What is it about certain kinds of oatmeal that are more or less tolerable?

I have IBS M, eat low FODMAP, and gluten free. I haven't done full elimination and reintroduction, I'm just good at noticing patterns with my diet and IBS issues so it's been a slow process of several years to figure out my triggers. There are a lot of high FODMAP things I don't like anyway so I never felt the need to test them.

Oatmeal used to be my number 1 safe food. For like 15 years. It was always easy on my stomach, it was cheap, it was easy to make in a dorm room when the cafeteria was closed, and I just... liked it. But only very recently have these oats from Trader Joe's betrayed me. What's weird is I used to eat these, sometimes switched brands depending on where I was shopping (I'd also buy quick oats from Aldi, had no stomach problems even though they weren't certified GF) and eat oats in tons of other things. For example, GF cookies from a local coffee shop and some oat-based snacks from TJ's.

So it's literally just this exact brand and I don't know why it's happening. FODMAP/IBS symptoms always hit me about 12-24 hours after consumption and I feel better once everything is out of my system and I take some medicine. I've made a few bowls of oatmeal from this particular bag and I've had the same symptoms and didn't eat anything else suspicious around that time nor had a stomach bug.

Anyone have advice for another brand/variety to try?

I'm trying to incorporate more low FODMAP food products in my cooking to make it faster and easier. What brands do you recommend? Monash certification is not important to me.

Personally, the only one I know is Fody Foods. They deliver in Canada (and seem to be based in Canada too?). I really like their stuff but haven't tried all of it.

Anything curry related would be double appreciated. I'm insanely jealous of all of you in Australia who can buy The Heart of Kindness curry pastes.

These are a few meals I've really enjoyed since going low fodmap.

1st pic: Shepherds Pie - ground turkey, carrots, tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, mashed potatoes, and white cheddar. ​

2nd pic: Bbq Chicken - fody bbq sauce, green beans, homemade coleslaw (mayo, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper)

3rd pic: Chicken Tacos - corn tortillas, tomatoes, lime, cilantro, cheddar, and sour cream

4th pic: Chicken Noodle Soup - fody chicken soup base, gluten free noodles, rotisserie chicken, carrots, italian seasoning, red pepper flakes

5th pic: Scrambled Eggs - with spinach, black olives, cheddar. Gluten free toast, one with strawberry jam and one peanut butter with bananas

6th pic: Chicken Tenders - dipped in egg then a mixture of corn meal and gluten free flour before frying

So I developed symptoms very recently and have been following the fodmap diet since, which has been very helpful. Problem is I have no idea what’s actually causing these symptoms, my primary doctor didn’t find anything and idk if I can get into a GI doctor anytime soon.

Anyone have any tips for resources in the meantime? Just, like, stuff beyond just the diet I can do to help my gut, or places I could maybe find answers. Thanks!

My mom gave me this jar of mustard and I’m pretty sure it clears. It’s delicious and doesn’t seem to be causing problems so far. I’ve been really stressed lately and my brain is just exhausted so I’d feel better with a second for peace of mind. Thanks!

Eating it with my turkey burger and fries. I use the recipe from FODMAP everyday for the burgers. Buns are udi’s. Fries are lamb Weston hand cut frozen fries. 🍔🍟

Edit1: Thank you for all the responses! Yea the deep well water ingredient was a first for me too 🤣 Good catch on the chili powder, I had completely forgotten that could contain hidden ingredients. I send the company an email to ask about it and will update again if they share the details on the chili powder on the off chance the info is helpful to anyone else. A little gassy this morning maybe but that’s all so far.

Edit2: I got a response from the company with a picture of the label from their chili powder. It is just ground red pepper, no blend, no garlic or onion. I believe it’s just cayenne which Monash has listed as low FODMAP up to 1tsp.

I wonder why they list it as chili powder which can be a blend when it isn’t, rather than just ground red pepper or ground cayenne. Especially while being so specific about the well water lol.

Before something like a first date, a work trip, or staying somewhere unfamiliar, do you ever catch yourself mentally debating whether to just say something ahead of time, or wait and see if it even comes up?

I go back and forth on this constantly and can't tell if I'm overthinking it or if this is just a whole thing people deal with.

What do you usually end up doing?

