Low-FODMAP Snack Guide for the Hangry & Irritable

Low-FODMAP snacks can be tricky to find. Especially if you’re on the brink of “hanger” and can’t remember if an ingredient meets the serving size requirement or not.

Because you’re not you when you’re hungry (does anyone else remember the Snickers commercials that went viral in 2010?). And that’s one of the key reasons snacking is important with IBS! This leads us to our first topic…

Should You Snack with IBS? YES!

Before we get into low-FODMAP snacks to enjoy, we need to talk about why you should snack with IBS. There are a lot of benefits to snacking but with IBS specifically, it can keep your GI system moving, prevent “hanger”, and ensure safe food decisions.

It’s important to snack to keep your GI system moving normally with IBS because a GI system that is too fast or too slow can trigger symptoms. By eating regularly and routinely, including snacks, you can support your gut motility. Just be sure to avoid grazing, which could have the opposite effect.

Additionally, snacking with IBS can help prevent “hanger”, which is when you’re so hungry, all your brain can think about is food. This can cause you to overeat which can be a trigger for an IBS flare or worsen symptoms.

And “hanger” can make it hard to think logically and regulate your emotions. This can cause you to reach for something that isn’t low-FODMAP in an attempt to just eat something. Potentially causing you to eat something that will trigger you or impact the efficacy of the elimination phase of the diet.

As you can see, snacking with IBS is important. But if you need to be low-FODMAP it’s important you know what is safe to grab.

Low-FODMAP Protein Bars

Protein bars make a great low-FODMAP snack option. While some protein bars can contain common high FODMAP ingredients like whey protein, milk protein, soybeans,  and sugar alcohols.

For a more complete list of the ingredients to watch out for in low-FODMAP protein bars, check out this post. Below, we’ll share the top 3 low-FODMAP protein bars you can snack on today!

Nature Valley Protein Peanut Butter Crunch Bars – With 10g of protein and 15g of carbs, this protein bar will make the perfect filling snack to hold you over until your next meal. At around $4.50 for a box of 5 bars, you can have a tasty low-FODMAP snack for just <$1 a serving. 

GoMacro Dark Chocolate + Almonds Protein Bars – If you love chocolate, this low-FODMAP protein bar by GoMacro is a great snack option for you! Each bar has 10g of protein and 3g of fiber to help keep you full and regular. At around $8 a box of 4 bars, this snack comes in at around $2/serving. 

Fody Snack Bars – At about $1.99 a bar, Fody products are always a great option for those following a low-FODMAP diet. With 2g of fiber and 5g of protein, this is another potentially filling snack to have on hand. Especially if you like sweet and salty snacks!

Low-FODMAP Chips

Chips can be a low-FODMAP snack if you know what to look for. There are many ingredients that can be found in chips that contain FODMAPs like malted barley flour, molasses, garlic powder, onion powder, and honey. And the ingredient lists of chips can be long depending on the flavor, so to help make life a little easier, here are some chips that you can safely enjoy on a low-FODMAP diet.

Fritos Corn Chips The Original – with ingredients of just corn, corn oil, and salt, Fritos can easily be found almost anywhere and can make for a quick snack if you need one in a pinch. Especially if you are craving something salty! Prices vary but usually, you can find them for around a $1 for the one serving bags.

Lay’s Classic Potato Chips – In the mood for a salty or crunchy snack? Need something you can grab from a vending machine or gas station? Lay’s Classic Potato Chips are another accessible low-FODMAP snack option and are low-FODMAP at 1 serving. The cost of these chips will vary but again, usually a 1-serving bag is about a $1.

Late July Snacks Tortilla Chips – another corn-based chip, these tortilla chips are another great option for those wanting a salty and crunchy snack. They are low-FODMAP at 1 serving. Bonus, these chips have 2g of fiber a serving. This is great because a low-FODMAP diet can be low in fiber. You can usually pick up a bag of these (which has 10 servings) for less than $5.

