# onion and garlic



## IBSnewcomer2019 (Jun 7, 2019)

I'm brand new to this IBS....just got the list of do's and don'ts with fodmap foods. How in the world do I make a good Italian sauce without onions and garlic? is there something to substitute for it? Also so many ethnic dishes and soups start with onion and garlic, how will I cook without it?


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

Hello IBSnewcomer2019 and welcome to the board.

I don't adhere to the fodmap food diet, but I noticed the same things you did.

I have IBS-C and use Dr. Schulze's Intestinal Formula # 1 daily. It also has garlic in it. I also eat a lot of pasta with spaghetti sauce and put a ton of garlic and onions in it, it helps with my BM's.

I guess it matters what kind of IBS you have.... What kind do you have (IBS-D, IBS-C or IBS-A)?


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## spencermm (Feb 15, 2017)

I'm 4 weeks on it and having good results, 80-90% symptom free after 2 years of hell with ibs-d.

I cook A LOT, life long, so I feel your pain. Nearly everything savory I cooked has garlic and/or onion.

It can be done and it IS WAY different, but I find it was a question of priorities and how severe the symptoms are.

I hate to admit it, but A) a good red sauce takes time that I don't frequently have, and B) Coupled with A, I find store bought to be a good option for my circumstances.

So, that said, Preggo has a sauce called Sensitive something with no onions or garlic. It's not bad. I've used it for spaghetti(GF pasta) and as pizza sauce. It's pretty good. I've seen it at Kroger and Amazon sells it.

Also, there are recipes for "garlic infused oil" that are fodmap safe. I haven't used it yet, but many LFM recipes call for it. Even if it's not as good as whole garlic, I have to think it is better than nothing. There's infused onion too I think.

There is a company called Fody that sells many spices and sauces. I've only tried the ketchup, which is good. I use it as kechup, but also I make my salad dressing, steak sauce, and bbq sauce with it.

Hope this helped some.


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## jza (Oct 4, 2016)

IBSnewcomer2019 said:


> I'm brand new to this IBS....just got the list of do's and don'ts with fodmap foods. How in the world do I make a good Italian sauce without onions and garlic? is there something to substitute for it? Also so many ethnic dishes and soups start with onion and garlic, how will I cook without it?


Both give me major bloating and constipation. I unfortunately haven't found a way to replicate the taste, but I use many other spices to season my food that are FODMAP friendly. GI problems caused by FODMAPs require a lifestyle change.


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## Julia372 (Jan 11, 2008)

I have to avoid both onion and garlic because of fructose sensitivity. It's like there's a law that it has to be in all ready-made and restaurant foods. It's one of the reasons I have to make all my food. Find some alternatives, chefs!!!

I've been doing this a long time and gotten used to not having the flavor. Raw onions were always too pungent for me anyway. The best thing I can eat for flavor is a type of sea salt called RealSalt. You can see the minerals in it and it's much more flavorful than plain salt.

I think you could get along with RealSalt and herbs like thyme and basil. Yum. I used to make pesto with just olive oil, basil, pine nuts, and RealSalt.

Or you could experiment with the fancy foodie salts that come in different colors. Maybe one of them would have a strong enough flavor to substitute. Also orange and red bell peppers or green peppers might be good substitutes.


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## jza (Oct 4, 2016)

Julia372 said:


> I have to avoid both onion and garlic because of fructose sensitivity. It's like there's a law that it has to be in all ready-made and restaurant foods. It's one of the reasons I have to make all my food. Find some alternatives, chefs!!!
> 
> I've been doing this a long time and gotten used to not having the flavor. Raw onions were always too pungent for me anyway. The best thing I can eat for flavor is a type of sea salt called RealSalt. You can see the minerals in it and it's much more flavorful than plain salt.
> 
> ...


I agree. I have been avoiding garlic and onion so long that I don't even miss it anymore. It's not worth what it does to my insides.


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## Dennis23 (Aug 13, 2020)

May I ask why you not eat onion? I often add them in my food and the taste seems good. There are also benefits of eating it as it contains many anti-oxidants .


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## jza (Oct 4, 2016)

Dennis23 said:


> May I ask why you not eat onion? I often add them in my food and the taste seems good. There are also benefits of eating it as it contains many anti-oxidants .


Onions and garlic are high in fructans and considered high FODMAP foods. Nothing wrong with them if you don't have issues when you eat them, but for many people (especially those of us with SIBO) they can make our symptoms worse.


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## Positiveside (Apr 19, 2017)

What if you use garlic and onion powder, is it allowed or still the same effect?


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## jza (Oct 4, 2016)

Positiveside said:


> What if you use garlic and onion powder, is it allowed or still the same effect?


Same effect


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## Julia372 (Jan 11, 2008)

Same effect for me too.


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## Displaced (Feb 14, 2007)

I've just been advised to try a modified version of the FODMAP plan targeting only some of the main problem foods, including garlic and onions. My reaction is like yours: how can I cook without them? My dietitian recommended a brand of gluten-free, low FODMAP products, including pasta sauce, called FODY. I haven't tried it yet. A friend who follows a gluten-free diet recommend some brand that's readily available in grocery stores, but I don't remember which one. I did a quick online search for pasta sauce without onions and garlic and found that several of the big brand names have a product labeled "sensitive" that omits garlic and onions. You might see if they're in the store, or perhaps you could order them.


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## Silviegee (Jan 12, 2021)

I'm not any kind of gourmet cook who creates international dishes, but I do know a tasty sauce! And if it's tasty maybe that's okay?

I love onions and garlic and always added them to many things I cooked.

But since IBS, I have discovered leeks! and they work perfectly instead of onions. The trick is, they cook very quickly so don't need much time or they will turn mushy. They are very tasty and my gut can handle them. I usually only use about 3-4 inches of the green parts. But I have also found I can tolerate the white parts (though those are supposed to be higher FODMAP) But I usually don't exceed 2".

So leeks combined with garlic infused oil might make a very tasty sauce....even if not strictly traditional.


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