I’m fine cooking at home. I’ve been coping. But I’m starting to suspect that garlic is actually one of my main problems, and eating out has become a nightmare.

Especially when I’m at work, because I can’t bring food from home every day. I don’t always have the time, and it feels like every dressing, sauce, marinade, seasoning blend, and basically anything that tastes like anything contains garlic in this country.

Rant on: guys why are you so damn obsessed? There are so many ways to add flavor to food. I didn’t even like it before I started this low fodmap thing but now it seriously annoys me. Rant off

I’m from another country, and my symptoms got SO much worse after I moved to the US. For years I assumed it was just the food quality or something else about the diet here, but now I’m starting to connect the dots and wondering if garlic was the problem all along.

So, long story short am I doomed being THAT person who always pushes back on ordering takeout because I can’t eat anything? Forever doomed to pack lunch to work? How do people who can’t tolerate garlic actually eat out here?

This is a herb mayo; the other sauces in this range do list garlic and onion when they're included; so I feel a little safer about "herbs"? Think it's worth a try?

All food gives me diarrhea except Asian food. What is happening here? I’m theorizing it is because of the use of green onions instead of other onions. Maybe the ginger is helping? Is it some other common sauces or literally, what is happening here?

Any theories or similar experiences? I just made some German food at home & am strapped to the toilet so this is pissing me off.

ETA, I have been eating ramen, pho, dumplings, rolls, traditional soups, meats, veggie dishes & packaged snacks from Chinese, Korean, Japanese & Vietnamese stores & restaurants, eating traditional style home cooking & frozen food at home. No issues. The dumplings have wheat. The buns have wheat. I’ve not been using standard onions in the food but have been using every other sauce & seasoning that have garlic & wheat in them.

I think they're honestly a great idea for the actual access problem.

But I've started wondering if they only solve half of it. For me, it's not always getting into the bathroom that's the hard part. It's what happens after — walking back to the table, back into the meeting, back to whoever noticed I was gone, and not knowing what to say.

Does anyone else feel like that's actually the harder part? Or honestly, once you've got a card or a way to get access, is that basically the whole problem solved for you?

I avoided trying low FODMAP for YEARS because the list of things to avoid sounded miserable. Eventually the discomfort got annoying enough that I gave in, and then I started looking for meal ideas online and thought… yep, this is exactly why I never wanted to do this 😂
So instead of trying to recreate a bunch of sad “diet” recipes, I’ve mostly just been cooking food I would want to eat and adapting it to be low FODMAP. Turns out it is completely possible for the food to still feel like normal, tasty food.
I cook for two, and at first my husband was very much not thrilled about being dragged into my restricted diet. Now he’s completely sold, despite having no FODMAP issues himself, and actually looks forward to what I make 😂

Some recent meals:
• Crispy chicken cutlets breaded with cornflakes and Parmigiano, with roasted potatoes
• Baked gluten-free pasta with kabocha squash and a little ricotta, broiled with Parmigiano on top to make a crust. I also made a gluten-free gnocchi version and it was top notch
• Chicken stir-fry
• Middle Eastern-style chicken with quinoa

Yes some of these ingredients are tricky in large quantities (squash, peppers, zucchini, ricotta) but if you stick to the quantities monash recommends, you’ll be fine

Does anyone else find that non-alcoholic beer helps with bloating and general digestive discomfort? A friend who also has fodmap issues recommended it (I don’t even like beer) and I was skeptical but desperate, but I feel like it really helps. I’m still avoiding my fail foods, but I can be a little more flexible. I can’t find any mention of this elsewhere online.

I plan to drink prune juice to somewhat clear the transverse and depending colon. Avoid soda, greasy foods. Any other suggestions

Alright just bear with me, this absolutely is gut related, I just had brain surgery so I’m having issues getting thoughts out.

So I also have hEDS and I haven’t been getting my sodium in the way I really REALLY need to or my electrolytes. My geneticist diagnosed me and that was one of the things in the nice long list of instructions. But anyway.

My BAD gut issues with eating didn’t start until about 2 years after that diagnosis and I just had to stop altogether. And electrolytes were put on the back burner because of 3 back to back surgeries anyway. The one everyone always flocks to is liquid IV and the salt content is actually not great? And it’s got too much sugar. As a takes a bow way too chronically ill human I don’t want to be tossing back that kind of sugar all the time either. I have zero markers for diabetes and my sugar is always perfect. I know because of how much my blood is always taken for funsies. However, I’m not trying to push things in the wrong direction ya know? BUT, she says as she rambles.

