Got a deliver a while back and I've been having fun trying out all the new products!!! I was so excited to find the Fody Foods box I ordered had arrived and here it was on my front porch. Fody Foods is a company based in Quebec, Canada that makes low FODMAP products. Now you may be wondering why I was excited and what the heck are low FODMAP products. Well, as those of you who have read my blogs know, I have celiac disease, but even after being very strict about no gluten in my diet I still had digestive issues. I was sent to see a gastroentrologist who diagnoised me with IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and suggested I try the low FODMAP elimination and reintroduction diet to see if it would help. If you are still having issues after going gluten-free you too, could be a Celiac with IBS, so do seek out medical advice. For more information on low FODMAPs check out the Monash University website (https://www.monashfodmap.com/). Other websites that I found useful were Sue Shepard's shepherdworks.com.au and Kate Scarlata's www.katescarlata.com. I also purchased Kate Scarlata's book "Low FODMAP 28 - Day Plan", which I found very helpful.

According to the Monash University website "Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by chronic, relapsing symptoms including lower abdominal pain and discomfort, bloating, wind, distension and altered bowel habit (ranging from diarrhoea to constipation) but with no abnormal pathology. One in seven adults suffer from IBS." So, what are FODMAPs? They are types of 'sugars' (carbs) found in the foods we eat. Foods are either low in these sugars or high in them, and for some people all or some of the high FODMAP foods can cause tummy troubles because they are poorly absorbed in the small intestine.

FODMAP is an acronym. Each letter stands for a word.

• Fermentable
• Oligosaccharides (eg. Fructans and Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) - wheat, rye, beans, some fruits and veggies such as onion and garlic)
• Disaccharides (eg. Lactose - Milk, yogurt and certain cheeses)
• Monosaccharides (eg. excess Fructose - certain fruits such as apples and sweeteners like honey)
• Polyols (eg. Sorbitol, Mannitol, Maltitol, Xylitol and Isomalt - certain fruits and vegetables and sweeteners

The Monash University has a useful table showing the some basic low and high FODMAP foods. They also have an app that I found very useful.

The low FODMAP diet is not a long term diet. It is a tool that people with IBS can use to see if they have any foods or food groups that trigger their digestive upsets and if eliminating or limiting such foods helps ease their symptoms. As I understand it from my experience, it has three phases: the eat low FODMAP foods only phase, the reintroduction of high FODMAP foods phase and the maintenance phase. In the first phase you don't eat high FODMAP foods for about 4-6 weeks basically until you're digestive upsets calm down, then in the second phase you slowly start to reintroduce each category of high FODMAP food back into your diet and see how you feel. This allows you to figure out which are your trigger foods, that is foods that upset your digestive system. Lastly, there is the maintenance phase which is different for everyone and can change over time.

I'm now in the maintenance phase. This is the time where you keep an eye on the amounts of the trigger foods you eat so you feel better. Each person is unique so what hurts or works for one person doesn't work for another. If I know that I'm going to be having a meal with some of my trigger foods in them then I make sure to limit any other trigger foods that day. I'm not an expert on low FODMAP's so I encourage you to check out the links provided and do your research. Do check with your doctor before altering your diet as the low FODMAP way of eating is not for everyone. I worked with a nutritionist and my doctor while doing the low FODMAP challenge and recommend you do the same. I have both celiac disease and IBS along with other autoimmune disorders which seems typical for some Celiacs. As always you just have to be aware of what you eat and how it makes you feel.

I found the Fody Foods website during an internet search for low FODMAP products available in Canada. I was very excited when I saw their site and I just had to try them! Unlike Australia, Britain and Europe FODMAPS are not a big thing in Canada yet, and regular grocery stores do not stock such products. I was very happy with this find.

Above you can see my Fody food haul!

I like their ketchup! But, I wish that they would list their spices. The ketchup had a cinnamon taste to it. I don't know if they use cinnamon or not, but it would be nice to know if it is an ingredient as this is a spice I try to limit in my diet. I like the taste of cinnamon, but I've had allergy testing done and I react to cinnamon and was cautioned to limit my consumption of this spice. Even so I will buy it again as I love ketchup and this is a great low FODMAP subsititue. I have tried making my own with varying degrees of success, but being able to buy a 'no garlic and no onion' version is so convenient.

The BBQ sauce is very good, it has a lovely smoky flavour. I enjoyed it on grilled meats and tofu. But what is "natural flavor"? Again as with "spices" in the ingredient list I wish companies would list what they use.

The Marinara Sauce was very tasty. I like the Tomato & Basil Sauce, it was good as a pizza sauce too. It was fantastic to find no garlic and no onion pasta sauces.

The Mild Salsa was a great hit! Could not tell the difference from regular salsa at all. I do miss garlic and onions, but not in this product. It was great to be able to eat a salsa without worry. Love it with nachos. Did not last long in my household as we all loved it.

The Maple Dijon Dressing was very tasty. I enjoyed it on my salads and as a marinade for pork and chicken. I will have to try their other dressings.

Did not like the Kettle BBQ Chips. I really wanted to, but they were too salty. The BBQ flavour was good but the salt just killed it.

I ordered the 'Snowed in with Fody & Kate Scarlata' bundle and it was lots of fun to receive. I love the mug. The recipe cards were great! I really enjoyed the chicken soup. The Fody Chicken soup base is ok. The salt content is too high so don't add any other salt to your dishes when cooking with this as your base. On its own as a quick broth in a cup, I think it is too sweet, perhaps it is the rosemary taste I'm not sure but there is an underlying flavour I'm not a fan of, but ok mixed in with other ingredients. The Lemon and Herb Seasoning Powder was good. It was not as lemony as I hoped, so I added extra lemon juice or zest to my recipes. I'm not a fan of the Almond Coconut Bar. The flavours were ok, but I prefer my granola bars crispy and this one was chewy.

What would I buy again? For sure the Salsa, BBQ sauce and Ketchup. And what is on my don't buy again list? I would't buy the BBQ chips and the Almond Coconut Bars again. I wish that they would list all their ingredients I dislike vague descriptions such as 'natural flavors' or 'spices'. I don't know about you, but I think companies should list the spices they use. Fody products are only sold online in Canada or at least in my area of Canada, wish I could buy them in a store. They do offer free shipping on orders over $75.00 Canadian but who wants to spend that much each time you order? Have you tried their products? Do you have favourites?

All gluten-free, all lactose free. FODY products are all certified Low FODMAP by Monash university.

You can order their products online. Check out their website at https://www.fodyfoods.com

Do you still have digestive issues after following the gluten-free diet? Have you been diagnoised with IBS? Have you tried the low FODMAP diet and did it help? What are your favourite low FODMAP products and recipes?