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Can You Eat Paleo on a Low-FODMAP Diet?

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Concerned over lack of energy from reduced carbs, the fruit & veggie restrictions making options more limited, and the effects of a fruit & veg heavy meal on the too-much-of-a-good-thing basis.

When I was first looking for dinner ideas after going Low-FODMAP, to “treat” (really, to prevent incidence of) my IBS, I found a lot of good ideas on Paleo websites, though we often added rice, quinoa, or corn options to round them out to our preferred mean type. Even when I reviewed the Paleo Slow Cooker cookbook we did the same. Basically, I’m not fond of any diet/lifestyle that overly restricts or cuts out an entire nutrient class completely.

While Paleo (and it’s cousin Primal) diets do cut out grains, refined sugars, and a whole host of other things, the don’t cut out a particular macronutrient (say, carbohydrates or fats) en masse, they just limit the sources to what they think are more beneficial to our bodies. So, okay, I’m not 100% against the idea.

The topic of eating Paleo came up recently, shortly after (though not related to) my endocrinologist commenting that my triglycerides were higher than he wanted them. His suggestion was to cut down on the sweets, breads, and alcohol. In other words, the things I’ve already cut back on one way or another (you’ve noticed the slow-down on the cocktail posts, yes? there were reasons for that). But, fine, we can try to do a little better, so I signed up for a trial of PaleoPlan.com and set abound finding options for this past week’s dinners.

I mention Paleo Plan not to make this a review of their site, just to reference where my recipes were coming from for those who might be curious. We didn’t adhere to a strict Paleo lifestyle for a few reasons, but for dinners and the subsequent leftover lunches we did our best to follow the recipes as presented, making only necessary substitutions (green onions for red, yellow or white, for instance) and not adding anything else. The goal was just to figure out if this was something we could do in general, or would want to do.

Two things concerned me about eating Paleo for 2/3 of our meals (we stuck with our usual breakfasts, I also kept up with my coffee and milk to-go in the mornings) both centered around the source of carbohydrates in the Paleo eating style:

a) Carbohydrates are where we get the lion’s share of our energy. Without the ready sources in rice, corn, or quinoa, would we have enough to sustain us?

b) The carbohydrates that are available are from fruit and vegetable sources, many of which are prohibited as naturally High-FODMAP or limited in quantity to keep their Low-FODMAP status in check. Would we be piling on the fruits and veggies to the extent that it would make me ill?

Here’s what our dinners looked like this past week:

Paleo Meals 7/28-8/3

Paleo Meals 7/28-8/3

Clockwise from upper left: Chicken Primavera Bowl; Green Lightening Shrimp w/Kale & Tomatoes; Pork Tenderloin w/Blueberry Sauce and Green Beans; Chicken w/Cumin, Kale, and Red Peppers; and Lime & Cilantro Pork Tacos (not pictured: Zucchini and Ground Beef)

As far as the concern about triggering my IBS symptoms with the amount of veggies consumed went, it was mostly a non-issue but only because I was paying careful attention to the portion sizes. This week’s menu didn’t need a lot of futzing with, but I’ve seen other entrees on that particular site that just wouldn’t work for me at all. The protein-heavy meals were definitely filling and while we did remark that rice or pasta would certainly be tasty along with what we were eating, the meals were enough. (Except the “tacos,” those needed a side of some sort.)

The first few days last week we felt pretty good. It wasn’t until Thursday that the lack of grain-based carbs caught up with us. At about 3pm for me (and 1pm for Todd) we both hit the wall and were fighting sleep for the rest of the day. Worse, I was fighting sleep on the drive home, all hour-plus of it! Not a good way to be. Now, it may have been different if we’d also been adhering to the snack schedule Paleo Plan suggests. There are a lot of nut butters & fruit combinations which might do well for an energy pick-me-up. I did have snacks on hand but they were my usual mandarin orange and cheese stick sort (yes, I know cheese isn’t Paleo) which, with our usual eating habits, exists to keep my blood sugar nice and steady until dinner time, but doesn’t give a big energy boost.

