Low FODMAP Breakfast Ideas: 12 Easy Options and a Recipe

The easiest low FODMAP breakfast ideas start from a few simple bases: eggs, rolled oats, gluten-free toast, lactose-free yogurt or chia pudding. Add one low FODMAP fruit, a protein and a gentle flavor such as cinnamon or maple syrup, and you have a morning meal in about five minutes. Below you'll find a build-your-own formula, a full overnight oats recipe, a week of ideas and the label traps to watch for. The diet is meant to be temporary and is best followed with a doctor or dietitian.

In brief:

• Start from a safe base: eggs, oats, gluten-free bread, lactose-free dairy.
• Add one portion of low FODMAP fruit and a protein.
• Check portion sizes in the Monash FODMAP app.
• Read labels for hidden garlic, honey and inulin.
• Talk to a professional before starting an elimination diet.

In this article · 9 min read

1. Low FODMAP breakfast ideas: the four-step formula
2. 12 easy low FODMAP breakfast ideas
3. Low FODMAP overnight oats: a full recipe
4. Smoothies and bananas: what to know
5. Ingredients to avoid at breakfast
6. A week of low FODMAP breakfast ideas
7. Where a cookbook can help
8. When to talk to a doctor or dietitian
9. Frequently asked questions
10. Sources

FODMAPs are a group of short-chain carbohydrates that some people digest poorly and that can trigger bloating, gas and abdominal pain. Monash University, where the diet was developed, describes it as a short period of strict restriction, usually 2 to 6 weeks, followed by a step-by-step return of foods to find out which ones you tolerate (Monash University FODMAP). Breakfast is often where people feel stuck, because toast, cereal, milk, honey and apples are everywhere. The good news is that a handful of easy swaps cover most mornings.

Low FODMAP breakfast ideas: the four-step formula

Most low FODMAP breakfast ideas follow the same pattern. Once you know it, you can improvise instead of hunting for a recipe every day.

1. Choose a base. Eggs in any style, rolled oats, quinoa or millet porridge, buckwheat pancakes, or gluten-free toast.
2. Add one portion of low FODMAP fruit. Blueberries, strawberries, kiwi or a firm banana, measured as one serving rather than a big handful.
3. Add a protein. Eggs, smoked salmon, peanut butter, a spoonful of lactose-free yogurt, or nuts and seeds.
4. Check the portion and the label. Look up the serving size in the Monash FODMAP app and read the ingredient list for garlic, onion, honey and inulin.

The fourth step matters most. Dietitians describe "FODMAP stacking": a food that is fine in a small serving can add up with the other foods in the same meal. A smoothie with several fruits, or a bowl of oats with fruit, honey and a large spoon of yogurt, is a typical example. Keeping to one portion of fruit per breakfast is a simple way to avoid it (The IBS Dietitian).

12 easy low FODMAP breakfast ideas

Here is a mix of quick options and slower weekend ones. Where a recipe comes from The Delicious Low-FODMAP Diet Cookbook by Zoe Patton, its number in the book is given.

Quick (five minutes or less)

1. Scrambled eggs with chives. Cook them in garlic-infused olive oil (the oil only, never the garlic pieces) and use the green tops of scallions or chives for flavor.
2. Gluten-free toast with peanut butter. Check that the bread and the peanut butter contain no honey or high-fructose corn syrup.
3. Smoked salmon and cucumber on gluten-free toast. This is recipe 7 in the book.
4. Lactose-free yogurt with blueberries and pumpkin seeds. Check the label for inulin or chicory root, which are common in "high fiber" yogurts.
5. Rice cakes with peanut butter and a few slices of firm banana.

Make-ahead (prepare once, eat for several days)

6. Overnight oats. The full recipe is just below.
7. Chia seed pudding with strawberries and kiwi. This is recipe 4 in the book. Make it in jars the night before.
8. Spinach and feta egg muffins. This is recipe 9 in the book, made with lactose-free feta. Bake a batch and reheat.
9. Quinoa porridge with toasted pecans and a little maple syrup. This is recipe 3 in the book.

Weekend breakfasts

10. Blueberry buckwheat pancakes. Recipe 1 in the book.
11. Savory herb omelette with chives and cherry tomatoes. Recipe 2 in the book.
12. Sweet potato and bell pepper breakfast hash. Recipe 5 in the book. Check a serving size for sweet potato in the Monash app before you load the pan.

Low FODMAP overnight oats: a full recipe

Low FODMAP overnight oats are the breakfast that most dietitians suggest first, because oats are cheap, filling and easy to prepare ahead. According to the Monash University app, as reported by a registered dietitian, a serving of ½ cup of rolled oats is low in FODMAPs (The IBS Dietitian). The recipe below follows that serving and the same simple formula: oats, a low FODMAP milk, one portion of fruit and a protein.

