Understanding the Reintroduction Phase: Expanding Your Dietary Horizons 

If you have made it to this portion in our FODMAP series, you are ready to start reintroducing foods into your diet! Be sure to catch up on all other portions of the FODMAP diet before progressing to this stage (see oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols). If you are still dealing with Irritable Bowel Disease (IBS) symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or other uncomfortable gastrointestinal-related symptoms, please consult with a Registered Dietitian (RD) before proceeding with the re-introduction phase. Working with an RD throughout the FODMAP process can be very helpful and may be worth considering if you are struggling to eliminate throughout the phases and/or reintroduce when the time comes.  

Patience is Key: Allowing Time for Your Gut to Adjust 

This portion of the FODMAP diet can be fun and exciting, but it is important to take this stage slowly and steadily. Reintroducing too many foods too fast can make it extremely difficult to identify trigger ingredients and may set you back several steps. Since you have taken several weeks off from consuming traditionally irritating ingredients, it may take a few tries of certain foods to really establish tolerance levels. It is also crucial that foods are introduced individually during this stage; combining potentially troublesome ingredients will make it much harder to identify the culprit(s). The main goal and focus of the reintroduction phase is identifying exactly which individual FODMAP intolerances you may have while allowing you to expand your dietary options significantly.  

Planning Your Reintroduction: A Step-by-Step Approach 

Congratulations on progressing through the FODMAP diet! It is certainly not an easy feat. See a general breakdown of steps below, provided by Monash University: 

1. Continue to follow a Low FODMAP diet as you reintroduce foods.  
2. On day 1, introduce one challenge food with a small serving (a few pieces of broccoli)  
3. On day 2, introduce the challenge food with a moderate serving (½ cup of broccoli)  
4. On day 3, introduce the challenge food with a high (or typical) serving (1 cup of broccoli)  
5. Take a 2-3 day break between challenges, longer if symptoms arise. 
6. Repeat this process with each potential trigger food and keep a detailed record of any symptoms.   
7. *Expect this portion of the FODMAP diet to last anywhere from 6 – 8 weeks to complete fully  

This is a reminder not to combine any challenge foods while progressing through this process. Once a food is ‘approved’ for your body, you may begin to incorporate it with other foods. The timing of your challenges is another important consideration; be sure you are allowing enough time after a challenge to approve/disapprove of a food (> 2 hours). Not all reintroduction phases are alike; your tolerance is unique to you, and you may see significant differences compared to others progressing through the FODMAP diet. This is a gentle reminder to work with your RD if you find the reintroduction phase suggested above does not suit you and your lifestyle best. 

Tracking Your Progress: The Importance of a Food and Symptom Diary 

A food and symptom journal or diary is essential to this process. It is important to eventually be able to directly correlate a food item with specific symptoms/side effects, and the tracking portion of the reintroduction phase helps you determine that. This can be done with a pen and notebook or by using an app. Consider the Monash app for easy tracking and monitoring (see app tutorial: Monash FODMAP App Tutorials). It will also be helpful to bring your food and symptom log to future RD or doctor’s appointments, as these professionals may be able to identify trends or simply offer support and encouragement.

Recognizing and Managing Reintroduction Symptoms

As a reminder, the typical FODMAP intolerance symptoms very closely mimic those of IBS: gas, abdominal pain and or bloating, and diarrhea. If your symptoms resolve after going to the bathroom, it is likely food intolerance(s). See Cleveland Clinic’s overview of IBS for more information, as well as tips and tricks.  

If your symptoms do not resolve after a bowel movement, there may be something else going on within your gastrointestinal tract. Sharp and long-lasting pains, nausea, or vomiting are not common symptoms of FODMAP intolerance, and advanced care should be sought if these symptoms occur and do not resolve.  

While this is a complicated process, it shouldn’t be over-complicated. Remember to introduce one food at a time, track and monitor your symptoms closely, and seek medical attention if you have any significant change in status. Congratulations on making it this far, and cheers to the Low FODMAP diet! 

1. _{Monash University low Fodmap: The cookbook. Low FODMAP Diet | IBS Research at Monash University - Monash Fodmap. (n.d.). https://www.monashfodmap.com/}  
2. _{What is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?. Cleveland Clinic. (2024, September 9). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4342-irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs}