With the Thanksgiving dinner approaching, many of my IBS clients are nervous about how their gut will react. One way to approach this holiday is by cooking a low FODMAP Thanksgiving.
However, some of you may be traveling to spend the holiday with family or friends and won’t cook an entirely low FODMAP dinner. How can you still enjoy the holiday without spending the weekend in the bathroom or curled up on the couch with a hot water bottle?
Hi there – I’m Antonella Dewell, a registered dietitian specializing in the management of IBS. I believe that everyone should enjoy delicious, nutritious food, including the comfort foods of the holidays without suffering gut symptoms. In this article, I will give you my best tips to do just that this Thanksgiving. Let’s dive in!
Low FODMAP Thanksgiving: My 5 Best Tips to Navigate the Holiday Meal
1. Don’t skip meals
It is common practice to “save room” for the big meal by skipping breakfast and/or lunch. However, if you arrive at the Thanksgiving table starving, you are more likely to eat more food than you normally would. As a result, you may get bloated or experience other gut symptoms.
To avoid this, make sure you have a good, low-FODMAP breakfast and, if needed, a light snack before Thanksgiving dinner. My blog post, 10 Ideas for Healthy Low-FODMAP Snacks, can give you some inspiration. By nourishing yourself enough throughout the day, you will be more likely to enjoy moderate-size portions of your favorite holiday items without overdoing them.
2. Keep your overall FODMAP intake low
Plan your meals earlier in the day and the previous day to include mostly low-FODMAP foods. This will allow you to avoid filling up your FODMAP “bucket” and go over your threshold for FODMAPs.
For instance, you can have oatmeal with low-FODMAP fruit and/or nuts and a lactose-free yogurt. Or scrambled eggs with veggies and sourdough toast. These are excellent ways to have a nutritious, filling breakfast without filling up on FODMAPs. Check out the Monash FODMAP App for the most up-to-date information on FODMAPs in foods.
As a result, you will have more room for high-FODMAP ingredients to splurge on in the Thanksgiving meal. And you will be less likely to experience gut symptoms.
3. Choose your Thanksgiving “splurge”
Choose your favorite high-FODMAP dish (or dishes) – the one you get to eat only at this time of the year – and enjoy it! For example, you can have sweet potatoes or ice cream all year long. But there may be a dish – perhaps apple or pumpkin pie, stuffing, etc. – you only have this time of year. Prioritize that dish over other high-FODMAP items.
If you have a favorite low-FODMAP side dish, offer to bring it so you have more options to fill up your plate without overdoing on FODMAPs.
4. Be strategic about your portions
One thing many people tend to forget is that the FODMAP content of many foods depends on how much you eat at one time. The same food can be low, moderate, or high-FODMAP depending on the portion size. Use this concept to your advantage!
For example, sweet potatoes are low FODMAP at half-cup portion size. You can still enjoy them. But, if you are hungry for more, add some regular potatoes or mashed potatoes made with lactose-free milk to your plate to avoid overdoing FODMAPs. Similarly, green beans often appear as a side dish on the Thanksgiving table and are low FODMAP at half-cup serving size. If you want more veggies, add a FODMAP-free vegetable like carrots or kale to your side dishes.
5. Take a breath & be kind to yourself
This is also a good time to remember that food is not the only trigger for IBS symptoms. Stress is a major one as well. For many, the holidays can be hectic and stressful. In addition, the mere fact that you are eating foods that you didn’t prepare yourself, and the fear they might trigger an IBS flare, can create anxiety.
To minimize this, take a few deep breaths before the Thanksgiving meal to set your body into a “rest and digest” mode. This will decrease any anxiety you may have around eating the holiday meal. Moreover, relaxing and enjoying the meal without worry can greatly decrease the chance of experiencing gut symptoms.
On that note, remember what is most important to you during this Thanksgiving holiday. Is it the time you can spend with your family? Or the opportunity to take time off, etc.? Keeping a positive mindset and being kind to yourself instead of obsessing over food will help you avoid experiencing symptoms even if you eat some of your trigger foods.
P.S. I have a lot more strategies to manage your stress in this article: Stress and IBS: 5 Tools to Beat the Stress & Improve Your Gut Symptoms.
My Favorite Low FODMAP Seasonal Recipes
The main takeaway is that you can enjoy the holiday without attaining low FODMAP perfection. You don’t need to revise all your recipes and make them low FODMAP to avoid experiencing gut symptoms on Thanksgiving. However, if you want some inspiration for low-FODMAP, seasonal recipes, here are my favorite ones:
Low FODMAP Chai-Spiced Overnight Oats
Low FODMAP Pumpkin-Spice Muffins
Low FODMAP Roasted Delicata Squash
Low FODMAP Herb Roasted Vegetables
Success with a Low FODMAP Thanksgiving: Wrapping it up!
Although the classic Thanksgiving meal contains several high-FODMAP foods, you don’t need to avoid all of them to prevent an IBS flare. With some precautions, you can still enjoy some of your favorite dishes without experiencing painful gut symptoms.
Paying some attention to portion sizes, keeping your overall FODMAP intake low on that day, and finding ways to de-stress can help you enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday without eating entirely low FODMAP.
If you are struggling with bloating, cramps, and irregular bowel movements, and want to feel better this holiday season, I can help! Click the button below to book a free call. I can show you your next best steps, and you can breathe a sigh of relief that you have someone on your side to figure this out.
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Published November 8, 2022. Updated, November 11, 2024.
Antonella Dewell, MS, RDN | IBS Resolution Expert
Antonella Dewell is a registered dietitian and IBS specialist based in California. She has over 2 decades of experience working in clinical research at Stanford. Since 2018, she has been running a private practice. She helps people with IBS gain real, lasting relief from IBS symptoms in just 2-4 weeks without giving up all the foods they love, so they can stop feeling anxious around food and get back to fully enjoying food and life again.
