The low FODMAP diet is definitely not as simple as other diets, especially when you are a busy mum. It requires a level of commitment (logging your food and symptoms down every day!), will power, patience and understanding how to reintroduce the different food groups and not forgetting, lots of planning. Trying to follow the Low FODMAP diet while juggling kids, work, chores and all general mum life stuff, can be quite challenging, but I didn’t let that stop me.
My journey was not all-smooth sailing and I made some mistakes along the way, but not because I didn’t care- but because I was trying to fit something that was so strict into my already busy life.
If you are looking to start the diet, continue reading to learn the mistakes I made, so you don’t have to!
1. Misunderstanding portion sizes
This is actually a very important one to note with low FODMAP. Some foods are safe to eat but only in certain portion sizes, for example, sweet potato- you can have half a cup but any more, would make it become high FODMAP.
This one definitely caught me out a few times, as I thought- if a food was low FODMAP, I could eat as much as I wanted but that was definitely not the case. Some foods are only low FODMAP in small amounts. I was also unknowingly stacking foods across the day too, which would trigger my symptoms. Stacking foods was me thinking- I could have that half a cup of sweet potato for my lunch and then for my dinner!
What I learned: portion sizes matter just as much as the food.
2. The hidden FODMAPS everywhere
It’s easy to focus on the obvious things but it was the sneaky ingredients in our marinades, sauces and snacks that caught me out. So many of the things we get from the supermarket contain onion or garlic powder and sweeteners.
There were many times I had to put down the sauce and improvise after realising it wasn’t safe for me to have.
What I learned: always check the list of ingredients.
3. Cooking separate meals for everyone
This was probably one of my biggest mistakes. I enjoyed my new low FODMAP recipes and did batch cook this to start with, but at times, I would be busy and could not prepare food ahead, so would end up making one meal for the family and something different for myself. It was exhausting, time consuming and unrealistic long-term. I started to look at ways I could adapt my family meals, looking at what ingredients I could swap to make it low FODMAP but still taste good.
What I learned: plan ahead, make sure you have the right ingredients to adapt as many of the family meals you can. It will save you time and stress.
4. Ignoring stress and lifestyle
I was so focus on what I was eating and getting it perfect, I lost focus on everything else, such as: lack of sleep, stress, rushing meals and eating while distracted. Basically, all of the things we do as a busy mum. However, all of these things matter too.
What I learned: gut health isn’t just about the food we eat, the way we live our life also has a huge impact on the digestive system. Lack of sleep and stress, triggers high cortisol levels, which disrupts digestion. You need to focus on your lifestyle habits as well as the diet to see results.
5. I ate the same (safe) foods on repeat
I had to eliminate a lot of healthy foods such as, onion, garlic, legumes, mushrooms and asparagus to name a few. On quite a limiting diet already, you can only imagine that sticking to safe foods- eating just certain foods on repeat- is only limiting you even more! This is what I believed contributed to me getting ill a few times during this process. I cut out a lot of what I usually had daily that contained nutrients and minerals to support my immune system, such as onions and garlic and just started to stick with certain meals that didn’t trigger my symptoms because it felt like the safe thing to do. However, what I was really doing was not following the guidance and giving my body the variety of foods that are allowed on the low FODMAP that supports my general health.
What I learned: variety really does matter- you need nutrients from different foods to meet your needs and to nourish your gut- that supports your immune system.
My final thoughts
Looking back, I made mistakes because I tried to do it in a way that didn’t quite fit my life but I got there in the end! My advice to all you busy mums (and anyone else who is starting out on this diet) is, approach it in a more realistic way, be flexible, find what fits in your routine. Don’t sweat the small stuff. If you make a mistake one day, that’s ok- that little mistake won’t undo all your hard work- just get straight back into it.
If you are in the middle of your journey right now and you are feeling overwhelmed or feel like you are not doing it right, you are not alone. Remember, you are just learning what works for you and your life and that is all a part of your journey in improving your gut health. You’ve got this!
