holiday to celebrate, whether with you celebrate with a significant other or with a close group of friends. We often don’t show our love and appreciation every day of the year to our closest peeps, so having a day dedicated to showing some extra love is a nice treat!

Valentine’s Day is full of flowers, cards, teddy bears…and the best part is sweet treats.  With all the choices out there Valentines’ Day can feel like an adult version of Halloween.

Those of us with Irritable Bowel Syndrome have to be concerned with what treats we put in our bodies during these types of holidays to make sure we don’t feel icky and awful.  Many sugary treats are high in FODMAPs, which are the poorly digested sugars responsible for causing digestive distress in people with IBS. If you or a friend suffer from digestive health issues, follow these guidelines to enjoy a few sweet treats this holiday without a bellyache.

How to Avoid Digestive Distress: Desserts and Treats that Won’t Cause Symptoms

Here are a few tips for picking a dessert that won’t cause you digestive distress.

Avoid desserts that contain lactose.  This includes frozen yogurt, ice cream, puddings, milk chocolate and white chocolate.  Whipped cream is okay, as long as you keep it under ½ cup.  Luckily, many companies now produce dairy-free ice cream, so opt for that instead, or try a yummy sorbet.  Click here to read our review of different dairy-free ice cream products.

Avoid desserts that contain artificial sweeteners. This includes sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol.  You may think it’s healthier, but it can really cause digestive discomfort.  Stick to the real sugar instead!

Fruit-based desserts are always a good choice. Some examples we love are:

• Blueberry and strawberry parfait
• Chocolate dipped strawberries
• Caramelized banana slices (fried with a little brown sugar)

 

Low FODMAP Chocolate 

Chocolate seems like an essential component of Valentines’ Day, don’t you agree? Thankfully, dark chocolate and cocoa are low in FODMAPs, and can be tolerated in most individuals with IBS. Try out these Toasted Coconut Chocolate Delights.

White and milk chocolate are also acceptable, but in smaller amounts. It may be hard, but try limiting it to eating only 2-3 squares and keep it to simple choices, not the complicated chocolate truffles, bars and other crazy things out there!

 

Low FODMAP Recipe: Chocolate Covered Strawberries with Shredded Coconut

Makes: 6 servings

Time: 15 minutes prep

INGREDIENTS

10-12 fresh strawberries
150 g dark, sweetened chocolate
½ cup of unsweetened shredded coconut

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash the strawberries and let them dry.  Pour the shredded coconut onto a plate.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Coarsely chop the dark chocolate, and place it in a glass bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, and then stir.  Repeat until the chocolate is completely melted.

Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip half of it into the melted chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off.

Dip the chocolate-covered strawberry into your plate of shredded coconut then rotate the strawberry to ensure it’s covered in coconut.

Place on parchment paper. Repeat with the remainder of your strawberries, and place it in the fridge to cool and harden.

 

Your loved ones will definitely be a fan of this delicious, low FODMAP dessert. Have a happy Valentines’ Day, filled with lots of love and laughter.

 

Much love & good eating,

Stephanie and the Team