The low FODMAP diet is currently the most clinically supported dietary approach for managing IBS symptoms. Research has found it reduces symptoms in 50 to 86 percent of people with IBS, making it one of the most effective dietary interventions for any gut condition. FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, a class of short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine, pass into the large intestine, draw in water, and ferment rapidly, producing the gas, bloating, cramping, and altered bowel habits that define IBS.
This 7-day low FODMAP meal plan covers the elimination phase of the diet, the initial two to six week period where all high FODMAP foods are removed to give the gut a chance to settle. Every meal has been built around confirmed low FODMAP foods and serving sizes, with protein tracked daily since most people on this plan benefit from keeping protein consistent across meals to stabilize energy and gut motility. A soft daily protein target of 110 to 140 grams is woven through the plan, drawn from eggs, fish, poultry, lactose-free dairy, and hard cheeses, all of which are safe across all serving sizes on the low FODMAP diet.
Two rules cut across every single day of this plan. First, garlic and onion are completely absent, since they are among the highest FODMAP foods in existence and appear in the vast majority of commercial sauces, broths, and seasoning blends. Garlic-infused olive oil replaces them throughout, since fructans from garlic are water-soluble and do not transfer into oil during infusion, making it a safe way to get garlic flavor without the FODMAP load. Second, the green tops of scallions are used freely for onion flavor, since only the white bulb is high FODMAP.
Low FODMAP Diet Rules: What to Eat and What to Avoid
Eat freely: Eggs; unbreaded meat, poultry, and fish; hard aged cheeses such as cheddar, parmesan, and Swiss; lactose-free milk and yogurt; rice, quinoa, oats, gluten-free pasta, corn tortillas, and rice cakes; carrots, cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, spinach, kale, zucchini, bok choy, green beans, potatoes, eggplant, and lettuce; unripe bananas, kiwi, grapes, and strawberries (up to 65g per serving); olive oil and garlic-infused oil; walnuts, macadamia nuts, and peanut butter; maple syrup in moderate amounts.
Avoid entirely: Garlic and onion in any form, including garlic powder and onion powder in spice blends. Wheat, barley, and rye. Most legumes including chickpeas, lentils, black beans, and kidney beans. High-lactose dairy such as regular milk, soft cheeses, yogurt with added inulin or chicory root, and ice cream. Apples, pears, mangoes, cherries, peaches, and watermelon. Mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower, and large portions of broccoli. Honey, high fructose corn syrup, and most commercial sauces and condiments contain garlic or onion. Inulin and chicory root fiber, which are added to many yogurts, protein bars, and plant milks as prebiotics, are very high FODMAP despite often being marketed as healthy ingredients.
Key Rules for Following This Plan
FODMAP stacking: Even if each food in a meal is individually low FODMAP, combining several borderline foods in one sitting can create a cumulative FODMAP load that triggers symptoms. Keep meals simple, particularly during the first two weeks, and avoid clustering multiple portion-sensitive foods in the same meal.
Label reading: Garlic powder, onion powder, honey, high fructose corn syrup, and inulin appear in a remarkable number of packaged foods. Read every ingredient label, including on broth, gluten-free bread, protein bars, and plant milks.
Serving sizes matter: Some foods are low FODMAP only at specific quantities. Strawberries are safe at up to 65g but trigger symptoms in larger amounts. Blueberries are safe at 40g. Unripe bananas are safe up to 130g, but become high FODMAP when ripe. The Monash University FODMAP app provides laboratory-tested values for thousands of foods and is a valuable resource to use alongside this plan.
This is a temporary plan: The low FODMAP diet is recommended for no longer than two to six weeks in its elimination phase, after which high FODMAP foods are reintroduced one at a time under the guidance of a dietitian to identify specific triggers. Many people find they are sensitive to only one or two FODMAP categories, not all of them.
7-Day Low FODMAP Meal Plan: Daily Menus
Day 1 Low FODMAP Meal Plan
Breakfast: Gluten-free oats (200g cooked) with lactose-free milk (150ml), unripe banana (100g), walnuts (15g), and a drizzle of maple syrup (10g).
Mid-morning snack: Two rice cakes with natural peanut butter (20g).
Lunch: Grilled chicken breast (150g) over mixed greens (60g), tomato (80g), cucumber (60g), and carrot (50g), dressed with olive oil (10g) and lemon.
Afternoon snack: Kiwi (130g).
Dinner: Baked salmon (140g) with white rice (150g) and steamed green beans (120g).
Day 1 approximate totals: Protein: 125g | Calories: 2,310
Day 2 Low FODMAP Meal Plan
Breakfast: Two-egg scramble with spinach (30g) and cheddar cheese (25g), with one slice of gluten-free toast.
