Dining Out with IBS: Thai

Do you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)? Have you struggled with bloating, stomach cramps, gas, or worse after eating Thai food at a restaurant? Have you wished you had a clear guide on what you can or cannot eat to avoid your IBS symptoms? What if you are following the low FODMAP diet for IBS? What Thai dishes can you eat, and which ones should you stay clear of? Well, read on! 

Whether you are craving Thai food like pad Thai, tom kha gai, green curries, or larb, garlic often plays a big role—as do onions, and sometimes wheat and high FODMAP vegetables and fruit, too. Garlic, onions, and wheat often cause gastrointestinal issues for people with IBS. 

All these dishes contain FODMAPs, which are limited on the low FODMAP diet, especially during the Elimination Phase, but we still crave them. This article is about dining out and indulging in your Thai favorites.

Learn which Thai menu items are likely low FODMAP and less likely to trigger digestive symptoms, or that can be prepared to your specifications. 

Expand Your Choices With FODZYME

Learn how to use the digestive enzyme blend FODZYME to help you enjoy dishes that are high FODMAP, and to ensure you avoid potential digestive upset due to unforeseen ingredients present in a meal. 

To begin, please read our articles on general Strategies For Dining Out With IBS, and FODZYME®: Digestive Enzymes To Help With Digestive Distress, then come back to this article.

What Can You Eat At A Thai Restaurant?

We have created a Quick View list of foods for you immediately below, but you must read this post in its entirety for vital FODMAP information you need when ordering at a Thai restaurant.

Quick View: Thai Food Menu Options You Can Order During the Elimination & Challenge Phases of the Low FODMAP Diet

Note: These lists assume classic approaches to these Thai dishes. Preparation can vary. For important details, please read the full article.

We hope you are taking advantage of our entire Dining Out series, which includes Italian, Mexican, Indian, Greek, and Chinese cuisines. Developing this low FODMAP Thai guide was a challenge because most every traditional Thai dish contains ingredients that contain FODMAPs, however – and this is a big “but” – always remember the diet is low FODMAP, not no FODMAP. 

Often, the very small amount, per serving, of scallion bulb and/or garlic, for instance in pad Thai is not enough to trigger symptoms, but of course, sensitivities vary greatly. Eat to your tolerances, but here are some ingredients that are appropriate during the Elimination Phase:

Low FODMAP Options:

• Jasmine Rice.
• Coconut Rice.
• Sticky Rice.
• Lemongrass, chiles (fresh and dried), lime, basil, cilantro (coriander).
• Cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, black and green pepper, cumin.
• Rice, rice papers, and rice noodles.
• Fish sauce.
• Ginger, galangal, makrut lime leaves.
• Coconut milk.
• All kinds of proteins, from meats, to poultry, to seafood.
• Tofu.
• Eggs.
• Bean sprouts, eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumber, lettuce, bamboo shoots, bell peppers, carrots, yardlong beans.
• Banana, papaya, rambutan, mangosteen, lychee, longan, coconut, pineapple, guava, dragon fruit, passionfruit, ripe and green papaya (both have been lab tested).
• Peanuts.
• Wine.
• Beer.

Order & Use FODZYME:

These are options you can order if you are using FODZME Digestive Enzymes as directed. 

• Pad Thai (stir-fried rice noodles, eggs, vegetables).
• Tom Yum Goong (hot and sour soup).
• Gaeng Keow Wan (green curry).
• Massaman Curry (mild coconut curry).
• Tod Mun Pla (fish cakes).
• Som Tam (green papaya salad; also spelled som tum).
• Pad See Ew (stir-fried flat noodles).
• Khao Pad (Thai fried rice).
• Tom Kha Gai (coconut chicken soup).
• Khao Soi: Northern Thai curry noodle soup, often made with wheat-based egg noodles.
• Panang Curry (creamy red curry).
• Larb (spicy minced meat salad).
• Moo Ping (grilled pork skewers).
• Pad Kra Pao (basil stir-fry).

Detailed Guidelines For Ordering Thai Menu Options

The rest of this article provides the details you need about dining out Thai with IBS.