And, of all weeks to hit that wall, this was the week we finally were able to relax after tying up the household moving business. No more schlepping boxes every evening. No more late nights because of said box schlepping. We were getting to bed on time and sleeping soundly. So, if anything, we should have had more energy at our disposal!

So, what’s the verdict?

In my unscientific, non-nutritionist or dietitian’s totally anecdotal experience, I would not suggest a 100% Paleo lifestyle for someone needing to eat Low-FODMAP to control IBS symptoms. The way I see it, we’re already restricting our diets enough as it is, imposing further, arbitrary, restrictions does not seem wise to me as the more restrictions we place on our food the tougher it becomes to meet our nutritional needs. (Variety being the #1 way of ensuring a balanced diet.)

And, yes, I do consider the Paleo and Primal lifestyles rather arbitrary. To say that our bodies cannot handle grains just because we didn’t start out as an agricultural species makes no sense to me. Our bodies have had ages to adapt and plenty of people have no problem whatsoever digesting grains. Do we need to scale back on them? Perhaps, in fact I’d say very likely, but to cut them out entirely doesn’t strike me as very sound. It’d be like me telling otherwise healthy friends that they must avoid onions, garlic, wheat and so much more just because certain people have a problem digesting them on a regular basis. I guess I’m still not a fan of bandwagon-jumping, regardless of how well-meaning that wagon is. I’ll stick to moderation, and not give up my sushi.

But it was nice to see that we could have satisfying meals without the grains we’d usually add. While I joked with Todd that he would retaliate this coming week with an all-grain menu (he’s not, for the record), we agreed that eating Paleo on occasion wouldn’t be so bad.

We just won’t do it for more than three days in a row!

When’s the Last Time You Checked Your Pantry?

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Or, for that matter, the condiments and containers in your fridge.

If you’re anything like me, you check the crisper drawers and larger items for freshness the night before the garbage run. The pantry and the refrigerator door shelves (where the condiments live) tend to get checked less, but I thought we were doing a pretty good job of keeping up with everything.

Until, of course, I went to pack up the pantry and fridge goods to move from one house to another this past weekend. Between both of those, the sodas that had expired on the bar, and the older items from the chest-freezer that were passed their prime, we filled 2 kitchen bags to take out to the trash along with the numerous bags of still-usable items.

The sodas were easy to forget about–we hadn’t been doing as much entertaining and since I’m not making cocktails every week anymore that might use them as mixers, they lost their fizz without a peep. We have a free-standing pantry that is fairly compact, so there’s not a ‘far back’ for items to get pushed to, but we obviously need to do a better job of using our stores–I found several partial bags of rice and quinoa (thankfully not out of date) that will be getting used up this week!

The fridge-level condiments were the worst, though. A bottle of this or that, purchased for one recipe or another then forgotten, we had quite the collection! After throwing away quite a bit of it we still moved over several bottles to the new fridge: my mission is now to use them up (good thing chicken and tilapia are so versatile!) and to make a more concerted effort to replicate those sauces and condiments in small batches per recipe rather than buy a bottle of something we’re not likely to use. Sticking with staple ingredients will probably be the best bet for avoiding the problem in the future.

We also designated a “contraband” cabinet in the new kitchen: a place for the things that are too High-FODMAP to regularly use in dinner preparations but that Todd might want to have if I’m out for a night. It also includes flours or other items we might use when cooking for someone else. It’s not like I ban High-FODMAP foods from coming into our home–it’s hardly necessary and a little extreme considering Todd doesn’t need to adhere to the same restrictions as I do. But by placing staple ingredients that aren’t going to mesh well with my digestive system in a separate place makes it less likely we’ll use something by accident.

The kitchen is the last thing to be packed up and moved over, but as a stop-gap I tried to grab the basics in case it takes us a few nights to finish up:

  • a large frying pan
  • a large stock-pot
  • a medium-sized sauce pan
  • knives and cutting boards
  • cookie sheets
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • salt, pepper, and a few other spices
  • and the vase of spoons, spatulas, and so forth that sits next to the stove.

