Living with IBS-C? Tell us about your experience. Take our survey here.

caret icon Back to all discussions

Working on new app for low-FODMAP diet: want to hear your opinion!

Hi all- I am currently developing an app that is meant to help guide users through the low-FODMAP diet.

Brief Description of the app: Our app will have a meal planning feature that will offer the user a wide range of delicious low-FODMAP recipes to choose from and then generate a shopping list for them. The recipes are all inspired by the motto "food as medicine" to ensure that the patient is both healthy and adhering to the diet. Additionally, the app with have a symptom tracker and guided support during the Rechallenging phase of the diet.

Some things I am curious about:

1) Given that the low FODMAP diet is very restrictive I am curious if anyone has tried the low-FODMAP diet and thinks it is realistic for
patients to stick to a completely low-FODMAP diet for months?
2) What are your general thoughts about this app proposal and do you think it would be something you would use?
3) Finally, if you have tried the low-FODMAP diet: How did it go? What do you think would have made this an easier experience for you?

Appreciate any and all feedback, after all this app is being created to help improve the lives of those with IBS!

  1. Hi , I think what you are working on is a wonderful idea. I think many adherents of a pure low-FODMAP diet would use it. As far as your question, I can only speak for myself and say that I did try a low-FODMAP only diet for a few months before I started making modifications for my own symptoms and body. I believe there are others that have used low-FODMAP only as their primary diet for much longer. Hopefully others will chime in. If you haven't done so already, I would search low-FODMAP in the articles section of the site for your research purposes. An awful lot there. Good luck to you and keep us updated. -Todd, IrritableBowelSyndrome.net Team

    1. I do think an app would be useful. I believe it’s possible to stay on a low-F diet for months and still enjoy delicious food. The problem comes when faced with eating out. I can find some low-F foods at most restaurants, but as someone who used to relish the idea of traveling and trying all sorts of ethnic and exotic cuisines, as well as just plain old fabulous pizza, it gets very depressing having to settle for “safe” boring foods in restaurants.
      I stay mostly low-F, but just need to occasionally eat things I love that I know are going to bother me.
      I hope you have success with your app. I am seeing more and more low-F products on shelves these days. Maybe someone will open a low-F restaurant chain with delicious food!
      Best of luck-
      Susan

      1. Something interesting I read was instead of referring to the FODMAP as an elimination diet, refer to it as a swapping diet - swapping high FODMAPS with low ones. Maybe that could be a focal point of the app - showing all we can eat and leaving out what we can't, at least in the beginning when we first use it.

        1. My current drive is to record my food intakes WHEN IT'S GOING WELL. Your app should, in my view, integrate a food diary that strongly emphasises this. We all know how confusing it is in the midst of pain when everything seems to trigger us, and it is precisely at this point that we want to scribble everything down and most of it is pretty useless. I need to know what DIDN'T trigger me when 24hours into a good spell.

          1. ,

            Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the subject. Your ideas make a lot of sense and I agree about the unwarranted scribbling of every little last detail as being counterproductive, in general. Perhaps with all these thoughts, the app should be pretty good 😀. Thank you again and I hope you are well today. -Todd, IrritableBowelSyndrome.net Team

          2. ,

            Yes, it is so important to keep a food journal in order to document when and why symptoms flare. The hard part is being consistent. Keep us posted with your experience!

            Elizabeth (team member)

        Please read our rules before posting.