A Note On Garlic, Onions, Wheat, and High FODMAP Vegetables

The low FODMAP diet is not entirely free of FODMAPs; the suggested low FODMAP serving sizes are based (partially) on FODMAP thresholds that are known to trigger irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms in most people. This is how it is possible to have lab-tested certified foods that contain garlic and/or onion, like Sriracha and Worcestershire Sauce, and low FODMAP servings of wheat noodles. In addition, while the diet is low in lactose, it is not dairy-free. The diet is very much dependent on serving size.

All this information can be found in the Monash University app and FODMAP Friendly Low FODMAP app, which are essential tools for following the low FODMAP diet. If you are not familiar with these two primary low FODMAP diet apps, please be sure to read these articles:

• How To Use The Monash University Low FODMAP Diet App
• How to Use The FODMAP Friendly Low FODMAP Diet App

When dining out Thai, we are bombarded primarily with garlic, onion, wheat, and high FODMAP vegetables. That is what puts so many of your favorite Thai dishes into high FODMAP territory. 

Strategies When Dining Thai

If you follow the low FODMAP diet, you typically cannot see all the FODMAPs lurking when scanning a Thai menu. What can you eat?

Pro Tip: Be well acquainted with the Monash University and FODMAP-friendly apps. Keep your smartphone handy for quick checking.

Alliums: Onions, Shallots, Leeks & Scallions

Please note that we use the term “onion” fairly loosely, in that a dish might contain some type of allium, be it onion, shallot, leek or scallion. Recipes are prepared in various ways, from one restaurant to another. One might use shallots, another might use onion, but the result is the same – alliums contain FODMAPs (fructans), and FODZYME can help.

Also, when you ask your server about whether a dish contains onions or not, you might list the alliums. I have had the experience of asking if a dish contains onion and being told no, only to find shallots within.

Curries: Red, Green & Yellow

You will find many kinds of curries on Thai restaurant menus, and whether they are red, green, or yellow curries, they are based on “pastes” that are pre-made, either purchased or made in-house. In other words, these are not simply curry powders, as you might be familiar with. They are pastes made from a variety of ingredients, typically containing both garlic and onion, so even if you do not see these individual high FODMAP ingredients listed on a menu, if a curry paste is involved, our suggestion is to default to assuming that onions and garlic are present.

Fresh & Fried Spring Rolls 

Spring rolls, both fresh and fried, are also associated with Vietnamese cuisine, but they appear on Thai menus as well. Fresh are made with rice wrappers and can be a great low FODMAP choice. The ingredients of the rolls themselves are typically low FODMAP; just ask about sauces.

Fried versions are usually flour-based wrappers. One wrapper is typically about 25 g, which would be considered a low FODMAP serving size. Ask about fillings and sauces.

Thai Iced Coffee & Tea

Thai iced coffee is a beloved strong iced coffee drink, traditionally made with sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. The “coffee” mixture often consists of coffee beans, as well as other roasted ingredients like corn, soybeans, and sometimes even sesame seeds. This is a great reminder to always ask questions about ingredients. 

This classic approach would be high FODMAP, mostly due to the lactose, but possibly from additional FODMAPs as well (like fructans and GOS from mature soybeans).

Thai iced tea starts with strong black tea and powdered spices. It also uses sweetened condensed milk and/or evaporated milk, which is lactose heavy.

If you want to give these beloved drinks a try, simply use FODZYME alongside.

Low FODMAP Thai Menu Choices

Here are some good low FODMAP choices, but always ask how dishes are prepared, and use your Monash University and FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps to determine serving sizes:

• Rice.
• Kuay Tiew Lui Suan or Goi Cuon: Fresh spring rolls.
• Fried Spring Rolls, depending on fillings.
• Kai Jeow: Thai omelet, depending on fillings.
• Pad Thai (ask if scallions, which are often a garnish, could be placed on the side).
• Roasted or steamed proteins, if simply prepared, such as fish.
• Coconut Ice Cream.
• Thong Yip: Fried sweetened egg yolk dessert, flavored with pandan leaves (which have been lab tested and are low FODMAP). There are many egg yolk based Thai desserts; some contain wheat flour, some do not. You can ask. The amount of flour will be low FODMAP if you eat small portions.
• Wine.
• Beer.

High FODMAP Thai Dishes You Can Enjoy, Using FODZYME

Now we come to the fun part! You are craving red curries and satays. You’ve been dreaming about pad Thai, khao pad, larb, and tom kha gai. Guess what? It is all possible! With the help of targeted enzyme supplementation, you can enjoy all these Thai dishes. 