Mid-morning snack: Grapes (100g) with walnuts (15g).
Lunch: Tuna rice bowl: canned tuna in water (120g) with white rice (150g), cucumber (60g), carrot (50g), and bell pepper (60g), dressed with olive oil (8g).
Afternoon snack: Lactose-free yogurt (150g) and one unripe banana (100g).
Dinner: Chicken stir-fry: chicken breast (150g) with bok choy (100g), carrot (50g), and bell pepper (50g), cooked in garlic-infused oil (10g) over white rice (130g).
Day 2 approximate totals: Protein: 123g | Calories: 1,700
Day 3 Low FODMAP Meal Plan
Breakfast: Lactose-free yogurt (180g) with strawberries (65g) and a drizzle of maple syrup (8g).
Mid-morning snack: Two rice cakes with cheddar cheese (25g).
Lunch: Shrimp and Quinoa Bowl: shrimp (100g) and quinoa (140g) served over spinach (50g) and tomato (80g), dressed with olive oil (8g) and lemon juice (10g).
Afternoon snack: One unripe banana (100g).
Dinner: Ground beef pasta: lean ground beef (150g) with zucchini (100g) and plain tomato sauce (80g) over gluten-free pasta (120g), topped with parmesan (15g).
Day 3 approximate totals: Protein: 114g | Calories: 2,100
Day 4 Low FODMAP Meal Plan
Breakfast: Gluten-free oats (200g cooked) with lactose-free milk (150ml), kiwi (130g), peanut butter (20g), and maple syrup (8g).
Mid-morning snack: Walnuts (15g) and grapes (100g).
Lunch: Chicken and rice soup: chicken breast (150g) with carrot (50g), celery (30g), scallion green tops (15g), and white rice (130g) in low FODMAP broth.
Afternoon snack: Lactose-free yogurt (150g).
Dinner: Baked salmon (170g) with roasted potatoes (180g) and green beans (120g), finished with olive oil (10g).
Day 4 approximate totals: Protein: 126g | Calories: 1,760
Day 5 Low FODMAP Meal Plan
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (2) with bell pepper (60g), tomato (60g), and spinach (30g), with one slice of gluten-free toast.
Mid-morning snack: Two rice cakes with natural peanut butter (15g).
Lunch: Shrimp tacos: shrimp (90g) in two corn tortillas with lettuce (30g), tomato (50g), and cheddar cheese (25g).
Afternoon snack: Kiwi (100g).
Dinner: Turkey pasta: ground turkey (110g) with zucchini (80g) and plain tomato sauce (80g) over gluten-free pasta (100g), cooked in garlic-infused oil (10g).
Day 5 approximate totals: Protein: 113g | Calories: 2,328
Day 6 Low FODMAP Meal Plan
Breakfast: Lactose-free yogurt (180g) with blueberries (40g) and maple syrup (8g).
Mid-morning snack: Two rice cakes with peanut butter (15g), walnuts (15g), and macadamia nuts (15g).
Lunch: Tuna salad: canned tuna in water (160g) with mayonnaise (15g) over mixed greens (60g), carrot (50g), and cucumber (60g), dressed with olive oil (8g).
Afternoon snack: Unripe banana (100g).
Dinner: Pork tenderloin (160g) with roasted carrots (100g) and white rice (150g), cooked with garlic-infused oil (10g) and scallion green tops (15g).
Day 6 approximate totals: Protein: 121g | Calories: 2,300
Day 7 Low FODMAP Meal Plan
Breakfast: Gluten-free oats (200g cooked) with lactose-free milk (150ml), strawberries (65g), walnuts (15g), and maple syrup (8g).
Mid-morning snack: Two rice cakes with cheddar cheese (25g).
Lunch: Chicken and quinoa bowl: chicken breast (150g) with quinoa (130g), roasted zucchini (80g), and bell pepper (60g), dressed with olive oil (10g) and lemon.
Afternoon snack: Lactose-free yogurt (150g).
Dinner: Baked cod (170g) with roasted sweet potato (70g, maximum serving to stay low FODMAP) and steamed green beans (120g), cooked in garlic-infused oil (8g).
Day 7 approximate totals: Protein: 137g | Calories: 2,200
7-Day Low FODMAP Meal Plan at a Glance
| Day | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 125g | 2,310 |
| Day 2 | 123g | 1,700 |
| Day 3 | 114g | 2,100 |
| Day 4 | 126g | 1,760 |
| Day 5 | 113g | 2,328 |
| Day 6 | 121g | 2,300 |
| Day 7 | 137g | 2,200 |
Calorie variation across the week reflects differences in portion sizes and activity level, since the low FODMAP diet is not a weight loss plan and calorie restriction is not part of its design. Adjust portion sizes of rice, oats, and protein to match your individual calorie needs without changing the food choices themselves. Days with lower calorie totals, like Day 2, can easily be scaled up by adding an extra serving of rice, gluten-free pasta, or potatoes at dinner.
