I wrote an insta post a while ago on the staples I keep in my kitchen, as I found it really helpful to have a few key items I could rely on when first going vegan and trying to manage my IBS. Now, more than ever with the crazy circumstances around us, we are all trying to eat what’s in our cupboards and not head to the shop so much. These are a few key items that I always keep in my cupboard to create simple and low FODMAP meals.

Top 6 Cupboard Staples:

1. TINNED TOMATOES – one serving = 92g, so just under a whole tin. Add to curries or a delicious bolognese. A versatile food  with at least 4 tins found in my cupboard at any one time
2. TINNED CHICKPEAS – one serving = 42g, about half of the tin. Roast them, add them to salads, pair with your tinned toms for a yummy quick dinner.
3. WHITE RICE– one serving = 190g cooked, brown rice is also low FODMAP. Everyones kitchen staple, cooks in 15 mins and makes a great base to soak up any curry sauce or to throw in a stir fry. Cheap and cheerful.
4. PORRIDGE OATS – one serving = 60g, approximately half a cup. A warming breakfast on a cold winters day, throw in some fruit and peanut butter for a great start to your day.
5. PEANUT BUTTER – one serving = 50 g, which is about 2 tbsp. A daily snack of mine, full of healthy fats and protein, melt it through your porridge or pop it on some rice cakes.
6. RICE CAKES  – one serving = 28g or about 2 rice cakes, not the most exciting of foods but with so much potential, top with peanut butter and fruit, vegan cream cheese or avocado for a yummy lunch.

However, at the moment, not everything we want is always available to us. Particularly the foods we all rely on most of the time, such as rice. I have added a few extra items to help you find alternatives to the things you would normally buy. Adding new foods to your diet is a great way to increase gut diversity and to keep up with all your micro/macro nutrients.

Extras and Alternatives:

• QUINOA  – one serving – 155g cooked— a delicious, slightly nutty alternative to rice – delicious warm or cold, make it into a salad with some vegan pesto and peas for a yummy quick lunch
• ALMOND BUTTER – one serving = 1 tbsp – a bit more expensive than peanut butter but a tasty treat for yourself
• CHIA SEEDS – one serving = 2 tbsp – if you have never had chia seeds before 2 tbsp may not sound like a lot, but once you have added liquid, these little seeds really bulk up and retain the liquid. Make into a chocolate chia seed pudding with fruit for a yummy dessert.
• GLUTEN FREE PASTA – one serving =  145 g cooked – oddly enough while all the normal pasta has flown off the shelf I am still managing to buy gluten free pasta. Tastes almost identical to your average wheat filled pasta and cooks the same as well.
• GLUTEN FREE FLOUR – one serving = 100g – as with the gf pasta there is still plenty of gf flour and both plain and self raising is low FODMAP. I have been baking a lot recently with the spare time on my hands. If you don’t want to go baking whole cakes, try a simple mug cake recipe which can be ready in under 3 minutes.
• RYVITA – one serving = 2 crackers – if you are struggling to find rice cakes, look for things like ryvita crackers or corn cakes – both options are FODMAP friendly and taste just as good when topped with avocado
• RICE NOODLES – one serving = 220g – great in a stir fry and a delicious cheap alternative to normal rice or egg noodles. Naturally gluten free and can still be found in most corner shops or in the world foods aisle.
• VEGAN PESTO – one serving = 1tbsp – sauces such as pesto don’t just have to go in pasta but can be added to sandwiches and in salads for a bit more flavour. Once opened they also last for a week or so in the fridge, so no rush to get through the whole jar.

Experiment with different meals and see what works well for you. This is a time to try new recipes and new flavours. Slowly introduce foods you haven’t tried before, being mindful of portion sizes. With these cupboard staples you’ll always have something quick and easy to make for any time of the day.

Happy cooking and stay safe.

‘Photo by Artem Kostelnyuk on Unsplash