FODZYME is a digestive enzyme blend that is specifically formulated to aid in the digestion of fructans (found in garlic, onions, wheat, grains, and vegetables), galacto-oligosaccharides, referred to as GOS (found in beans, legumes, and nuts), and lactose (in dairy products). 

People who are sensitive to multiple FODMAPs often tolerate moderate amounts of fructose and polyols when using FODZYME. We generally recommend limiting foods very high in polyols and fructose: however, eating foods with these FODMAPs in the context of a larger, balanced meal with FODZYME, can often mitigate polyol and fructose sensitivities. FODZYME is used with the first bite or first few bites of FODMAP-containing food, which maximizes the enzymes’ ability to support digestion of your meal.

As mentioned before, many Thai dishes are heavy with garlic, onions, some wheat, lactose, and contain high FODMAP vegetables, and FODZYME can specifically address these ingredients.

Have your FODZYME at hand and go ahead and order:

• Pad Thai: Garlic and/or onion.
• Tom Yum Goong (hot and sour soup): Onions and/or garlic.
• Yum Tao Hu Yen: Tofu salad using soft tofu, which is higher FODMAP. Often onions an/or garlic, as well.
• Gaeng Keow Wan (green curry): Onions and/or garlic.
• Massaman Curry (mild coconut curry): Onions and/or garlic.
• Gaeng Phed (red curry): Onions and/or garlic.
• Panang Curry: Onions and/or garlic.
• Gaeng Garee (yellow curry): Onions and/or garlic.
• Som Tam (green papaya salad; also spelled som tum): Onions and/or garlic.
• Pad See Ew (stir-fried flat noodles): Onions and/or garlic.
• Pad Khe Mao (drunken noodles): Onions and/or garlic.
• Gai Satay (chicken skewers with peanut sauce): Onions and/or garlic.
• Goong Pad Khing (stir fry shrimp): Onions and/or garlic.
• Yum Pla Muk (calamari): Onions and/or garlic.
• Khao Pad (Thai fried rice): Onions and/or garlic.
• Roasted Duck Salad: Onions and/or garlic.
• Tom Kha Gai (coconut chicken soup): Onions and/or garlic.
• Panang Curry (creamy red curry): Garlic and/or onion.
• Larb (spicy minced meat salad): Onion and/or garlic.
• Moo Ping (grilled pork skewers): Onions and/or garlic.
• Pad Kra Pao (basil stir-fry): Onions and/or garlic.
• Khao Lam: Sticky rice in bamboo: Beans.

FODMAP Stacking at Thai Restaurants

We have presented the ideal approaches here, but we know it can be difficult to figure everything out in the moment, even if you plan ahead. Then, there is FODMAP stacking to calculate, which occurs when we eat too many low FODMAP ingredients at once, creating a high FODMAP situation. For instance, you might choose a dish like green curry, with a low FODMAP amount of various vegetables, but by the time you take into account the variety of vegetables and the garlic and onion used to make the curry paste, it has become high FODMAP. Calculating stacking, especially on the fly in a restaurant, can be extremely challenging.

You are sitting at the restaurant, friends are ordering, and it’s your turn—what do you do? We keep FODZYME in our bag or pocket just for this kind of situation. Being able to choose almost any dish and knowing that we will have the digestive help we need not only brings peace of mind—it allows us to have the food we want.

Let’s Make A Reservation!

We hope you are uplifted by this information! Now you know how you can enjoy your favorites at your little local hole-in-the-wall or Thai chain restaurant. With FODZYME, we look forward to eating out again. FODZYME comes in jars as well as individual packets. We keep the packets in our bag or pocket and dine out without worry. Pad Thai, curries, larb, and green papaya salad are in your future!

Read All of Our Dining Out Guides

Whether it is Thai tonight, or Italian tomorrow, we have the low FODMAP dining out guides you need:

• Dining Out With IBS: Italian 
• Dining Out With IBS: Mexican & Tex-Mex 
• Dining Out With IBS: Chinese 
• Dining Out With IBS: Indian 
• Dining Out With IBS: Greek  
• Dining Out With IBS: Thai  
• All About Sushi & The Low FODMAP Diet

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