What to Expect on This Low FODMAP Meal Plan
Days 1 to 3: The adjustment period. Some people feel better almost immediately after eliminating high FODMAP foods. Others experience a brief transition as the gut microbiome adapts, which can temporarily worsen bloating before improving. Symptoms can take up to seven days or more to settle on the low FODMAP diet, so give the plan at least a full week before concluding.
Days 4 to 5: Most people begin to notice a clear reduction in gas and bloating. Bowel habits often normalize, and the gap between meals feels more comfortable. This is when the plan starts to feel sustainable rather than restrictive.
Days 6 to 7: By the end of the week, the pattern of shopping, cooking, and snacking around low FODMAP foods begins to feel more intuitive. This is also a good time to begin keeping a food and symptom diary if you have not already, since tracking which meals correlate with the best symptom relief provides useful data for the reintroduction phase that follows.
Low FODMAP Grocery List for 7 Days
Protein
Eggs, 1 dozen; chicken breast, boneless, 600g; salmon fillets, 2 (approximately 140g and 170g each); canned tuna in water, 2 cans (280g total); shrimp, cooked or raw, 190g; ground beef, lean, 150g; ground turkey, 110g; pork tenderloin, 160g; cod fillet, 170g.
Dairy
Lactose-free yogurt, plain, 810g; lactose-free milk, 600ml; cheddar cheese, 150g; parmesan, small block; mayonnaise, plain (check label for no garlic or onion powder).
Grains and Bread
Gluten-free rolled oats, 1 bag; white rice, 1 bag; quinoa, 1 bag; gluten-free pasta, 1 bag; gluten-free bread, 1 loaf (check label for no inulin, chicory root, or onion powder); rice cakes, 1 packet; corn tortillas, 1 packet.
Vegetables
Spinach, 1 bag; mixed salad greens, 2 bags; carrots, 1 bag; cucumber, 2; bell peppers, 4; tomatoes, 5; zucchini, 2; bok choy, 1 head; green beans, 360g; potatoes, 2 medium; sweet potato, 1 small; celery, 1 bunch; lettuce, 1 head; scallions (for green tops only), 1 bunch.
Fruit
Unripe bananas, 4; kiwi, 4; grapes, 200g; strawberries, 130g (2 small servings of 65g each); blueberries, 40g (a single small serving).
Nuts, Seeds, and Fats
Walnuts, 150g; macadamia nuts, 30g; natural peanut butter (no added honey), 1 jar; olive oil, 500ml; garlic-infused olive oil, 1 bottle (this is non-negotiable as a pantry staple for this plan).
Condiments and Extras
Plain tomato sauce (check label: no garlic or onion), 1 jar; low FODMAP chicken or vegetable broth (check label), 1 carton; maple syrup (not honey); lemons, 3; fresh herbs such as chives, parsley, and basil, since all are low FODMAP and dramatically improve the flavor of simple meals.
Low FODMAP Meal Prep: How to Prepare for the Week
Before Day 1: Cook a large batch of white rice and quinoa in advance, since both appear across multiple days and store well refrigerated for four to five days. Hard-boil four eggs for snacking. Wash and portion salad greens into containers so lunch assembly takes under five minutes.
Before Day 4: Batch-cook a second round of rice and quinoa. Check your garlic-infused oil supply, since it is the single most-used ingredient across the week. If making your own, steep whole garlic cloves in olive oil, remove them completely, and the remaining oil is safe to use.
The Bottom Line
This 7-day low FODMAP meal plan removes every known high FODMAP trigger while keeping meals genuinely satisfying, with protein consistently above 110 grams daily, a wide variety of vegetables and whole grains, and enough variety across the week to make the elimination phase feel sustainable rather than punishing. The goal is not to eat this way forever. The goal is two to six weeks of symptom relief that gives you and your digestive system a clean baseline, so that the reintroduction phase that follows can precisely identify which specific FODMAPs trigger your symptoms and which ones you can safely eat. Most people discover their gut is far less sensitive than they feared once they know which specific foods to watch.
All nutritional values are approximate estimates based on USDA FoodData Central data. FODMAP tolerance varies significantly between individuals. This article does not constitute medical advice. The low FODMAP diet should ideally be followed under the guidance of a registered dietitian trained in the protocol, who can ensure nutritional adequacy and guide the reintroduction phase.