Kettle Brand Sea Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips – Not in the mood for the plain chips listed above but still want a crunchy and salty low-FODMAP snack? The Kettle Brand Salt and Vinegar chips are here for you! Likely low-FODMAP at 1 serving, be sure to check the ingredients to ensure suitability for you. A bag of 8 servings generally sells for around $3. Prices vary greatly on single-serve bags.

Low-FODMAP Fruits & Vegetables

Low-FODMAP fruits and vegetables are always a great snack. Just make sure you’re choosing the fruits and vegetables that are suitable for your diet.

According to Monash, fruit tends to be high in the FODMAPs fructose and/or sorbitol. This means you’ll want to avoid fruits like apples, mangos, cherries, figs, pears, watermelon, blackberries, peaches, plums, and dried fruit. For other fruits, check to make sure the serving you want to enjoy is low-FODMAP. Here are a few of our favorite low-FODMAP fruit options:

Popular Low-FODMAP Fruits

• Bananas (unripe)
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupe
• Grapefruit
• Honeydew
• Oranges
• Strawberries

Vegetables on the other hand tend to be higher in the FODMAPs fructans and mannitol. The highest sources of these FODMAPs include artichoke, garlic, leek, onion, spring onion, mushrooms, cauliflower, and even snow peas. Again, be sure to check the serving of the vegetable you’re looking to enjoy to make sure it’s a low-FODMAP amount. Here are some low-FODMAP vegetables we love:

Popular Low-FODMAP Vegetables

• Arugula
• Butter Lettuce
• Carrots
• Chili Pepper (Green)
• Collard Greens
• Cucumber
• Kale
• Mushrooms (Oyster)
• Green Onions (Tips Only)
• Potatoes (White)
• Radish
• Spaghetti Squash
• Spinach (English)
• Swiss Chard
• Taro

Low-FODMAP Pretzels

Pretzels are always a fun snack and there are many low-FODMAP options. With pretzels of course the highest risk of FODMAPs comes from flavorings and if wheat is used. Below are some low-FODMAP pretzel options to consider grabbing the next time you’re shopping.

Snyder’s Of Hanover Gluten-free Pretzel Sticks – These pretzel sticks are likely Low FODMAP at 1 Serving and are a great snack to bring with you while on the go. Priced at around $4 a bag, make it more filling by dipping it in <2 tbsp of peanut butter or serving it with some low-FODMAP cheese.

Quinn Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets – Speaking of peanut butter and pretzels making for a filling snack, you can avoid having to pack your pretzels with peanut butter altogether by snacking on Quinn Peanut Butter Filled Nuggets which already come filled with peanut butter and are likely low-FODMAP at 1 serving. Price at around $4 a bag with 7 servings, this is a fun option.

Gratify Pretzels Gluten Free Sea Salt Twists – Do you enjoy more traditional shaped pretzels? Try Gratify’s sea salt pretzel twists which are likely low-FODMAP at 1 serving. Priced at around $4.50 a bag, make this snack fun by pairing these pretzels with a serving of low-FODMAP dark chocolate.

Low-FODMAP Cereals

Cereal can be an easy grab-and-go Low-FODMAP snack! Low-FODMAP Cereals will be those that do not contain FODMAPs like honey, agave, high fructose corn syrup, and fructose.

Kellogs has an entire line of certified low-FODMAP cereals found worldwide at a 1 cup serving. That said, there are many non-certified low-FODMAP options out there too, and we cover many of them in this post if you’re looking to snack on cereal.

Low-FODMAP Crackers

Yes, another instance where plain is better for these kinds of low-FODMAP snacks, crackers are an additional low-FODMAP snack option. Just like with chips, the plain crackers will tend to be safer than the flavored ones. Below are some low-FODMAP crackers to try out!

Good Thins Rice Crackers, Simple Salt – At around $3.50 a box, these are likely low-FODMAP at 1 serving. These Crackers are another great salty and crunch snack option. Top them with a homemade low-FODMAP dip like low-FODMAP guacamole or low-FODMAP yogurt dip to make them more enjoyable! Though serving this with dip will make it not as easy to grab and go with.

Milton’s Gluten Free Baked Crackers Crispy Sea Salt – Sold for under $5, this is another cracker that’s likely Low-FODMAP at 1 serving. And these crackers come highly recommended by Spoonful app users.

