Vegan and looking for a hearty, nutritious LOFO lunch? Our Vegan Low FODMAP Avocado Green Goddess Veggie Sandwich entices visually, and then deeply satisfies with flavor and texture. LOFO sourdough bread layered with our Vegan Low FODMAP Avocado Green Goddess Dressing, alfalfa sprouts, no-fodmap cucumber, arugula and the option of vegan cheese (more below).
Choose Your Bread
Bread is often consumed daily, whether it is toast for breakfast or as the basis for a sandwich at lunch. There are MANY low FODMAP breads to choose from – and they do not have to be gluten-free. Pictured here for our Low FODMAP Avocado Green Goddess Veggie Sandwich we used a vegan sourdough, so the sandwich is not gluten-free if you go this route.
The low FODMAP diet is not a gluten-free or wheat-free diet. There are, in fact, allowable low FODMAP portions of wheat bread allowed even during the Elimination Phase. Please refer to the Monash University smartphone app for a complete and up-to-date listing of breads that you can eat.
Sourdough Can Be Low FODMAP!
I chose a vegan sourdough for this sandwich. You can read more in our article, How To Choose Low FODMAP Bread (coming soon).
The short story is that wheat bread is low FODMAP in certain serving sizes. Wheat-based sourdough is typically even lower in fructans than conventional wheat bread.
Your tolerance is what is important. By all means use the bread that works for you. This sandwich works with all kinds of LOFO bread!
Vegan Cheese
Ah, vegan “cheese”. Here is the issue, from a FODMAP perspective. Saying you can eat a slice of vegan cheese does not give enough information for the consumer. Pretty much all we know is that it will not be dairy, but what it is made of will vary from brand to brand.
Label reading is a must. Watch for high FODMAP ingredients such as inulin. We know many low FODMAP vegans who tolerate Daiya cheeses very well and I used their “cheddar” for the images. Please note that the ingredient list contains pea protein isolate – and keep reading the next section.
Pea Protein: Is It Low FODMAP?
There is much discussion in FODMAP circles about pea protein. Monash tested some products that contained pea protein and deemed them low FODMAP. Then they reversed that statement. Apparently after testing several items with pea protein, some were low FODMAP and some were not. Unfortunately, we do not have information on the types of pea protein or the brands and specific items that were tested (Monash has not provided this), so some extrapolation is necessary.
Testing your own tolerance is the best way to go (as always), but we do have some recommendations. If a product contains “pea protein isolate”, then it is a purer protein product (just like whey protein concentrate (not LOFO), and whey protein isolate (LOFO)). If a product contains “pea protein” with no other designator language, then you can try it, but we have less information in regard to the protein and product itself (from a FODMAP perspective).
The vegan cheese is optional anyway. So, if you have a vegan cheese that you can tolerate, go for it! Or, just leave it out. The Low FODMAP Avocado Green Goddess Veggie Sandwich is truly fantastic even without it.
Cucumber Ribbons!
The only tricky part of this sandwich is cutting the almost gossamer-thin cucumber ribbons – but if you have the right tools, like a cheese plane, it is super simple. Or you could use a sharp vegetable peeler. Once your cuke is prepped, you are ready to assemble your sandwich.
You CAN Eat Vegan & LOFO!
If you are interested in eating vegan and following the low FODMAP diet, we have a Vegan Series for you that will take you through what you need to know, step by step. We even have an article that helps you convert standard recipes.
UPDATE: We now have an article dedicated to sandwiches for you: How To Make Low FODMAP Sandwiches! Be sure to check it out.
Vegan Low FODMAP Avocado Green Goddess Veggie Sandwich
Vegan and looking for a hearty, nutritious LOFO lunch? Our Vegan Low FODMAP Avocado Green Goddess Veggie Sandwich entices visually, and then deeply satisfies with flavor and texture. LOFO sourdough bread layered with our Vegan Low FODMAP Avocado Green Goddess Dressing, alfalfa sprouts, no-fodmap cucumber, arugula and the option of vegan cheese.
Ingredients:
- 2 slices LOFO bread of choice
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Vegan Low FODMAP Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
- ¾ cup (30 g) alfalfa sprouts
- Several leaves of fresh baby arugula
- 1 Persian cucumber, end trimmed, cut into broad ribbons (I use a cheese planer or vegetable peeler)
- 1 slice vegan cheddar cheese, optional
Preparation:
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Slather the Vegan Low FODMAP Avocado Green Goddess Dressing on the bread slices, then layer up with cheese, if using, sprouts, arugula and slices of cucumber.
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Sandwich is ready to serve or maybe be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight.
Notes:
Tips
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Arugula: Monash university has lab tested arugula. For many years they stated that arugula had no FODMAPs. After a 2019 smartphone app update, they changed the entry to say that arugula contains trace amounts, but still state, “eat freely and according to appetite”.
- Avocados: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested avocados, and their results vary from one another. Monash recommends a Green Light low FODMAP serving size as 30 g. FODMAP Friendly gives them a “Pass” at 120 g. PLEASE read our article, Is Avocado Low FODMAP? In the article we address the fact that both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly use very misleading wording in their entries. Monash says 30 g is “1/8th an avocado” and FODMAP Friendly says “½ medium avocado”. As you will see in our article, avocados can vary from 3-ounces (85 g) a piece to over 2-pounds (910 g). GO BY WEIGHT – and the weight is flesh only.
- Cucumbers: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested cucumbers. FODMAP Friendly gives them a “Pass” at ½ cup (64 g).Monash states that no FODMAPs were detected upon lab testing and set a serving size at ½ cup (75 g).
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
For More Avocado Obsession: 10 Low FODMAP Avocado Recipes You Won’t Be Able to Resist.