Cinnamon blueberry overnight oats (1 serving, 5 minutes of preparation plus a night in the fridge)

• ½ cup rolled oats (not instant, which have a smaller serving size)
• ½ cup lactose-free milk, or a plant milk with no added FODMAPs
• 2 tablespoons plain lactose-free yogurt, or 1 tablespoon peanut butter, for protein
• 1 small portion of blueberries or sliced strawberries (check the serving size in the Monash app)
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup, optional

1. Put the oats, milk, yogurt (or peanut butter) and cinnamon in a jar or bowl and stir well.
2. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
3. In the morning, stir, add the fruit and the maple syrup if you like, and add a splash of milk if the oats are too thick.
4. Eat cold, or warm it for a minute in the microwave.

Variations. Swap the blueberries for strawberries or kiwi. For an autumn version, stir in a spoonful of plain pumpkin purée and a pinch of mixed spice, but look up the pumpkin serving size first and skip the fruit if your pumpkin portion is already large. The pumpkin spice overnight oats in the book (recipe 8) follow the same idea.

Smoothies and bananas: what to know

A low FODMAP smoothie is easy to build with the same formula: one serving of frozen low FODMAP fruit such as blueberries or strawberries, a handful of spinach, a cup of lactose-free or plant milk, and a protein such as peanut butter or lactose-free yogurt (The IBS Dietitian). Keep it to one fruit.

Is banana low FODMAP? It depends on ripeness and portion. Dietitian sources list firm, not-yet-ripe bananas in small servings as low FODMAP, while very ripe bananas contain more FODMAPs. The book's own avoid list names ripe banana, which is why the plan above uses a few slices of a firm banana at most. If banana is a favorite, test it with a professional and check the current serving size in the Monash app.

Ingredients to avoid at breakfast

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases lists the same kinds of foods as examples that contain FODMAPs, including apples, honey, milk, and sweeteners ending in "-ol" such as sorbitol and xylitol (NIDDK, Eating, Diet & Nutrition for IBS).

A week of low FODMAP breakfast ideas

This is a flexible plan, not a prescription. Swap days freely and rotate the fruit.

A little batch cooking helps: soak two or three jars of oats or chia on Sunday evening, bake a tray of egg muffins and keep hard-boiled eggs for a few days.

Where a cookbook can help

If you like having the meals worked out for you, The Delicious Low-FODMAP Diet Cookbook by Zoe Patton is a beginner-friendly option. It has 70 easy recipes (10 of them for breakfast), food lists, a four-step method that covers the pantry, shopping and prep, the diet itself and reintroduction, and a printable day-by-day plan that covers 60 days. All recipes use gluten-free grains and lactose-free dairy. Two honest notes: the book gives yes/no food lists without serving sizes, so you will still want the Monash app for portions, and a few recipes include foods that the book's own avoid list names, such as apple in recipe 10, so choose your breakfasts with that in mind.

When to talk to a doctor or dietitian

A low FODMAP diet is not a first step to take alone. NIDDK explains that a doctor may suggest it for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) for a few weeks and, if symptoms improve, slowly add foods back, since you may be able to eat some foods with FODMAPs without symptoms (NIDDK). Monash adds that the diet is best followed with a qualified dietitian, and that if symptoms don't improve after the restriction period, other approaches may be needed.

See a doctor if you have ongoing bloating or pain, blood in your stool, unexplained weight loss or night-time symptoms, so that other conditions can be ruled out before you cut foods out. This article is for general information, not medical advice. The elimination phase is temporary: reintroduction and a personalized diet come next, and a dietitian can guide you through them.

You'll find more practical food guides on the Books Go blog, for example the pink salt trick recipe and the Mediterranean diet for seniors, and more books on the Books Go Publications home page.

Frequently asked questions

What are good low FODMAP breakfast ideas for beginners?

Start with simple, familiar foods: scrambled eggs, gluten-free toast with peanut butter, rolled oats, or lactose-free yogurt with blueberries. These need no special recipes and are easy to check against the Monash app.

Are overnight oats low FODMAP?

They can be. A serving of ½ cup of rolled oats is listed as low FODMAP in the Monash app, as long as you make them with lactose-free or plant milk and keep the toppings to one fruit portion. Avoid honey, and check any yogurt for inulin.

Is banana low FODMAP?

It depends on ripeness and serving size. Firm, not-yet-ripe bananas in small servings are generally listed as low FODMAP, while ripe bananas have more FODMAPs. Check the current serving size in the app.

Can I eat a smoothie on a low FODMAP diet?

Yes, if you keep to one serving of low FODMAP fruit, use lactose-free or plant milk, and add a protein like peanut butter. Piling in several fruits can add up and cause symptoms.

How long do I stay on a low FODMAP breakfast plan?

Monash describes the strict phase as usually 2 to 6 weeks, followed by reintroduction. The exact length is best decided with a doctor or dietitian. The book's meal plan covers 60 days, but that is the book's own plan, not a medical standard.

Is low FODMAP the same as gluten-free?

No. Wheat, rye and barley are high in FODMAPs, so gluten-free bread and oats are often used as swaps, but many gluten-free products contain other FODMAPs such as inulin or honey. Always read the label.

Sources

• Starting the low FODMAP diet, Monash University FODMAP
• Eating, Diet & Nutrition for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, NIDDK
• 35 Low FODMAP Breakfasts, The IBS Dietitian
• Low FODMAP Breakfast Ideas, Fody Foods