Recipe reproduced with permission from Glenda Bishop. Glenda is a Registered Nutritionist, wellness coach, neuroscientist and educator.

I’ve been a porridge fiend for many years now. I love how it fills me up and keeps me satisfied for hours. I love how it warms me up from the inside out like it’s giving my soul a great big hug. And I especially love how it sits so well in my otherwise dodgy tummy, even when my IBS is acting up.

When I first started the low FODMAP diet, I was quite overwhelmed by the extensive food restrictions so it was exceptionally relieving to see that I could still eat porridge. Admittedly I did have to alter my basic recipe since oats are moderately high in FODMAPs and must be eaten in limited portions. But I didn’t care. I could still eat porridge.

When it comes to porridge, I only use rolled oats because I prefer the texture that they create. The catch is that rolled oats are best cooked in a saucepan on the stove. While this takes a little longer than zapping quick oats in the microwave, it gives you a chance to add in other ingredients while it’s cooking. I do this to add flavour (and cover up the flavour of non-dairy milk alternatives) and also to boost the limited serving size of oats so that the porridge is still very filling.

The first booster I use is ‘milk’ – whatever type you can personally tolerate is okay. I use unsweetened almond milk, normally the vanilla flavour, because I have to avoid dairy and I don’t really like the other low FODMAP non-dairy milk alternatives. Using milk to cook porridge makes it creamier, but it also gives you an important serving of calcium. Note that if you use a non-dairy milk alternative, you need to choose one that’s been fortified with calcium.

The second booster I use also gets added during cooking – a tablespoon of desiccated coconut. This adds a bit more fibre to the porridge, as well as some fat and energy, but in limited amounts to keep it healthy and low in FODMAPs.

The third booster I use is fresh or frozen fruit, which is normally added after cooking. This boosts the fibre and energy content, but is also a source of flavour and vitamins. Of course you need to use a low FODMAP fruit and it’s best to limit the fruit portion to about 100-120g. This recipe uses banana as the main fruit and passionfruit to add a tangy flavour boost.

The fourth booster I use is chopped or ground nuts or seeds, which are normally sprinkled on top of the porridge, but occasionally cooked within it. This adds dietary fibre, protein and minerals. This recipe uses Brazil nuts, which are low in FODMAPs and an excellent source of selenium and magnesium.

Together these four boosters add energy, vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein to the already highly nutritious rolled oats. They also add flavour and texture that makes the porridge more interesting so that breakfast doesn’t become boring.

This particular combination of banana, passionfruit, coconut and Brazil nuts is one of my favourites and I eat it regularly. If passionfruit aren’t in season, I leave them out or replace them with some defrosted frozen berries. So how about giving this Tropical Porridge a taste test today?

Note: This basic formula of boosting porridge is something that I change up using different fruits, nuts, seeds and flavours. The only part that stays the same is the amount of oats and milk. So if this particular combo doesn’t appeal to you, you can alter the other ingredients but keep the ratios the same.

Tropical Porridge (with banana, passionfruit, coconut and Brazil nuts)

Makes: 1 serve

Serving size: 1 bowl of porridge, with the toppings

Special equipment: nothing special, just a small saucepan

Ingredients

· ¼ cup rolled oats

· 1 tbsp desiccated (or shredded) coconut

· 1 tsp sugar (optional, see notes*)

· ¾ cup low FODMAP milk of your choice (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

· 1 medium banana, sliced

· 1 passionfruit

· 2 tbsp (20g) chopped Brazil nuts

· 1 tsp toasted flaked coconut (optional)

Instructions

1. Put the rolled oats, coconut, sugar and milk in a small saucepan and place over a low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring regularly, until the oats are cooked to your liking – I like mine to be quite soft and have most of the milk absorbed.

2. To serve, put the porridge into a bowl and top with the banana, passionfruit pulp, Brazil nuts and extra coconut (if using).

Ingredient Notes*:

· Based on the recommended portion sizes of individual ingredients in the Monash University Low FODMAP Diet app at the time of publication, this recipe should be low FODMAP provided that the recommended serving size for this recipe is not exceeded.

· Almond milk is low FODMAP, but you could also use lactose-free milk, soy protein milk or hemp milk, depending on your personal food tolerances.

· I only add sugar when I use an unsweetened non-dairy milk alternative. If you use sweetened milks (i.e. the ‘original’ versions), or if you use lactose-free milk, you shouldn’t need to add extra sugar because they are much sweeter milk choices. Remember that the banana helps to add natural sweetness to the porridge.

· I like to process about 1 cup of Brazil nuts in a food processor and then store them in a plastic container in the fridge so that they are ready for use in the morning. This makes preparing breakfast a little bit easier.

· This recipe is naturally dairy-free and wheat-free. However, if you have an allergy to any of these items, or have coeliac disease, please check the labels on any purchased ingredients to ensure they are safe for your requirements.

· To make this recipe gluten-free, you could replace the rolled oats with rolled quinoa.

*Based on current data obtained from the Monash University Low FODMAP Diet app

Rachel is a university qualified Clinical Nutritionist based in Balmain. She is also the busy working mum of two teenagers, so is practical and realistic with her advice . Rachel offers private consultations to improve your family's health and well-being. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram for more healthy tips and tricks.

If you'd like help implementing a low FODMAP diet I can help you. Find out more about my services here. If you’re after more delicious low FODMAP recipes go here.

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