SPUDS! SPUDS! SPUDS!

Ever find yourself stuck for ideas when catering for a crowd or wondering how to get the kids to eat a variety of foods?  Choosing a suitable meal can be particularly difficult when you also need to consider other people’s dietary needs, which might be influenced by:

• Likes and dislikes
• Food intolerances
• Food allergies
• Re-introduction/re-challenge of food (eg, FODMAP re-introduction phase)
• Vegetarians / Vegans / Pescatarians
• Religion

What do you need? Baked potatoes and a table full of ingredient toppings!

Cooking methods

• Pre-heat oven to 200⁰C
• Wash potatoes and pat dry with a paper towel or a clean tea towel
• Pierce potatoes with a fork or a knife 2-3 times
• Place potatoes on a flat oven tray and bake with skin on
• Cooking time approximately 1hr or longer (depends on their size)
• Insert skewer to test for readiness/softness
• Once cooked, cut a cross on the top of the potato to open it up and then add your choice of toppings
• Include sweet potatoes – for those without IBS or to try during re-introduction phase
• This meal is always a winner in my house. It works wonders with the kids, extended family, friends and importantly, the IBS sufferers in our lives.

Pic 1: On the board: Freshly chopped coriander, grated mozzarella cheese, marinated olives (marinade: https://www.monashfodmap.com/blog/cooking-with-onion-and-garlic-myths-and/, lemon and coriander seeds), cucumber, tomato, lettuce, sour cream, https://www.monashfodmap.com/blog/low-fodmap-homemade-tzatziki-serves-lots/, mushrooms, corn kernels, drained canned chickpeas.

Low FODMAP serving suggestion:

Pic 2: The lot! But with only a ¼ cup serve of canned chickpeas and < ½ cob of corn

Non-low FODMAP serving suggestion

Pic 3 and 4: Made by my 4 year old: Tuna, yoghurt, cheese, corn, mushroom, cucumber, lettuce

This ‘create your own’ style of meal is  great for a number of reasons. It can:

• suit kids trialling the low FODMAP diet;
• encourage independent feeding and improve fine-motor skills;
• encourage kids to try new foods 
• increase the chance children will eat their meal (good for fussy eaters);
• suit people re-introducing higher FODMAP foods;  
• allow for family-catch up time, and
• enable parents to role-model healthy eating habits

It’s a win-win for everyone - enjoy!