I think the should be enough, but I have a feeling I’m going to be grabbing for all sorts of things over the next few weeks that haven’t been brought over or unpacked yet!

More about the actual move later this week, but I’m certainly glad we don’t have to depend on take-out for the next few days!

Convenience Comes at a Small Price

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While we were finding amazing deals on dining room furniture, we also came across a couple of bread makers for $8 each.

Now, making bread from scratch isn’t hard. It isn’t even all that time-consuming. Which is why I could never justify the $70 or more for one in the past, even though my gadget-loving self has wanted one for quite some time. Finding one for a handful of singles was just too much temptation without very much in the way of risk.

I don’t make an inordinate amount of bread at home–not for lack of love, I just generally buy it when the occasion arises. After going Low-FODMAP, those occasions had become fewer and farther between. Unfortunately, finding a commercially-available bread that is Low-FODMAP tends to leave a lot to be desired. Making good gluten-free bread has not been the most successful kitchen experiments, though my rigged proof box did help quite a bit in that arena. Still, maybe an all-in-one machine would do the trick.

First try--good, but small

First try–good, but small

For the first run I used a recipe from Celiac in the City and my usual flour blend. Because I’d read so many dire warnings in the bread machine’s manual about over-filling the pan, I did make some adjustments to the basic recipe to keep it at the ingredient quantities the manual gave as their preferred basic ratios. I needn’t have worried, though, as the finished “loaf” didn’t even fill up half the pan!

Lack of loft aside, the bread was very tasty. It was dense, of course, but definitely lacked the sawdust tendencies of some gf baking. I stored the finished, sliced loaf in the fridge (baked goods, esp. those without preservatives, don’t do well in this house once the temperature starts to climb) overnight but the next day at lunch the slices were still good and moist.

While some bread maker’s have gluten-free settings, this one does not but the tips I’d read suggested using the “rapid rise” option if the machine gave one, as it’s cuts down on a bit of the handling. Since gf doughs tend to be super-fragile anyway, I figured that was the safest course, and also chose the light crust setting just to be on the safe side.

A bit bigger this time, but still dense. Still tasty, though!

A bit bigger this time, but still dense. Still tasty, though!

For the second trial I decided to use the same recipe but this time not alter the quantities. I stuck with the rapid rise cycle, but used a slightly different flour blend since I was out of some of the components of my house mix. Not quite a controlled experiment, but this isn’t a laboratory, is it?

The thing to be aware of with bread machines is how the ingredients need to be loaded-in. In my case, all liquids go in first, then the flour op top in such a way that it creates a lid on the liquids. The yeast gets poured into a depression in the center of the flour-layer, and then any butter or shortening gets placed in the corners. Since my test recipe uses olive oil, the first batch I poured the oil into the 4 corners of the pan, but for the second go-round I decided to just mix it in with the water and eggs.

Obviously we weren’t in danger of overflowing the pan, but the danger with the slightly larger loaf is whether or not the full loaf will bake in the given time. This one was a bit on the edge of done after the programmed time but at least was a little larger. Still dense, still tasty, and thumps hollow on the bottom, but if you wanted a darker crust or needed to get it a little more baked through, popping it into the oven for a bit is supposed to do the trick. I didn’t find it necessary for this one, though.

Each loaf has featured a really shaggy top–something that can happen with the non-machine gluten-free breads and something I’ll need to work on. Could use just a bit more liquid or some other tweaking to work well, but I’m encouraged. I’ll be making croutons with the remains of the first loaf and using the second loaf for sandwiches later this week.

* * *

I also picked up a Glutino bread mix that, while not being completely Low-FODMAP (pea protein and whey are the potentially troublesome ingredients, but once you’re past the Elimination and Challenge phases, it might be worth trying) does have the benefit of being all-in-one. And, of course, since gluten isn’t a FODMAP, one could always add some vital wheat gluten into the mix to add texture and whatnot, but I haven’t gotten that far, yet.

