Winter mornings are made that much warmer with porridge on the table. Porridge is the perfect low FODMAP breakfast option because there aren’t many modifications that you’ll need to make in order for the recipe to be FODMAP Friendly.

Are oats gluten free?

Naturally, oats don’t contain gluten. However, oats can become contaminated with gluten during processing so should be treated with caution by those with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance.

Why is porridge a nutritious breakfast option?

Oats are a great source of soluble fibre – the viscous fibre that can dissolve in water to form gels. It is found mainly in plant cells and is fermented by bacteria in the larger intestine to produce short-chain fatty acids and gases. Foods containing soluble fibre keep us satisfied for longer. From a FODMAP perspective, rolled oats are safe to consume in a ½ cup quantity.

Although we’ve established that oats are low FODMAP in ½ cup serves, traditional porridge recipes can often be high FODMAP overall as they contain high FODMAP fruits, honey & lactose-containing dairy. In our ‘porridge three ways’, we’ve taken the guess work out and modified all of these recipes to be FODMAP Friendly.

Below you’ll find a basic porridge recipe with three flavour additions.

Basic Porridge

Serves two
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup rolled oats (Uncle Toby’s are FODMAP Friendly certified)

2. 2 cups of lactose free milk

3. 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Method:

1. Add the rolled oats into a saucepan and submerge in the lactose free milk.

2. Simmer for five minutes, constantly stirring. You can use a microwave if this is more convenient for you.

3. Add the cinnamon and other ingredients as listed below

Flavour addition: nutty banana split porridge

At step 1, add a sliced small, firm banana to the saucepan. Top the porridge with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter and a dollop of lactose-free yoghurt.

Flavour addition: chocolate raspberry porridge

At step 1, add two teaspoons of cocoa powder to the oats and simmer.
Top the porridge with frozen raspberries and a dollop of lactose-free yoghurt.

Flavour addition: PB&J porridge

At step 1, add ¼ cup of frozen raspberries and allow to simmer with the oats. Top the porridge with a tablespoon of peanut butter and a dollop of lactose-free yoghurt.

Written by: Charlotte Barber (Student Nutritionist)

Reviewed by: Sotiria Karatsas (Accredited Practicing Dietitian)