New Zealand-based nutritional therapist Suzanne Perazzini knows first-hand that sticking to the low-FODMAP diet—AKA the go-to eating plan for people with IBS—isn't easy. “I ignored it at first because it was so complex to understand,” she says. (Read this primer for an easy-to-digest take on the diet.) But she also knows how much it can help.
Her latest book, The Low-FODMAP Six-Week Plan and Cookbook, makes even the elimination phase more manageable through recipes that focus on what you can eat, instead of what you can’t.
The key to sticking to a low-FODMAP diet is to remind yourself that the restrictive phase only lasts about four to six weeks, says Perazzini. Most people feel so much better after one week that they have no problem sailing through the next few. "After that you begin re-introducing large groups of foods, and it begins to feel less restrictive."
In the meantime, Perazzini's recipes, like this spinach and cheese quesadilla, make the restrictive phase easy. It's gluten-free and contains aged cheese and cottage cheese, which are both low enough in lactose to make them safe dairy choices for the elimination portion of the plan. Want to whip them up? Keep reading for the recipe.
Keep reading to learn how to make a low-FODMAP quesadilla.
Spinach and cheese quesadillas
Makes 4 quesadillas
2/3 cup cottage cheese
2 cups baby spinach leaves
8 large gluten-free tortillas
1 cup corn kernels, drained
1 tomato, diced (optional)
1 spring onion, sliced finely (green part only)
1 tsp garlic-infused oil
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups grated mature cheese, such as aged cheddar
1. Preheat the broiler in the oven.
2. Place the cottage cheese and spinach in a food processor, and process to a paste. Place four tortillas on a baking tray and spread half the mixture over the tortillas.
3. Combine the corn, tomato (if using), and spring onion. Season and spoon onto the tortillas over the spinach mixture. Combine the two oils and drizzle over the corn mixture.
4. Top each with another tortilla. Scatter the cheese over the tortillas and drizzle a little more oil over them.
5. Place the quesadillas in the oven under the broiler until the cheese is bubbling and golden, three to four minutes. Serve immediately.
Following the "good gut rule of five" will also help eliminate bloating. These supplements can help, too.
Loading More Posts...
