Meet Spoonful: The Low FODMAP Scanner App
As someone who follows the low FODMAP diet herself, and who works 24/7 on educating the public about the diet through FODMAP Everyday®, we are always on the lookout for ways to make the diet easier. This is where Spoonful comes in, with their low FODMAP diet scanner app.
Editors Note: This article was updated April 2022, and again in 2024. Some of the language represents discussing the app when it was first launched. We have also included discussions of updated features.
Watch our video on how the Spoonful App works while you shop!
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Following The Low FODMAP Diet
Once you have an IBS diagnosis by a medical doctor, and the low FODMAP diet is suggested, doctors often tell the patient to “follow this diet” or patients are handed a sheet of paper that is most probably woefully out-of-date. What is a person suffering with IBS to do?
Monash University researchers developed the diet and their app has the most up-to-date information on what foods have been lab tested and what the lab results are for low FODMAP, moderate FODMAP and high FODMAP content. They, and FODMAP Friendly, also certify commercial products that have gone through rigorous certification programs. That leaves thousands of other products on the shelves that you might have a question about.
Picture that you are in the supermarket, holding a product in your hand and you want to know if it contains any high FODMAP ingredients. If it is not a certified product, by either Monash or FODMAP Friendly, then you are on your own to figure it out.
Enter Spoonful. The app scans products and provides instant results related to FODMAP content. We sat down to chat with the company cofounders, Deepa Krishnan, CEO, and Sam Laber, CMO, to learn more about their scanner app, how they came up with the idea, and how it can help YOU as you navigate the low FODMAP diet.
Update: Spring 2020, Spoonful is Now Live in Canada, UK, Australia & New Zealand! And as of Spring 2022, you can now find ALL of our FODMAP Everyday®Recipes directly linked through the app!
Dédé Wilson: Deepa, Sam, thank you so much for talking with us about your company. You recently launched an initial version of the app. This is an exciting time! First let’s get some background.
I know that each of you has your own very interesting background relationship with food and how it has positively affected your health. Tell us about that.
Sam: Thanks for having us Dédé! Yeah, so Deepa and I have both been tinkering with our diets for a while now. I was diagnosed with Tourette’s at age 7, which meant cutting out caffeine, most dyes, and, to the best of my ability, CHOCOLATE. Deepa had an early health scare with her heart which she manages partially through diet. She more recently went dairy-free to manage adult-onset asthma. Those experiences combined have made us realize just how strong the connection is between what we eat and how that makes us feel.
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And when and how did you hear about the low FODMAP diet?
Deepa: To be honest, I think it may have been a FODMAP Everyday article (no plug intended). We’ve always been big advocates of the food is medicine movement, so when we started researching different diets, low FODMAP naturally rose up. We were excited by the complexity of it and reassured by its clinical track record. We also have family members with IBS and were excited by the possibility of helping them via our app.
How did you first come up with the idea of creating an app to help those on restrictive diets?
Deepa: We both come from tech backgrounds and have always been fascinated by the data behind food. We love how apps like MyFitnessPal use macro and micronutrient data to help people lose weight and thought we could do something similar with ingredient data to help people manage dietary restrictions.
Let’s talk about your launch of Spoonful. Describe for those who haven’t seen the app yet exactly what it does and how the consumer uses it.
Sam: The launch has been awesome! Definitely exceeded our expectations so far. We released on iOS back in early October and just launched on Android last week (Ed Note: this was 2019).
The app itself is like a low FODMAP shopping companion. You can take it to the store and scan products to see what’s low fodmap. If it detects a high or moderate FODMAP ingredient, it will flag that product so you can steer clear. All ingredients we flag have been reviewed and verified by RDNs who specialize in IBS and low FODMAP.
Another feature we love is the Discover tab. It’s like a crowd-sourced catalogue of low FODMAP products sorted by popularity. Top scanned products are arranged first and you can filter the list by any store in your area. FODMAPs can be super restrictive, but when you look through this catalogue, you start to realize just how many foods out there you actually can eat.
I would equate the community feed to a custom shopping list, which is great! We provide downloadable shopping lists that have been created by our Success Team RD Vanessa Vargas, who is Monash trained and we know she is reviewing your content as well. Tell us about the process. What work has she and the other RDNs done for you to help your users access low FODMAP food?
Deepa: Each time someone scans a product label, there’s quite a lot happening behind the scenes. Let’s take this Nature Valley bar for example.
