Eating Pizza with IBS
Table of Contents
Today, I want to share some low FODMAP vegetarian pizza recipes and talk a little bit about IBS.
Can you eat pizza with IBS?
Yes, you can! It depends on what you put on it and what ingredients are in the crust. IBS or irritable bowel syndrome is a GI condition that 10-15 % of us suffer from. Common symptoms include pain associated with abdominal bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, and a combination. These symptoms vary from person to person.
The low FODMAP diet plays a role in helping about 85% of people with IBS. It is a great way to help people find their IBS triggers.
First of all, my husband and I love making our own pizza at home on Friday night, and I have a collection of low FODMAP vegetarian pizza ideas. Staying in to make our food is a nice way to wind down from the work week!
Here Are a Few Simple Ways to Make Your Pizza IBS-Friendly
Can I still eat pizza with IBS?
The answer is yes! Try these IBS-friendly pizza tips and check out some of my vegetarian low FODMAP pizza recipes below.
If you are looking for some low FODMAP pizza options, here are some ideas:
- Choose low FODMAP toppings and know your high FODMAP triggers (I will talk about this below)
- Buy or make your own low FODMAP pizza dough.
- Choose a lower lactose cheese; most hard cheeses will work. Soft cheese like cream cheese, ricotta, or fresh mozzarella may be more likely to cause symptoms.
- High-fat ingredients may also increase the possibility of GI upset because they can make us more sensitive to them.
- Processed ingredients may have some preservatives that may not be beneficial for our gut health and may make eating pizza with IBS a less-than-desirable experience.
What High FODMAP Pizza Ingredients Trigger IBS Symptoms?
Until my gut did some healing, I could not have garlic, onions, and mushrooms on my pizza.
These small changes helped ease my IBS symptoms. I also like to make plant-based pizzas, so having it where everyone can top their own pizzas or portion of their pizza makes it so everyone can have the toppings that they like!
High FODMAP Ingredients Include
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Garlic
- Honey or agave
- Artificial sweeteners
- Tomato sauce with high fructose corn syrup
- High fructan pizza crust with wheat, rye, and barley
My family started our Make Your Own Pizza Night!
After that I learned that onions trigger my IBS symptoms, I watch my portion sizes of them, and my tolerance has improved with time, but I still like to add just a modest amount on top of my pizza, while my husband may want to add a lot so having individual pizzas makes it easy. Our grandchildren also have fun making their own pizzas and adding their favorite ingredients!
First, let’s talk a little about the components of tasty low-FODMAP vegetarian pizza ideas using seasonal ingredients. Here are some of my favorite low-FODMAP pizza recipe ideas.
The Best Vegetarian Low-FODMAP Pizza Ingredients and Toppings
If you are looking for some great low-FODMAP pizza recipe ideas, I like to use seasonal low-FODMAP pizza ingredients and toppings when I can. Here are some ideas for seasonal vegetables and fruits that you can use year-round ideas to use. Yes, fruits also make great toppings for pizza, especially for a dessert pizza, but they can also be savory. You can also check out the combinations for my pizza crust recipe below for inspiration. The number of pizza combinations that you can make is endless! I love using the Monash University Low Fodmap App for portion sizes and ideas.
Since garlic and onion are staples for a pizza, but many people with IBS are sensitive to them, substitute garlic oil and the green portion of scallions.
Here are some of those seasonal topping ideas:
Fall Vegetarian Low Fodmap Pizza Toppings
- Apples (1/8 cup per person)
- Greens
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Potatoes
Winter Vegetarian Low Fodmap Pizza Toppings
- Winter Squash
- Sweet Potatoes
- Potatoes
- Greens
Spring Vegetarian Low Fodmap Pizza Toppings
- Strawberries
- Radish
- Greens
- The green portion of the green onion
Summer Vegetarian Low Fodmap Pizza Toppings
- Tomato
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Eggplant
- Zucchini
- Yellow Squash
- Red Bell Pepper
- Blueberries
- A spicy food addition would be jalapenos.
- Most mushrooms are high in polyols, so until you know if they cause you symptoms, you will feel best if you limit them until the challenge phase.
Low Fodmap Vegetarian Pizza Ideas for Protein Toppings
It is important to include protein options for low FODMAP vegetarian pizza ideas. Many of us only think of pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage, and chicken as protein options, but there are even more delicious plant-based pizza protein toppings available.
Low FODMAP Protein Toppings for Pizza
- Roasted Tofu
- Cooked and crumbled tempeh or Hempeh
- Low fodmap nuts such as almonds, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts (use low fodmap portion)
- Low FODMAP seeds such as chia, flax, poppy, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower (use low FODMAP portion)
- Roasted lentils/garbanzo beans (use low FODMAP portion)
- Vegetarian meatballs/sausage (gluten free and low fodmap)
Other vegetarian low FODMAP pizza Toppings
- Black or green olives
- Avocado (1/4 of one)
- Red pepper sprinkles
- Fresh and dried herbs such as thyme, oregano, parsley, basil, cilantro, rosemary, and more!
Low FODMAP Pizza Sauce for Vegetarian Pizza
Things to look for in a low FODMAP pizza sauce for those of us who are trying to limit high FODMAP ingredients that trigger symptoms include watching out for garlic, onions, excess fructose, most mushrooms, and green peppers.
