Valentine’s Day! What comes to mind? Chocolates, champagne, romantic dinners?
Fear of gas pains doubling you over, urgency and farting at the absolute most inopportune time?
If you are first in line to buy those little “conversation” heart candies with sentiments like “I heart you” and “you’re the one”, don’t worry! We are going to show you how you can enjoy your tried and true favorites on Valentine’s Day without triggering your IBS symptoms. We have 90+ gut friendly swoon worthy dessert recipes just for you plus tons of helpful guidance!
Learn how many Valentine popular choices fit in with your IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) if you are following the low FODMAP diet. The low FODMAP diet is a clinically proven diet that can eliminate IBS symptoms in up to 75% of this with IBS. Could that be you?
Wondering if the low FODMAP diet might help you become symptom free from your IBS symptoms? Jump on over to this introductory article on Is The Low FODMAP Diet For Me? .
CLICK HERE FOR ALL 90+ OF OUR VALENTINE’S DAY LOW FODMAP RECIPES!
Valentine’s Day Dos and Don’ts For IBS Sufferers
Let’s look at some strategic Dos and Don’ts – and then of course have a conversation about Valentine’s Day candy. Our goal is to help you have a delicious holiday, with no gut-wrenching episodes.
Valentine’s Day Dos
Chocolate
You can indulge in chocolate but keep it to 1 ounce (30 g) per serving of dark chocolate. For milk and white, because of the lactose content, the amount is lower, but you can still have about 3/4-ounce (20 g) for milk and 25 g for white chocolate. Want a chocolate recipe? How about a super simple Flourless Chocolate Cake?
A super simple flourless chocolate cake with a sprinkling of edible gold decoration.
If you are a raspberry fan, we have another version for you, too – our Low FODMAP Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake.
Champagne
Clink a glass and say yes to champagne, or other bubbly drinks like prosecco or cava. Monash University says a serving of 5 ounces/150 ml of sparkling wine is perfectly fine. Want to eat champagne? We can show you how to do that. And be sure to try our Pineapple Strawberry Prosecco or our Sea Breeze Mimosa! Please note that carbonation can affect some with IBS; always eat and drink to your tolerances.
Eat champagne? You can! This is our Low FODMAP Champagne Gelée with Raspberries.
You may want to read: How to Navigate a Restaurant Menu on the Low FODMAP Diet
Oysters
These bivalves have a reputation for being aphrodisiacs. Whether they truly are or not you can go ahead and indulge – as long as any accompanying sauce is low FODMAP.
Caviar
Many restaurants have special “romance for two” menus and caviar is often featured. Go ahead and indulge! It is a protein and low FODMAP. You could even accompany it with a couple of mini white toast crackers, according to the Monash University Smartphone App. Or try our lactose-free Caviar Dip.
Easy caviar dip! Serve with crackers or cucumber rounds.
You may want to read: Dating Tips for Teens and Young Adults with IBS
Strawberries
Due to their vaguely heart shape, this juicy fruit also has a reputation as an aphrodisiac – and strawberries can be FODMAP free, and/or have a low FODMAP serving size. Feed your lover. Dip them in chocolate. Or make our Fresh Strawberry Tart!
This gluten-free, low FODMAP tart features a crisp crust, smooth pastry cream and fresh, flower-shaped strawberries. A bouquet in a dessert! You could also use a heart shaped-pan.
Bananas
These are packed with vitamin B and potassium, which are said to help regulate sex hormone production. And they are phallic, so folks tends to think about them in a sexy way. One-third of a ripe banana (35 g) is low FODMAP. Make it a quarter of a banana and dip it in the chocolate.
Romantic Dinner For Two
Our Low FODMAP Lemon Pepper Risotto with Pan-Seared Scallops is perfect for Valentine’s Day, or anytime you want an intimate dinner for two. Don’t let the word “risotto” scare you; we show you how easy it is to make this dish.
Heart Shaped Everything
How about some heart-shaped cookies? Using our gluten-free rolled sugar cookie recipe you can make cookies for your kid’s school needs or make them elegant for the adult crowd.
Homemade Truffles
Are you the crafty type? If you want to take a crack at making your own, check out our Low FODMAP Dark Chocolate Truffles, Low FODMAP Chocolate Dipped Truffles and Low FODMAP Chocolate Walnut Truffles recipes.
Hot Chocolate Truffle Bombs
Heard about Hot Chocolate Truffle Bombs? We have a low FODMAP recipe for you.