Once scanned, Spoonful runs each of these ingredients through what we like to call our “FODMAP filter”. In this case, the filter knows that “high fructose corn syrup” is considered high FODMAP, so it gets a red label. It also knows that the FODMAP content of “honey” depends on serving size, so it will ask you to cross-reference with Monash for more information. The product itself then receives a red label – likely high FODMAP – because it contains one or more ingredients considered high FODMAP at 1 serving.
Read more: How to Use Spoonful Alongside the Monash App
If a user wants to know more about a particular ingredient (in this case high fructose corn syrup), they can tap on it to read our RDN note. Vanessa Vargas and the rest of our expert team (shoutout Liz McMahon, RDN, Jas Saurai, RDN and Joanna Baker, APD) took the lead on creating these notes and on providing the insight for the FODMAP filter as a whole.
So if a RDN reviews conventional Cheerios, for instance, and the cereal is represented in the app, how does Spoonful handle any industry re-formulations of the product?
Deepa: We have regular data maintenance to make sure all our products and ingredients are up to date. If a product like Cheerios were to change its ingredients (and if this were to change the FODMAP content), we do our best to update the result in our app and leave a note explaining the change.
We have to talk about what I like to call High FODMAP Foods With Low FODMAP Servings Sizes. We all know that the diet can appear to be confusing, especially for those new to the diet.
Almonds will appear on some low FODMAP lists and on high FODMAP lists elsewhere. Garlic and onion are often the first foods that IBS sufferers learn that they must remove from their diet during the initial Elimination Phase – but, and this is a big but, these ingredients are in conventional ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, for instance, and specific small portions of these condiments are considered low FODMAP.
Sam: Yes! This has been a hot topic of conversation at Spoonful as well. By default, Spoonful uses ingredients to provide a best estimate on whether or not the product should be considered high, low or moderate FODMAP. This works in the majority of cases, but there are outliers.
As we all know, product labels do not provide ingredient serving sizes, which can make things tricky when evaluating products with an ingredient like almonds. For foods we know to be low FODMAP at reasonable serves (like Fody Foods Almond Coconut Bar), the app is now smart enough to not flag the almonds. This holds true for other high FODMAP ingredient, low FODMAP products like sriracha, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.
People learn, hopefully quickly, that this diet is not black and white. There are many shades of gray and it is because the amount of FODMAPs that can trigger symptoms are related to the amount ingested.
Help us understand how your Spoonful App handles prepared foods that contain ingredients that have high as well as low FODMAP serving size amounts.
Sam: For these types of ingredients, we use a cautionary yellow label, and provide more context in the RDN notes. We also recommend that you supplement our notes with the Monash app for prep and serving size information.
You May Want To Read: How To Read An FDA Nutrition Facts Label
Soybeans, for example, can be high or low FODMAP depending on processing and level of bean maturity. Our app labels them yellow and gives some general advice on how to make the best choice. Things like choosing firm over soft tofu or steering clear of products made from mature soybeans.
Who do you consider your ideal user?
Sam: The app works best for people who have been recommended the low FODMAP diet by a doctor or RDN. Whether you’re in the Elimination phase or have already identified your triggers, the app can customize scans and products to your FODMAP categories. We’re available in the US, Canada, UK, Australia & New Zealand.
What you have just said is so important. Just like what we do here at FODMAP Everyday®, we consider our content to be an adjunct to the information coming from one’s medical team.
The low FODMAP diet is not a fad. It is a clinically proven diet that should be treated as any other medically recommended approach.
I understand that your intention for the Spoonful scanner app will eventually be applied to other diets. Can you tell us about that?
Deepa: Yep! In addition to low FODMAP and personalized FODMAP categories, Spoonful also supports gluten-free and plant-based diets (vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian). Like with FODMAPs, we sought RDNs who are extremely well versed in these categories and built them from the ground up.
I also want to point out that we’ve been very intentional with which diets we support. Unlike many other apps, we’re coming at this from a medical perspective – this means we’re extremely cognizant of over-restriction and the challenges that stem from it. We intend to support all medically-backed diets (sorry, no Whole30) that truly support and benefit people on their food journey.
We know that creating an app is a huge investment of time and money. How much will the app cost to download?
Sam: Spoonful is free to try! All users who download the app are given 5 scans and 3 searches each month. If you’d like to receive unlimited scans and searches, it’s $3.99/mo or $24.99/yr. The cost helps us maintain the accuracy and coverage of the app, while staying up-to-date on the latest FODMAP rules.
Sam and Deepa, thank you so much for your time and for working so hard for all of us FODMAPers. Your scanner app is a helpful tool to add to our resources, and will help many users navigate the low FODMAP diet.