Here are some low FODMAP sauce ideas:
- Going without sauce, like the pizzas that I am sharing today.
- Garlic oil from Fody Foods makes it easy to have all the flavor of garlic without the unpleasant symptoms for some of us, or you can easily make your own
- Pesto made without and substituting garlic oil
- Homemade pasta sauce with green portions of green onion and garlic oil, or you can try one of these already-made sauces, like Fody Pasta Sauce . (if you purchase from FODY at this link, I will receive a portion of the sales.)
Low FODMAP cheese
Hard cheeses are mostly low in lactose, which can be a FODMAP trigger for many people with IBS. Soft cheeses like ricotta or fresh mozzarella contain lactose and should be eliminated during the first and part of the second phase of the low FODMAP diet if a lactose-free version is unavailable. Vegan cheese may be a good substitute depending on the ingredients.
A pizza without cheese or vegan cheese may also be an option if you have some interesting toppings and sauce!
Low FODMAP Pizza Crusts
Since many people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who are sensitive to wheat are triggered by the carbohydrate (fructan) portion of wheat and not gluten (which is a protein portion of wheat), someone with IBS can have bread or a pizza crust made from old-fashioned sourdough. This is because the sourdough “starter” breaks down the fructans during long fermentation. However, the sourdough option will not work for someone with celiac disease unless it is a certified gluten-free sourdough.
You will often see xanthan gum used in gluten-free baking recipes. This ingredient gives the dough a consistency that is missing from the gluten-free doughs to make it a good pizza crust.
Not all gluten-free flours and products are low in FODMAPs. Read the ingredient list carefully on gluten-free products to make sure that you don’t get any hidden FODMAPs if you are sensitive to them.
If you are looking for a low FODMAP gluten-free crust for pizza, here are a few ideas:
You can also buy a premade pizza crust from Udi.
My Gluten Free Low Fodmap Pizza Crust
I made this low FODMAP pizza crust for a gluten-free class that I created for the North Carolina Arboretum. It also works for someone who follows the first phase of the low FODMAP diet. A little almond flour has been added to give the crust a good flavor and texture, but in a low enough amount that this recipe that the recipe is still low FODMAP! I used eggs in my recipe to help with consistency. If you want the recipe to be vegan, try vegan egg substitutes or a flax egg recipe and experiment with the consistency.
½ cup cornmeal (can substitute millet flour)
1 ½ cup brown rice flour
¾ cup tapioca flour
¼ cup corn starch (can also use arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
2 tablespoons almond meal
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 package dry yeast
1 cup warm water (70-110 degrees)
¾ teaspoon salt
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs beaten
Parchment Paper
Pizza Pan
Two Large Bowls
Combinations for Low Fodmap Vegetarian Pizza Recipes
These are some of the vegetarian low-FODMAP pizza toppings that I have used for my pizza party! However, the sky is the limit to what you can make!
Low FODMAP Vegetarian Pizza Toppings to make your best vegetarian low FODMAP pizza
- Chopped broccoli florets, walnuts, chopped green onions, and cheddar cheese
- Sliced red bell peppers, jalapeno, and garlic oil
- Chopped tomatoes, kalamata olives, chopped spinach, fresh basil, and feta
- Roasted eggplant and tomatoes
Make Your Low FODMAP Pizza Crust
Place corn meal, brown rice flour, tapioca flour, corn starch, almond meal, and xanthan gum in a bowl and mix lightly.
In a very large bowl, add warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let set for a few minutes until bubbly, and then add salt, olive oil, and eggs. Lightly add the flour and let it rest for a bit in the bowl.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Get pizza toppings ready. Cut a piece of parchment paper the size of a pizza pan and lightly grease the paper with olive oil. Then lightly drop the pizza crust onto the pan (this dough is sticky, so you will either need to grease your hands or dip lightly in rice flour) and lightly spread the dough onto the pan, making a nice edge. (Don’t overwork the dough.)
Add Low fomap vegetarian toppings
Bake for about 10-15 minutes until the crust and cheese are browned and the pizza is done in the middle. Makes four mini pizzas or one 12-14 inch pizza.
Finally, check out some other topping ideas below in one of my previous blog posts. I you find that you are sensitive to pear or until you find out if it is one of your trigger foods during phase one of the low FODMAP elimination diet, try a small amount of apple to make this fruit and blue cheese pizza with walnuts. It would also be delicious with strawberries and blueberries!
Enjoy Eating Pizza with IBS with These Vegetarian Low FODMAP Pizza Recipes
In conclusion, I hope that you enjoy eating pizza again with IBS with these low FODMAP vegetarian pizza recipes. As an Asheville registered dietitian nutritionist working with people with GI health conditions, as a registered dietitian in Asheville helping people with GI health, I love sharing ideas to help make things easier by sharing delicious recipes. It’s time to have a pizza party!
Until I learned my trigger foods with the low FODMAP diet and modified them, I suffered from my IBS. Now that I know what to do, these small changes help ease my IBS symptoms.
And if you love tacos too, check out this post on low fodmap tacos!