In fact, one of the Spoonful app users reports that they “have these on hand at all times. They are crunchy and flavorful. [They] use them instead of chips or crackers [and they] 100% love this product”. Let the reviews speak for themselves (which by the way, did you know that when you scan foods with our app, not only will you see if the food is suitable for your diet but you’ll also get to see other user reviews? Gone are the days of buying gross alternatives).

Schar Gluten-Free Table Crackers – These crackers are certified low-FODMAP and are highly coveted in the gluten-free and low-FODMAP circles because they taste exactly like saltines. Sold for about $5, they are perfect for if you have an upset tummy but know you need to munch on something.

But personally, I love these crackers because they remind me of my favorite snack my grandpa used to make me growing up. He would take saltine crackers and melt slices of cheese on top of them. It was nothing fancy but I coveted this snack… did anyone else do this?

If you want to try it out, consider using some slices of low-FODMAP cheeses like cheddar or Colby!

Mary’s Gone Crackers Organic Gluten-free Original Crackers – Last on our list of low-FODMAP crackers to snack on, these crackers are likely Low-FODMAP at 1 serving. At about $4 a box, perhaps what’s more impressive is that they sport 3g of fiber a serving. Something we’ve already noted to often be low on a low-FODMAP diet. So if you’re looking to boost your fiber intake, consider enjoying a serving of these crackers.

Low-FODMAP Popcorn

Popcorn is another great low-FODMAP snack because not only is it tasty but it’s also a source of low-FODMAP whole grains. However, just like with the chips and crackers we talked about earlier, Popcorn is more than likely going to be safe the plainer it is. So let’s talk low-FODMAP popcorn the IBS community trusts!

Skinny Pop Popcorn – This is a plain popcorn that’s likely Low-FODMAP at 1 serving. Costing about $4 for a little over 4 servings, it’s a great option for someone looking for a light snack to hold them over. It’s also easily found in most supermarkets, making it a more accessible snack option that you don’t have to look too hard for!

Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP Popcorn Sea Salt – This is another plain popcorn that is likely low-FODMAP at one serving and can be easily found in a lot of grocery stores. Priced at around $4 a bag of 5 servings, make this snack more enjoyable and filling by enjoying it with a low-FODMAP serving of cheese, nuts, seeds, or dark chocolate.

Orville Redenbacher’s Natural Simply Salted Microwave Popcorn – in the mood for a warm crunchy and salty snack? There’s nothing cozier than holding a warm bag of popcorn. This popcorn costs around $5 a box of 6 bags.

Whether you want something light to hold you over between meals, or you want something to snack on while watching your favorite show, try this microwave popcorn that’s likely Low-FODMAP at 1 serving.

Low-FODMAP Nuts & Seeds

Last but not least on the list is nuts and seeds. We alluded to earlier, but nuts and seeds can be low-FODMAP depending on the serving.

The first thing many people wonder when it comes to nuts and seeds is if peanut butter is low-FODMAP. The answer? Peanut butter is low-FODMAP at 2 tbsp or less a serving. This makes it a great option to travel with to dip your low-FODMAP fruit, vegetables, pretzels, etc. in.

Other low-FODMAP nut and seed options include specific amounts of brazil nuts, chestnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, and more. Adding these to your more carb-focused snacks like chips, pretzels, cereals, crackers, and popcorn can help you feel fuller for longer after you snack.

For a detailed list of specific low-FODMAP servings of nuts and seeds, you can enjoy, check out this post.

Ultimately…

When it comes to low-FODMAP snacks, it’s important that you are finding snacks you enjoy, snacks that will keep you full, and snacks that you can actually find. Remember, if you find yourself in a pinch, the Spoonful app is always here to quickly screen food labels to help you identify safe snacks.

So whether you grossly underestimated how many snacks you needed for a road trip and find yourself starving staring at food labels in a gas station…

Or your errands are taking you longer than usual and the checkout lane snacks are calling your name, the Spoonful app can tell you what’s safe to eat with just one scan.

AND before you leave, let us know in the comments your FAVE low-FODMAP snack.