Eating Breadcrumbs on a FODMAP Diet
Breadcrumbs make an essential part of so many dishes. Unfortunately, because breadcrumbs are high FODMAP products, it does mean you need to avoid anything that contains breadcrumbs. This will often include sausages, meatballs and even some cakes and sauces.
But don’t fret! There are alternatives. We’ve covered everything you could possibly need to know about breadcrumbs and the FODMAP diet below.
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Why Breadcrumbs Must be Avoided
Unfortunately, as you’re probably aware, wheat-based products must be avoided at all costs when following a low FODMAP diet. The majority of breadcrumbs you can buy off the shelf in the supermarket are full of gluten – it’s the most in-demand variety whilst also being cheap to produce.
If you are lucky enough to find gluten-free breadcrumbs then they will probably come with a premium price tag and will often only be available in fancy food stores and specialist health shops.
When you’re following a low FODMAP diet for the long term, you will want to find a few more economical way.
That brings us nicely onto our low fodmap breadcrumbs recipe:
Low FODMAP Breadcrumbs Recipe
Breadcrumbs are one of those basic ingredients that many of us rely on in the kitchen so not having access to them can be challenging. It can make bulking out sauces, crumbing chicken and binding meatballs difficult.
The good news is that you can actually knock up a batch of low FODMAP breadcrumbs which are both gluten-free and dairy-free.
All you need to do is tear up some gluten-free bread or rolls, place on a baking tray and throw into a warm oven (turn the oven on and warm to 180c then turn it off) for 10 to 15 minutes or so. You’re looking to just dry the bread out a little so that it creates crisp breadcrumbs.
Tip the dried bread chunks into a food processor and blitz until you have breadcrumbs. You can even pimp your breadcrumbs up a little here by tossing in a pinch of dried herbs, chilli or spices.
You can place your breadcrumbs in an airtight jar for a good 3 to 4 months which should be plenty of time. If you need to store them even longer then you can freeze them quite easily in a freezer bag.
It’s the toasting in a warm oven which will take your breadcrumbs to the next level so don’t skip this stage. It only takes a matter of minutes.
Low FODMAP Breadcrumbs Alternatives
If you don’t want to use gluten-free bread then there are actually a few other alternatives you could consider.
Polenta
Polenta works really well in place of fine breadcrumbs. Polenta is best used for crumbing ingredients. So if you want to low FODMAP breaded chicken or fish then give the polenta a try. You’ll get a delicious crunchy layer on the outside of your dishes.
Coconut
Perhaps a bit obscure, coconut can actually work really texturally in place of breadcrumbs whilst bringing with it a faint hit of coconut. You’ll want to use shredded, dried coconut here.
Nuts
Again, a product you may not have considered using in place of breadcrumbs, nuts can bring a delicious, nutty flavour to dishes whilst providing that much needed crispy texture you’d get from breadcrumbs.
If you’re baking something in the oven, which normally requires a breadcrumb topping, try sprinkling some crushed peanuts, hazelnuts or brazil nuts over the top.
Remember that some nuts are only low FODMAP if you limit the quantity that you eat such as pine nuts and hazelnuts.
Other Breadcrumb Products
Breadcrumbs aren’t all the same and, these days, there are actually a number of different types of breadcrumbs. But are all of them unsuitable for a low FODMAP diet?
Are Panko Breadcrumbs Low FODMAP?
Unfortunately, the same can be said for panko breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs are simply shaved and then dried white bread – making them packed full of gluten.
The drying technique in the oven we have mentioned in our recipe above will get you close to the crispy crumb that panko breadcrumbs can produce.
Are Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs Low FODMAP?
Generally, gluten-free breadcrumbs are low FODMAP. You will pay a huge premium for them, however, as they’re hard to come by. You’re better off buying gluten-free bread and blitzing them up into breadcrumbs yourself.
Quick Summary
If you’re following a low FODMAP diet then beansprouts are the ideal low FODMAP food. They’re full of flavour, texture and goodness and can be eaten in a variety of ways.
Whether you want to toss them raw into a salad, mix them into an Asian curry or simply stir fry, as we have above, they’re a must-have for anyone following a low FODMAP diet.
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