Eating out in Kelowna while on the Low FODMAP Diet

Eating out while following a low FODMAP diet can be challenging! It often requires extra planning and research to learn what ingredients are used in menu items and time to call ahead and ask for specialized dishes. Here are some tips and meal ideas for a few Kelowna based restaurants.

General Tips for the Low FODMAP diet when eating out

• Check the menu ahead of time! Doing so can help reduce the stress of going through the menu before your server comes to take your order.
• Call the restaurant to see if they can make any accommodations or leave out specific ingredients from meals
• Avoid ordering mixed dishes and ask for sauces on the side. This will make it easier to manage the amount of FODMAPs you eat if you can’t modify or need to limit an ingredient.
• If you know you are going out for a meal, try eating lower FODMAP foods throughout the rest of the day to allow for a larger amount of FODMAPs at the restaurant. This will limit the cumulative effect of symptoms that can occur throughout a day of eating higher FODMAP foods.
• You do not need to avoid ALL FODMAPs – remember it is a low FODMAP diet. Knowing your main triggers can help to avoid certain ingredients that are likely to cause symptoms without being entirely low FODMAP and allow for more enjoyment of the eating out experience!

Vietnamese

Noodle bowls tend to be a safe option and can be modified if needed. Vermicelli noodles and the wraps for cold rolls are made from rice which makes them low in FODMAPs. Make sure to ask for no onion and garlic and check ingredients in any sauces provided.

• Bamboo Chopsticks Kelowna
  • Bamboo Vermicelli bowl – choice of grilled prawn or tofu
    • Ask for it without onion
    • Fish sauce is served on the side and is low FODMAP
  • Fresh Salad Rolls
    • Ask for it without onion
    • Peanut sauce has garlic – you may have an alternative option or ask if they could make it without
  • Grilled Pork Meal

Japanese

Japanese meals are made fresh to order, which means they can easily be modified. Plus, foods like sushi and sashimi are often low FODMAP already!

• Momo Sushi Kelowna
  • Edamame Beans
  • Side of rice
  • Sushi rolls
    • Tuna Roll
    • Salmon roll
    • California roll – ask for it without avocado if sorbitol is a trigger –– or limit overall avocado intake
      • Low FODMAP serving of avocado is 1/8 of a whole avocado or 30g
    • Rainbow roll 
  • Nigiri (all except BBQ)
  • Tuna and salmon sashimi

Greek

Greek can seem like a difficult food to eat out because of all the tasty sauces that often contain garlic and/or onion. Here are a few options confirmed by the owners of Yamas to be low FODMAP:

• Yamas Greek Restaurant Kelowna
  • Greek salad
    • Ask for it without onion
    • Ask for the homemade dressing to be made without garlic
  • Athenian salad
    • Ask for only the green part of the onion or ask for it without the onion
    • Ask for the homemade dressing to be made without garlic
  • Souvlaki
    • Yamas can prepare this without garlic and onion, but there is still a risk for cross-contamination because souvlaki is cooked on the same grill as garlic and onion-containing foods
    • Served with Greek salad, lemon potatoes, rice pilaf, and tzatziki
      • Ask for the sides without onion and garlic
      • Tzatziki also has lactose and therefor may not be a good dip option for some
  • Lobster or steak
    • Yamas says this can be made without garlic or seasoning containing garlic upon request

Italian

It is becoming easier and easier to eat Italian on the low FODMAP diet with the growing number of restaurants offering gluten-free options, dairy-free options, and build your own meals. The biggest thing to watch out for is garlic and onion added to the sauces.

• Antico Pizza Napoletana
  • Caprese salad
    • Low FODMAP serving size of mozzarella is ¼ cup or 40g
    • Large servings (4 cups or more) contain moderate amounts of lactose
  • Pasta Crema e Tartufo (no garlic or onion) (contains lactose)
    • ½ cup of cooked wheat pasta is low FODMAP
  • All pizzas can be made without garlic or onion and on gluten free crust.
  • these are made to order and easily modifiable to fit your low FODMAP needs
    • Margherita
    • Marinara
    • Margherita Di Bufala
    • Al Greco
      • Ask for this without onion
    • Isola
      • Ask for this without garlic
    • Primavera
    • Gallina

Pub Food

Most pubs offer classic meat and potato meals and can modify how they prepare some foods to fit with customers’ dietary restrictions.

• Grilled steak, chicken breast, or fish (cooked without onion and garlic seasoning), grilled veggies, rice or, baked potato
• Cheeseburger on a gluten-free bun with fries or salad (watch out for onion and garlic or other sauces/seasonings on the burger or salad)
• Steak Frites with fries and salad with oil and vinegar
• Fish and chips without the fish breading

Hopefully, these tips will help with eating out while on the low FODMAP diet. The hardest thing seems to be avoiding onion and garlic since they are in EVERYTHING! Don’t be afraid to call restaurants ahead of time! The places I contacted were super helpful and willing to accommodate.

Disclaimer

The menu items in this article are specific to restaurants in Kelowna, but there may be similar options at a restaurant near you. Remember, there is no reason to restrict FODMAPs unless they are a trigger for your IBS symptoms.

Have additional questions? Renelle is available for one on one consultations. Learn more about our digestive health services on our website.

*Renelle has been trained in the use of the low FODMAP diet through Monash University.