Kate Scarlata

After doing some research and deciding that I wanted to try a Low FODMAP diet for my frequent digestive issues which I think may be IBS honestly, I checked out several books about it from the library. Of all the books I got, this was the only one that I decided to keep after seeing that it had lots of recipes that sounded delicious and easy plus tons of great info in the front of the book (through p. 66) about what the Low FODMAP diet is, what people typically use it for, different kinds of digestive disorders and their differences and symptoms along with a brief summary on how they are typically treated. It also goes into what foods are high and low in FODMAPS, how these are digested in our body, how it can cause issues for people with IBS and other digestive disorders, and how to implement the Low FODMAP diet in the different phases: Elimination, Challenges, and Integration. I learned a lot more about the diet and lots of helpful tips from this section. There was really more on everything in this book than I was able to find through a lot of other resources.

One tip I picked up on that was really important is that it is often recommended that if you have other dietary restrictions that you try the elimination phase for about 2 weeks instead of 4, until you are symptom free. This is because you are already having to limit your diet and it can be unhealthy in some cases to limit it further for mor extended periods. I also love that it shows you specific foods and amounts for the challenge phases so that you can figure out which foods may be triggers for you. Then of course the integration phase is really important so that you can bring back the foods that you eliminated that don’t seem to cause you problems personally or that you can at least have in moderation, which is of utmost importance for eating balanced meals to stay healthy.

The book also has a great resource section in the back and a good index which of course is an extremely important part of a cookbook. I will say that it doesn’t have photos for every recipe, but it still has enough that satisfies me seeing as there is a photo about every couple pages. The information in the front of the book is also presented in easy to understand charts. It even gives you sample menus and some of them are for people who eat vegetarian or gluten free diets (I am gluten free myself). Some of the amazing substitutions you can use for the elimination phase are also talked about, which has been very helpful in my cooking in general. One of these is using garlic or shallot infused oil in place of garlic and onions in recipes and another is using these oils and cooking the tops of leeks in it for the added texture as well.

Ok, so now on to the actual recipes. There’s a basics section in the front that has recipes on making different dressings, sauces, and broths that I could see being helpful for people who prefer to make those at home, though I also appreciate that the book does point out Fody Food Company and other brands that have ready map Low FODMAP versions of these basics- which is more the route I am going. I have had great success using the shallot infused olive oil and the low FODMAP vegetable soup base in recipes in this book and also some I have found online.

The other sections of recipes cover breakfast, lunch, snacks, salads and sides, soups, dinner main dishes and one pot/dish meals, and desserts. After looking through all these, I would definitely have to say that I would pretty much try all of them with the exception of the Quinoa recipes because I don’t like Quinoa (but there are only 2 of these) and maybe some of the recipe basics because like I said, I prefer the ready made varieties for these basic items. I also don’t eat pork so there would be a couple I would need to sub a different meat and there seems to be only like 2 recipes that a substitute wouldn’t work for in this case like pork chops and pork tacos.

The 5 recipes I have already tried from this cookbook are the Overnight Oats with Fruit, Tarragon Chicken Salad with Grapes & Pecans, Cheesy Grits, Rosemary Garlic Roasted Potatoes, and Whole Roast Chicken with Lemon & Herbs. I also made a recipe very similar to the Teriyaki Meatballs that I actually found on the author’s blog that uses ground chicken instead of ground beef and pork. Not only have I loved all of these, but so has my husband! In fact, we both agreed that the chicken, roasted potatoes, and meatballs were the best we have had of those dishes before. He keeps telling me he is excited to eat more of the meatballs again. The grits were definitely the best grits I have had as well! I added toppers to my grits as my favorites are chopped tomato, green onion and turkey sausage. I loved that there were several recipes to use leftover whole chicken in as well, which is what I did in making the chicken salad. Would highly recommend this cookbook!

The LOW-FODMAP Diet: Step by Step by Kate Scarlata RDN, LDN and Dédé Wilson: 5 stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Edit: Since writing this review I have also made the Buffalo Chicken Wings, Weekday Meatloaf, All-Beef Chili, and Corn Bread. It was all excellent! My meatloaf did need to cook for longer than the recipe said but it also mentioned “until it reaches temperature” which of course is the most important factor. The chicken wings were good, but I will say that I would prefer a stronger tasting, spicier sauce on my Buffalo wings. That All-Beef Chili was a particular hit!… (lisätietoja)

I received this as part of the Early Reviewers. I do not suffer from gastrointestinal issues, however I did appreciate the way this book presented the issues associated with them. Many books will portray their diet as THE solution to all of your woes. The author was very careful to explain how their approach would take time, but could help you pinpoint specific dietary issues. The book itself was very approachable and I would recommend it to anyone who thinks they may be suffering from some form of GI problem - it can help you understand how to identify even the smallest issue. For example, it turns out that apples upset my stomach - which is sad because I thoroughly enjoy apples! But I also enjoy uninterrupted road trips...… (lisätietoja)