Butter on a FODMAP Diet
Butter is dairy and it’s commonly known that many dairy products are high in FODMAP and either has to be used very sparingly or eliminated completely if you are following a low FODMAP diet. This is down to their ingredients including lactose which is a FODMAP that can cause problems for people. So why is butter okay while you avoid other dairy products? It all comes down to the liquids in dairy. When making butter the liquids are drained off leaving behind a product that is mostly made of fats and proteins rather than sugars and lactose!
This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t remain careful when it comes to butter. Use it sparingly and if your body reacts adversely then eliminate it again. But, you may be in for a surprise and find you can eat a little butter as part of your low FODMAP diet.
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Recommended Butter Portion
It is recommended that you keep portions of butter to a minimum. Whilst there isn’t a recommended amount you should always use the minimum amount you can for more reasons than FODMAPs. Butter can trigger other intolerances and should still be avoided if you are lactose intolerant.
How to Use Butter
Butter is less common in our kitchens due to its high-fat content and the number of people who suffer from intolerances but if you are following a low FODMAP diet you can include butter in your diet.
Use Butter in Baking – If you are a baker then you can celebrate again because you can use butter in baking again! Just be careful of all the other ingredients you use because many traditional baking ingredients that are high FODMAP! Use low FODMAP flours and add some butter for delicious cakes and cookies that are a sweet treat and shouldn’t upset your digestive system.
Use a Little Butter in Cooking – There is little quite as delicious as food cooked in butter. The butter gives food a delicious flavour so why not treat yourself and pop a small amount in the pan before frying up some bacon or onions?
Is Margarine Low FODMAP?
If you don’t want to eat butter because of it’s high-fat content then you can substitute it with margarine.
Many kinds of margarine are made with olive oils or vegetable oils instead of dairy and most types of margarine are fairly low in lactose so enjoy margarine as part of your diet for cooking, baking or sauteeing your veg.
If you have managed to make a low FODMAP bread then you can even enjoy some on your toast!
Quick Summary
It might be surprising but butter actually is low FODMAP! Most types of dairy are high in lactose which is what causes the problem for people with IBS or other intolerances.
However, there is minimal lactose left in butter by the time it has been processed and made so you should be fine to include it in small amounts as part of your low FODMAP diet and lifestyle.
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