Traveling with IBS: Low FODMAP Travel and Food In Hawaii

Editor’s Note: Success Team member Vanessa Cobarrubia RDN LDN regularly travels to Hawaii, and has successfully kept her IBS in check. Consider this article “Low FODMAP Travel and Food in Hawaii” a personal tour-guide to Hawaiian food by a Monash trained Registered Dietitian. It doesn’t get any better than that! We are always interested in helping you THRIVE while following the low FODMAP diet and a little R&R in Hawaii, with the right tips and tricks to keep your IBS symptoms at bay sounds pretty good.

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Let’s Eat  FODMAP Hawaiian Style or Aloha FODMAP!

Over the past ten years my family has had the good fortune to visit Hawaii many times. I have been following an adapted Low FODMAP diet for multiple visits giving me ample opportunities to discover Hawaiian Low FODMAP foods for fellow FODMAPers and myself to enjoy without gut distress while on holiday.

Cook For Yourself

All of my Hawaiian vacations included a condo style dwelling – a small kitchen is a must in my opinion. Traveling with a family of four can be costly when dining out three times per day. Making your own meals not only saves money but will also reduce your stress by giving you control of your meals. Big box stores such as Costco and Safeway are often located near Hawaiian airports – I highly encourage making a quick stop before you make the trek to your place of stay. My favorite staples include salad mix, oats, lactose-free milk, strained Greek yogurt, papaya, Maui Gold pineapple, bananas, and nut butter – macadamia nut butter is yummy! Natural food shops are common in larger towns and invariably will have specialty Hawaiian items, and killer salad/food bars. My favorite items include salad rolls, tofu salads, taro chips, and local dips – ingredients are often listed and contain local ingredients. And, you might be lucky enough to come across roadside stands where you can find incredibly fresh low FODMAP fruits and veggies. Shop like the locals!

What I Pack

It may behoove you to bring some favorite specialty items such as Low FODMAP bread, NuCo or Thrive coconut wraps (my favorite bread alternative), spice mix (for fish), salad dressings, granola bars, crackers, sweeteners, and nuts since these items can be quite spendy and hard to locate on the island.

Popular Hawaiian Low FODMAP Foods

FISH

Fish is a Hawaiian staple and there are so many different varieties that taste delicious with minimal seasoning. Fish is often served grilled with salt and pepper or this cooking method can be requested when placing your order. I love to buy my own fish at the local fish stores and grill at my own place.

POKE

My husband cannot get enough poke. Some poke bars allow you to custom order so it is easy to choose only low FODMAP ingredient. Ask about the marinades that they use because there might be some onion and garlic used. A less expensive option is to purchase poke at the grocery stores and you can typically find one without onions. I have even seen tofu poke if you are looking for a vegetarian option. Poke is best paired with steamed rice and edamame. Check out our Tuna Poke bowl recipe for inspiration.

TROPICAL SALADS

Tropical salads containing pineapple and papaya plus your choices of protein – chicken, tofu, fish are popular menu items. From my experience the proteins are not seasoned, but it is always a good idea to inquire. Many salad dressings are homemade and the restaurant staff can direct you to one without garlic and onion upon inquiry, or bring your own to play it safe. Rambutan are low FODMAP in portions of 3 fruit (48 g).

For More Travel Info:

Be sure to check out our main travel hub article: Traveling with IBS: The Comprehensive Guide as well as Traveling with IBS: Sicily is A Low FODMAP Dream Destination.