7-Day Low FODMAP Meal Plan for Beginners (Simple Ingredients Only)

The hardest part of starting a low FODMAP diet is not the science — it's answering "so what do I actually eat this week?" while standing in a supermarket.

This plan answers that question with seven days of meals built from ordinary ingredients. No specialty stores required, minimal cooking skill assumed, and every food is used at a serving size that keeps it low FODMAP.

The repeatable framework

Every meal below follows the same template, which you can reuse long after this week:

Protein (FODMAP-free) + safe carb + low FODMAP vegetables + flavour from oil, herbs and citrus.

Plain chicken, beef, pork, salmon, eggs and firm tofu have no FODMAPs. Rice, potato, quinoa and oats are the carb backbone. The flavour problem — no garlic, no onion — is solved with garlic-infused oil, spring onion greens, chives, ginger, lemon and hard cheeses.

Day 1

• Breakfast: Overnight rolled oats (1/2 cup dry) with lactose-free milk, chia seeds, and strawberries
• Lunch: Chicken and rice bowl — grilled chicken, 1 cup rice, cucumber, grated carrot, soy-ginger dressing (check soy sauce is wheat-light; standard soy sauce tests low FODMAP at 2 tbsp)
• Dinner: Baked salmon, roasted potato wedges with rosemary, steamed green beans
• Snack: Banana (firm) + 10 walnuts halves

Day 2

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs on sourdough spelt toast (1–2 slices) with butter
• Lunch: Leftover salmon flaked over quinoa with lemon, olive oil and chives
• Dinner: Beef stir-fry — sliced beef, red capsicum, bok choy leaves, carrot, ginger, garlic-infused oil, served on rice
• Snack: Lactose-free yogurt with blueberries (1/4 cup)

Day 3

• Breakfast: Smoothie — lactose-free milk, firm banana, 2 tbsp peanut butter, ice
• Lunch: Tuna, potato and green bean salad with plain mayonnaise and chives
• Dinner: Chicken tacos — plain seasoned chicken (cumin, smoked paprika, oregano — no packet mix), 2–3 corn tortillas, lettuce, tomato (half a medium), cheddar
• Snack: Plain popcorn

Day 4

• Breakfast: Oats porridge with maple syrup and 10 chopped walnuts
• Lunch: Leftover taco chicken over rice with cucumber and lime
• Dinner: Pan-fried white fish, mashed potato (made with lactose-free milk and butter), steamed broccoli florets (3/4 cup)
• Snack: Orange + small handful of peanuts

Day 5

• Breakfast: Eggs and spinach (a small handful, wilted) on spelt sourdough
• Lunch: Quinoa salad — quinoa, roasted red capsicum, cucumber, feta (40 g), lemon-oil dressing
• Dinner: Spaghetti bolognese — gluten-free pasta, beef mince, passata (plain, no onion/garlic), garlic-infused oil, oregano, spring onion greens, parmesan
• Snack: Dark chocolate (5 squares)

Day 6

• Breakfast: Banana-peanut butter rice cakes
• Lunch: Leftover bolognese (the lucky-leftovers rule: cook double at dinner, lunch solves itself)
• Dinner: Roast chicken (skip stuffing), roast potatoes and carrots, gravy made from pan juices + cornstarch (packet gravy contains onion)
• Snack: Kiwi (2 small)

Day 7

• Breakfast: Omelette with chives, tomato (half) and cheddar
• Lunch: Roast chicken sandwich on sourdough spelt with lettuce and mayonnaise
• Dinner: Salmon fried rice — day-old rice, salmon, egg, frozen green beans, spring onion greens, ginger, sesame oil
• Snack: Strawberries with lactose-free yogurt

Shopping list (core items)

Protein: chicken breast/thighs, beef mince, beef strips, salmon, white fish, eggs, canned tuna Carbs: rice, potatoes, quinoa, rolled oats, gluten-free pasta, corn tortillas, sourdough spelt bread, rice cakes, rice crackers Produce: carrots, cucumbers, green beans, bok choy, red capsicum, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, lemons, limes, ginger, chives, spring onions (green tops only), firm bananas, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, oranges Dairy & fridge: lactose-free milk, lactose-free yogurt, butter, cheddar, parmesan, feta, plain mayonnaise Pantry: garlic-infused olive oil, olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, passata, cornstarch, maple syrup, peanut butter, peanuts, walnuts, dark chocolate, popcorn kernels, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, rosemary

Three mistakes that undo a good week

1. Portion drift. Low FODMAP is dose-dependent. One slice of spelt sourdough is safe; half a loaf is not. When symptoms appear despite "eating clean", portions are the first suspect.
2. Sauce amnesia. People eliminate onion from the plate and pour it back on as stock cubes, marinades, gravy powder and BBQ sauce. If it came from a packet and tastes savoury, check it.
3. Not tracking. The elimination phase only pays off if you can compare symptom-days to food-days afterwards. Log meals and symptoms as you go — memory reconstructs badly a week later.

Want to check any specific food before it goes in the trolley? Search our A–Z low FODMAP food database — every entry lists status, serving guidance and swaps.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Undertake the elimination and reintroduction phases with guidance from a doctor or registered dietitian, particularly if you have other dietary restrictions or medical conditions.