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This app sounds great but when I just now searched for it, it didn’t pop up on my phone. However, I was able to download it through my computer using the link in the article. Thanks for letting others know about this app.
Hi Laura! So glad you sorted that. Since it’s a brand new app in the Google Store they won’t have it for direct download for a few days but the link works perfectly for now! We’ll be interested in learning how you like using it! And be sure to use it in conjunction with the Monash App for serving sizes, etc.
I’m not very impressed with it right now. I went to use it this evening and I had to set up an account. Took me several tries to get a password with the correct number of characters. then it told me my user name was already used. tried changing that but it didn’t work. Then it said my email was already registered. I asked for a password reset, which was sent to my email address. The app told me to read the email via an app on my phone, which I refuse to add as I don’t want to do email on my phone (if I even knew what app that was). However, it wouldn’t accept the password reset via my PC as I don’t have the app on my PC. So, yeah, can’t use it now. Don’t know if I ever will since it says my email is already registered but I can’t do a password reset.
Hi Laura, so sorry to hear of your experience. Sam and Deepa, the developers have been very responsive to users. I will Private Message you their emails and I encourage you to reach out.
Wish this was available in Germany 🙁
Take the time to reach out to the developers! sam@spoonfuleats.com and deepa@spoonfuleats.com! They are great at interacting with users and potential ones, too!
When will this be available in Canada?
Hi Karen, you can contact the developers directly.
I encountered the same technical problem as LUra P .. it let me set up an account and now won’t recognize me. Pity not to be able to use the app but anyway I need information for Canada . Great idea though
Frank W
Please write the developers. They are very responsive and will get you on track in no time!
I just wish it were more accurate. I love the app but I can scan something and it will be good to eat then I get sick and rescan it and it is in the red.
Teresa W
The Spoonful developers keep improving the app. I think one thing that people do not follow is that it is meant to be used in conjunction with the Monash app. Primary research is not being done by Spoonful. Also, even with the Monash app, just because something is “Green” doesn’t guarantee you will not react. The diet is a learning process and as you go along it will get easier. Promise!
I was super excited about this and downloaded it right away. I’m very new to switching to a low FODMAP diet and trying to find specific products that are safe to eat has been tricky. However, knowing that lactose-free products are typically considered low FODMAP, I was really surprised to see that nearly every single lactose-free item I searched was listed as unsafe. I don’t know if this is some sort of error, but now I don’t know whether or not I can trust the app in terms of the information I would be taking away from it.
Hi Liv, a couple of things. First of all Spoonful does suggest that their app be used in conjunction with the Monash app as default. Monash, in turn, recommends against scanner apps because of their inability to be nuanced when it comes to the low FODMAP diet. That said, we understand the desire to scan and go as you shop. Whether you are using a scanner app or not, if you want to be successful while following the Low FODMAP diet, you do have to do a fair amount of self-education. When I look up lactose free items in the app several come up as moderate or high and it looks like natural flavors are the ingredient that’s being flagged by Spoonful. Natural flavors can be an issue and when we create our shopping list for instance are dietitians have called manufacturers for every product that contains natural flavors to determine whether there are any FODMAP ingredients within. Obviously a scanner app cannot do that. I will attach an article about natural flavors and label reading and hopefully this will help you. In addition, you mention that lactose-free items you like to use are “typically considered low FODMAP”. By whom? There are plenty of resources (unfortunately) that call something low FODMAP when they are not. Have these items been fully vetted? Do they contain natural flavors? Has anyone called the manufacturer to assess what is within the natural flavors? Things to think about…
If your issue was not natural flavors, let me know.
Ah, thank you! The article you linked is very helpful in terms of understanding the term “natural flavors”, and yes, many of the items I tend to purchase that are lactose-free do have that listed. I’ve never had an issue with them personally, so I didn’t even consider that might be the thing that was flagging them.
Mostly the lactose-free things I use are in baking – milk, cream, whipping cream, and cream cheese. All of these things are listed in a number of low FODMAP recipes here on this site, so I assume they’d be safe to use. It may be down to brand, but I don’t see anything specific mentioned.
Heavy cream is low FODMAP. You can read more about various types of cream here. For whole cow’s milk we use lactose-free, any brand is OK. The lactose-free cream cheeses that we have used are the outliers. They all perform differently and NOT like regular cream cheese. You will see that we call for Green Valley Creamery Brand. We do not suggest picking up any old brand of lactose-free cream cheese and trying to sub it into conventional recipes.