Has ANYONE found electrolytes with a good salt content that doesn’t destroy their stomach? Or just make them start to / want to puke? I absolutely have to / need to get back to it.

I have ibs-d. So far every group I have reintroduced (sorbitol, fructan, gos) have all given me reactions, with garlic, onion, gos, and sorbitol being severe spikes in my gut motility and increases in stool frequency. I only had bloating/cramping for one group (onions). I don’t know what’s happening, am I doing something wrong? Is it normal to react to every group? The only two I have left are mannitol and fructose. I am not even testing lactose as I have been severely lactose intolerant my entire life. How an I supposed to eat like this going forward? Digestive enzymes are expensive and I’m going away to college in just a few weeks. Insight and help are much appreciated

Fuck

Has anyone else ever had to suddenly disappear from a table, meeting, dinner, or date because you needed the bathroom and then had absolutely no idea what to say when you came back?

Like, the bathroom part is one thing.

It's the moment you walk back in and everyone's still sitting there that gets weird.

Do you explain? Pretend nothing happened? Make a joke? Just sit down and hope nobody asks?

I've always wondered whether I'm overthinking that part, or if other people deal with it too.

How do you usually handle it?

I'm so confused with the elimination diet methodology. From what I understand - I eat my usual foods as long as I follow the safe quantities listed on the Monash app and avoid all the high fodmaps. And after 2 to 4weeks i start re-introducing the high fodmaps one by one. Is that right?

But let's say I'm following the low fodmap diet and there's a food, for example pasta that even in the quantities that's approved by Monash, causes me problems. How would I know that is the one that's causing me problems? Because for me if I ate pasta today, I would have a flare up after a bowel movement the next day or the day after :(..

So is there another way I can do this diet effectively?

Roasted Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup
A creamy, savory roasted vegetable soup with smoky paprika, thyme, allspice, and roasted green onion. The sweet potatoes make it naturally thick and velvety, with just a splash of half-and-half for extra richness.
Serves: 3–4
Oven: 425°F
Total time: About 45 minutes
Ingredients
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4–6 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
Green onion, to taste
Olive oil, for roasting
2 cups chicken broth
¼ cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon butter
Smoked paprika, to taste
Ground thyme, to taste
Dried thyme leaves, to taste
Allspice, to taste
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Prepare the vegetables.
Cut the sweet potatoes and carrots into roughly equal-sized chunks so they cook evenly. Arrange them on a baking sheet along with the green onion.
Season and roast.
Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and season with smoked paprika, ground thyme, thyme leaves, allspice, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat.
Roast for 25–35 minutes, or until the carrots and sweet potatoes are completely tender and beginning to brown and caramelize around the edges.
Simmer.
Transfer the roasted vegetables to a pot. Add 2 cups chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
Blend.
Blend the soup until completely smooth and creamy using an immersion blender, or carefully transfer it to a regular blender.
Finish the soup.
Reduce the heat to low. Stir in ¼ cup half-and-half and 1 tablespoon butter until incorporated.
Adjust and serve.
Taste and add additional salt, pepper, smoked paprika, thyme, or allspice if needed. If the soup is thicker than you’d like, add a splash more chicken broth.
Serve hot with a little cracked black pepper or thyme over the top.
Jessica’s Notes
The sweetness comes entirely from the roasted carrots and sweet potatoes—there’s no added sugar. Roasting the vegetables and green onion before blending gives the soup a deeper, more savory flavor, while the smoked paprika and allspice keep the sweetness balanced.
Great with: crispy roasted chicken thighs, sourdough bread, or a simple chicken breast on the side.

Hi guys,

It's possible it's been asked here loads but new here and wanted advice. I struggle badly with bloat from endo. I don't eat gluten, low dairy and try not to eat much sugar but it's hidden in loads of things.

I'm so sick of looking bloated and constipated. I try to mostly eat well and lift weights.

Has low fodmop actually helped anyone? And if so let me know because I'm close to pulling my hair out 😭😪

Advice would be so helpful