Cooking for a Partner or Family Member With IBS: Where to Start
If someone you love has just been told to go low FODMAP, there's a good chance you're the one who ends up doing most of the cooking research and it can feel overwhelming fast. Here's a simple starting point if you're cooking for someone else, not yourself.
You don't need to overhaul everything at once
The temptation is to relearn how to cook from scratch. In reality, most of what you already know how to cook is closer to low FODMAP than it seems, it usually comes down to adjusting a handful of ingredients rather than the whole method.
Start with what's already safe
Plain proteins (chicken, beef, fish, eggs), rice, potatoes, most herbs and spices, and many vegetables in the right portion are already low FODMAP. Build meals around these first, rather than trying to memorise a full "banned foods" list before you cook a single meal.
The two ingredients that cause the most confusion
Onion and garlic show up in more dishes than almost anything else, which is why they trip up so many home cooks early on. Learning their low FODMAP substitutes, spring onion tops, garlic-infused oil, or a low FODMAP spice blend, solves the majority of everyday cooking problems in one go.
Ask, don't assume
Tolerance varies hugely from person to person. Some people following low FODMAP can handle small amounts of garlic-infused oil; others can't. Rather than guessing, ask the person you're cooking for what they've been told by their dietitian, or what they've noticed themselves and it saves a lot of trial and error.
Cook once, not twice
As covered in our guide to cooking low FODMAP meals the whole family will eat, you very rarely need to cook two separate meals. Build the base around what they can eat, and let everyone else add extras on top.
FAQ
What should I cook for someone with IBS who's new to low FODMAP?
Start with naturally low FODMAP staples: plain proteins, rice, potatoes, and most herbs and spices before worrying about a full list of foods to avoid.
How do I know how much garlic or onion someone with IBS can tolerate?
Tolerance varies a lot person to person, so it's best to ask directly what they've been told by their dietitian rather than assuming a fixed rule.
The takeaway
Cooking for someone with IBS or on low FODMAP isn't about becoming a different kind of cook, it's about learning a small set of substitutions and asking the right questions. Once those become habit, it stops feeling like a project and just becomes how you cook.
New to cooking low FODMAP for someone you love? Our spice blends take the guesswork out of flavour, made without onion or garlic from the start.
Related reading
How to Cook Low FODMAP Meals Your Whole Family Will Actually Eat
Low FODMAP Recipes: The Ultimate IBS-Friendly Meal Guide
Sources
Monash University: About FODMAPs and IBS
Monash University: FODMAP stacking — can I overeat 'green' foods?