Hot Chocolate & Hot Cocoa
A mug of hot chocolate or hot cocoa can be enjoyed, if you follow our lactose-free recipes. We even have a MINT Hot Chocolate!
Cupcakes
We have several cupcake recipes for you, from chocolate to vanilla, coconut, and other flavors as well – even red velvet – that are gluten-free, low FODMAP and perfect for school, office or church functions.
Waffles
Why not? Especially if they are chocolate and heart shaped. Serve for breakfast, or fill with ice cream to make ice-cream sandwiches.
Candy
If you are a candy fan, you should definitely check out our article on Low FODMAP Candy and also Candy Ingredients. We take popular commercial candies, one by one, and explain how much you can (or cannot) have of each, while keeping your IBS symptoms at bay.
Valentine’s Day Don’ts
Filled Chocolate Bonbons
If someone gives you a beautiful box of filled chocolates, tread carefully as it is hard to know what they are made of. Sometimes you can figure out which ones are simply chocolate and nuts or chocolate and coconut, and those would be okay.
Rich Dishes
If you go out to celebrate with a fancy meal, all the typical high FODMAP warnings apply, however this holiday also seems to bring out the fat use. Dishes with a lot of cream or cheese can be very heavy and while not high FODMAP per se in small portions, many of us with IBS also react to high-fat content dishes. Choose wisely.
Asparagus
Speaking of aphrodisiacs, asparagus are considered stimulating, so they tend to show up on Valentine’s Day menus. Lab tests by Monash University and FODMAP Friendly show us that about 12 g to 18 g of asparagus is unlikely to trigger IBS symptoms, but this is only about 2/3 to 1 spear, so it is easiest to steer clear on this day.
Cocktails
While many hard alcohols are low FODMAP, rum is high FODMAP. It finds its way into many mixed drinks, so if you are starting your celebrating with a mixed drink, steer clear of any with rum. Also, other than a small amount of orange or cranberry juice, you have to be careful of potentially high FODMAP juices, like mango.
Honey
This golden, liquid sweetener shows up on many aphrodisiac lists as it has been used for centuries to increase sexual desire. Unfortunately, it is high FODMAP and should be avoided in large quantities. ½ to 1 teaspoon is low FODMAP, but again, it might be best to forgo for the holiday.
Portions Count & So Does Timing
Consider Serving Size
While we have given you an easy-to-follow list of Dos and Dont’s, you also need to consider serving size. The low FODMAP diet is very portion size related. In fact, there are foods that have both high FODMAP serving sizes and low! We know it seems confusing, but we are here to help you wade through the info. Reading our articles on What Is A Low FODMAP Serving Size? and also High FODMAP Foods With Low FODMAP Serving Sizes will help guide you.
The low FODMAP diet is very portion size related. In fact, there are foods that have both high FODMAP serving sizes and low!
Timing Of Digestive Symptoms & Stacking
When you eat affects how FODMAPs stack up in your gut. There is a term, “stacking”, that refers to the amount of FODMAPs that you eat within a short time frame and how that can overload your FODMAP tolerance. Please read our articles, Timing Of Digestive Symptoms, as well as What Is FODMAP Stacking? for a deeper dive.
In brief, you want your meals to be spaced about two to three hours apart. Digestive reactions from FODMAPs will appear two to eight hours after eating, and can last for longer. If you are reacting to a food right away, it could be anything from a true food allergy, acid indigestion, histamine intolerance or a few other reasons. The article linked above on timing will take you through your digestive reactions, time frame by time frame.
The Takeaway
IBS strikes about 1 in 6 people worldwide; that is a lot of people suffering with gut-wrenching digestive symptoms. The low FODMAP diet can eliminate IBS symptoms in up to 75% of those with IBS. It is all about choosing foods carefully to minimize the FODMAP content – and we have taken the guess work out for you!
We always like to focus on what you can enjoy, so while we presented Dos and Don’ts, let’s focus on all the delicious foods you can have for Valentine’s Day, without triggering digestive upset.
There are low FODMAP serving sizes of chocolate, champagne, caviar, candies and so much more. There is no reason to feel deprived on Valentine’s Day. You can enjoy many foods and beverages without digestive upset.
As with any other holiday, we have to make smart choices to stay within our low FODMAP diet, but it is possible. At FODMAP Everyday® we are here to help you thrive on the low FODMAP diet.