I think the next loaf on the list will be an old favorite: chocolate orange bread. I haven’t made it in ages, especially not since ditching the wheat, but I’ve been craving it lately. Even if it turns out dense like these, it’ll be great for chocolate bread pudding!

Menus For An Average Week

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I’ve been making weekly menus since I first got married in 1995. I couldn’t fathom going to the grocery store and not knowing what I’d need for the week or how other people did just that. It’s somewhat ironic that the menus fell by the wayside while I was in culinary school, but understandable when you consider that I worked until 5pm and usually ate a Lunchable or some such in the car on the way to classes that started at 5:30pm and went to 10:30 or 11 at night, four days a week.

With so many ingredients on the no-list due to their high FODMAP content, it was a bit of an adjustment when we first started cooking this way and I still get asked exactly what we eat, as if the restrictions are abject deprivation. While I do miss asparagus and broccoli from time to time (for instance), I think we do okay keeping a variety of foods in rotation so that we don’t get bored with any one ingredient or flavor combination.

So here’s what the last week looked like.

Monday: Chicken Florentine with Whipped Sweet Potatoes

jvanderbeek_weekofmeals-1

We had a partial package of gluten-free spaghetti in the pantry so I added that just to round out the meal, and added a couple of parsnips in with the sweet potatoes. Florentine on a menu, of course, just means “with spinach” so what else you add is completely up to you, but some cherry tomatoes cooked just til bursting adds some nice color to the dish.

Tuesday: Dinner with friends at Momo’s

On the first Tuesday of each month we get together with folks from the TNG (Tallahassee Nerds & Geeks) meetup group at a local pizza place for “Beer & Cheer.” Momo’s in known for their incredible pizzas, with slices as big as your head, but thankfully they have a good salad selection. I forgot to grab a picture, but I ordered their Buffalo Chicken Salad with oil and vinegar dressing while Todd got a calzone and cheese sticks.

Wednesday: Pineapple Pork with Brown Rice and Green Beans

jvanderbeek_weekofmeals-2

The combination of Todd working late and some extra vegetables leftover in the crisper turned the brown rice into Fried Brown Rice (though I didn’t add a scrambled egg into this batch) with Sweet and Sour Pork (the sauce made with water, gluten-free soy sauce, a big of raw sugar and thickened with an arrowroot slurry). The pork was dredged with rice flour and seasoned with 5-Spice Powder and it really made all the difference.

Thursday: Corn Chowder

jvanderbeek_weekofmeals-3

I had a commitment after work, so this was the perfect night for a slow-cooker soup so supper would be ready when we got home. Quick enough to prepare on the stove under normal circumstances, it works just as well in the Crock-Pot.

Friday: Dinner out at Old Mexico Restaurant

jvanderbeek_weekofmeals-6

We don’t normally go out twice in one week unless our schedules are abnormally hectic, but since we were headed up to Thomasville to spend the night at the new house and get some projects done and the kitchen is bare, we use this as an excuse to try out some of the local restaurants to find our new regular haunts. I ordered the Chiles Rellenos and, yes, they are battered and fried and this means I knowingly ate wheat products.

Hypocritical of me? Not really. The thing about the Low-FODMAP diet/protocol/whatever you want to call it is that it’s not meant to be super-restrictive forever. It’s good to re-challenge foods over time and, sometimes, you just want what you want. My outlook on it is that if I follow a Low-FODMAP diet 99% of the time, the few times I “splurge” with a High-FODMAP option, I won’t generally have as severe of a reaction as I would if I were constantly eating High-FODMAP since the effects are cumulative. Did I have a small reaction after this dinner? Yes. Did I regret it? Not in the least. It’s about choices, and this was the choice I made and planned for this week.

Saturday: Dutch Baby Pancakes with Strawberries and Sausage

jvanderbeek_weekofmeals-4

Breakfast for dinner is a favorite of ours and usually fits into our menus each week. Todd’s fond of omelets and hashbrowns on his breakfast nights while I tend towards the breadier options. These were made using my go-to Low-FODMAP flour blend and they cooked up just fine with the substitution–something you’re never sure of unitl you try it. Saturday was a particularly good night for these since they (the Dutch babies) don’t keep well and we didn’t need to worry about having leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.

