Starting the low FODMAP diet usually comes with one practical question: what do I eat on Monday? Food lists help, but they don't tell you how to build a full day of meals. This 7-day low FODMAP meal plan does. It covers breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks made from everyday foods, plus a shopping list, a simple prep routine and a vegetarian version, so you can start the elimination phase without spending your first week guessing.
This plan is a general example for the elimination phase, which usually lasts two to six weeks.1 It isn't personalized medical advice. If you have IBS, SIBO or another condition, a registered dietitian can adapt it to you, especially if you have other dietary needs.
How This Plan Works
The low FODMAP diet works best when you keep the total FODMAP load of each meal low, rather than only checking whether each ingredient is "approved." In the trial that first showed the diet reduces IBS symptoms, meals were designed to keep FODMAPs very low per meal.2 That's why this plan follows three simple rules:
- One plain protein, one low FODMAP carb, one or two low FODMAP vegetables per meal.
- Moderate portions. Low FODMAP ratings depend on how much you eat, so a bigger portion of the same food can move it into a higher category.3
- Flavor from herbs, citrus and spices instead of garlic and onion, which are among the most common FODMAP sources.
The plan also reuses ingredients on purpose. Dinner leftovers become lunch, and the same grains and vegetables appear across several days, so you buy less and cook less.
Your 7-Day Low FODMAP Meal Plan
Day 1
- Breakfast: Porridge made with oats and lactose-free milk, topped with a few blueberries and a drizzle of maple syrup
- Lunch: Rice bowl with grilled chicken, cucumber, grated carrot and a lemon and olive oil dressing
- Dinner: Baked salmon with roasted potatoes and green beans (cook extra salmon and potatoes for tomorrow)
- Snack: Rice cakes with peanut butter
Day 2
- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with baby spinach and chives
- Lunch: Leftover salmon and potato salad with cucumber, dill and a mustard dressing
- Dinner: Stir-fried firm tofu with bok choy, carrot and ginger, served with rice
- Snack: Lactose-free yogurt with a few walnuts
Day 3
- Breakfast: Lactose-free yogurt with kiwi and chia seeds
- Lunch: Quinoa salad with tuna, cucumber, carrot and lemon
- Dinner: Lean beef with roasted eggplant and rice
- Snack: Plain popcorn
Day 4
- Breakfast: Oat porridge with slices of firm (less ripe) banana and cinnamon
- Lunch: Quinoa and roasted vegetable bowl with feta
- Dinner: Ginger shrimp with bok choy and rice
- Snack: Cheddar with rice cakes
Day 5
- Breakfast: Eggs with sautéed spinach and a side of roasted potato
- Lunch: Turkey and rice salad with green beans and herbs
- Dinner: Roast chicken with carrots, parsnips and potatoes (roast a whole chicken and keep the rest for tomorrow)
- Snack: An orange
Day 6
- Breakfast: Chia pudding made with lactose-free milk, topped with blueberries
- Lunch: Leftover roast chicken with quinoa, cucumber and a herb dressing
- Dinner: Pan-fried white fish with rice and green beans, finished with lemon and parsley
- Snack: A small piece of dark chocolate
Day 7
- Breakfast: Oats with lactose-free milk, pumpkin seeds and a little pineapple
- Lunch: Tofu, rice and vegetable bowl with a ginger and soy dressing
- Dinner: Beef and potato stew with carrots and herbs, made with homemade stock (no onion or garlic)
- Snack: Rice cakes with peanut butter
Shopping List for the Week
| Group | Items |
|---|---|
| Protein | Chicken breasts or thighs, a whole chicken, salmon, white fish, shrimp, lean beef (steak and stewing beef), turkey, eggs, firm tofu, canned tuna |
| Grains | Rolled oats, white or brown rice, quinoa, rice cakes |
| Vegetables | Potatoes, carrots, parsnips, cucumber, green beans, baby spinach, bok choy, eggplant, fresh ginger, chives, dill, parsley |
| Fruit | Blueberries (fresh or frozen), kiwi, firm bananas, oranges, pineapple, lemons |
| Dairy | Lactose-free milk, lactose-free yogurt, cheddar, feta |
| Pantry | Olive oil, garlic-infused oil, soy sauce, mustard, maple syrup, peanut butter, chia seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, popcorn kernels, dark chocolate, cinnamon, dried herbs |
Check labels on stock, sauces, plant milks and yogurts for onion, garlic, inulin and honey. Scanning them with the Stummy app is the quickest way.
A Simple Prep Routine
About an hour on the weekend makes the week much easier:
- Cook a pot of rice and a pot of quinoa. Cool them quickly and keep them in the fridge.
- Roast a tray of potatoes and carrots.
- Wash and chop cucumber, carrot and herbs.
- Mix a jar of lemon and olive oil dressing.
- Make a batch of homemade stock for the Day 7 stew, or buy a certified low FODMAP one.
Cooked rice should be cooled quickly, kept in the fridge and eaten within a day or so, then reheated until piping hot.
Vegetarian Version
Swap the meat and fish for these options and keep everything else the same:
- Chicken and turkey: firm tofu or tempeh
- Salmon and white fish: eggs, or halloumi with roasted vegetables
- Beef stew: a tempeh and vegetable stew with potatoes and carrots
- Tuna salad: hard-boiled eggs or canned, rinsed lentils in a small amount
Beans and lentils are high in GOS in larger amounts, which is why tofu, tempeh and eggs do most of the work in a vegetarian low FODMAP week.
If You Still Have Symptoms
Feeling some symptoms in the first week is common. Before cutting out more foods, check these first:
- Portion size. Several foods in this plan, including oats, pineapple, spinach, walnuts and pumpkin seeds, are low FODMAP in moderate amounts but can add up in larger ones.
- Stacking. Several moderate sources in one meal can add up. Read more about FODMAP stacking.
- Hidden ingredients. Stock cubes, sauces and seasoning blends often contain onion or garlic.
- Non-FODMAP triggers. Large fatty meals, coffee, alcohol and stress can all cause symptoms. See coffee and IBS.
Keeping an IBS food diary during the week makes these patterns much easier to spot.
Easy Swaps
- No dairy at all: use plant milks without added inulin or chicory root, such as almond milk
- Short on time: cook a batch of rice, quinoa and roasted potatoes on Sunday and mix them through the week
- Eating out: follow our guide to eating at restaurants with IBS
- Need more breakfast variety: see low FODMAP breakfast ideas
For any food you're unsure about, look it up in the free FODMAP checker. Our low FODMAP recipes hub has more meals to rotate in.
After the First Week
Elimination isn't meant to last forever. Strict FODMAP restriction for too long can unnecessarily limit your diet, which is why the approach moves on to reintroduction and personalization once symptoms settle.1 Across randomized trials, the low FODMAP diet ranks first among dietary approaches for IBS symptoms4, and many people keep their improvement long term after reintroducing foods to their own tolerance.5
Repeat this plan, or mix the days, for the rest of the elimination phase. When you're ready, read our guide to the FODMAP reintroduction phase. If you're new to the diet, start with how to start the low FODMAP diet.
Common Questions
How long should I follow a low FODMAP meal plan?
The elimination phase usually lasts two to six weeks, followed by reintroduction.1 Following it for months without reintroducing foods isn't recommended.
Can I lose weight on a low FODMAP meal plan?
The low FODMAP diet isn't a weight loss diet. Its purpose is to reduce gut symptoms. Some people eat differently on it, but weight change isn't the goal.
Is this plan suitable for SIBO?
The same foods are used for SIBO symptom relief, alongside medical treatment. See our SIBO diet guide.