Sunday: Shrimp & Orzo with Minted Carrots

jvanderbeek_weekofmeals-5

There was much rejoicing in our home when we found a wheat-free orzo pasta on the grocery store shelves. We love it so much that we frequently keep a spare bag in the pantry just in case the next time we look for it, it’s gone. We’re devoted to our orzo and this shrimp dish is a favorite from the pre-FODMAP-awareness days–making it with rice just isn’t the same.

Planning our menus in advance helps us keep from having back-to-back chicken or beef nights, usually allows for a vegetarian options, and almost always includes a shrimp or fish dish. We get variety with the convenience of not having to stop for “just one more thing” each night or dread coming home to cook each night.

And now you know it’s not all Daring Bakers and Mac & Cheese doughnuts up in here.

Challenge Accepted: Mac & Cheese Doughnuts

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The Internet is full of strange and wonderful things, my friends.

This isn’t exactly earth-shattering news, but there are a lot of people doing a lot of “interesting” things, and the ‘net allows us to catch a glimpse. Of course the vastness of the web is too much for even the most devoted digital subject, so it helps that our friends link us to various things, thus saving us the trouble of having to plumb the binary depths ourselves.

Such was the case when a friend linked me to some Mind-Blowing Mac & Cheese Donuts that I felt missed the mark. For one thing, there was no dough in those ‘nuts; they were simply thrice-cooked box mac & cheese, pressed into the customary shape. My feeling on the matter (which I expressed to said friend) is that if we’re going to propose something as questionable as mac & cheese doughnuts, it should live up to the promise of the name!

And that’s when she all-but dared me to do it.

While I originally contemplated a traditional ring-shaped doughnut with cheese-filled pasta in the dough and then topped with a cheese sauce (no, not powder from the box mixes), for the sake of ease, I scaled back for this first* try and decided a filled doughnut might actually work better and allow the filling to retain some of it’s dignity. After all, this is humble food we’re talking about, no need to go into deep deconstruction.

Homemade Mac & Cheese

Homemade Mac & Cheese

First, I included my homemade mac & cheese in that week’s dinner menu and purposefully made extra to hold over for the weekend. It’s a variation (no bacon in this one) of my Bacon and 3-Cheese Macaroni from What to Feed Your Raiding Party that depends on the basics of good pasta (in this case, brown rice pasta) topped with a multiple-cheese and egg-enriched bechamel (made with lactose-free milk to keep things relatively Low-FODMAP). It may not bear the neon orange of the commercial mixes, but such is our “sacrifice.”

For the doughnut I decided to try the Glazed Yeast-Raised Doughnut recipe from Gluten-Free on a Shoestring. By setting up my makeshift proof box I did achieve some lift to the dough but it was more out than up, so the finished product more resembled Fry Bread than anything else, but we made it work.

As the doughnuts came out of the oil, I topped them with a sprinkle of cheese (quattro-formagi blend, in this case) to allow it to melt a little before the doughnuts fully cooled.

While all that was going on, I took out a hunk of the chilled mac & cheese and sliced it up into smaller bits before reheating with a splash of milk. Since the doughnuts didn’t achieve the height I was looking for, I skipped the pastry bag with filling tip and just split the doughnuts and spooned the filling into them.

Mac & Cheese Doughnuts... because I could!

Mac & Cheese Doughnuts… because I could!

Todd was my initial taste-tester and he proclaimed them tasty enough to go back for seconds. The leftovers reheated perfectly with just a quick zap in the microwave (15 seconds was plenty) and made for a good mid-afternoon snack.

Does the world really need  a Mac & Cheese Doughnut? No more than we needed mac & cheese pizza or other doubled-carb dishes, but sometimes it’s nice to try something just because, you know?

*No telling if I’ll actually try this again, though I am still on the hunt for the perfect gluten-free doughnut recipe.Â