Do you find yourself buying the same fruit & vegetables week in, week out? Guilty! Our gut microbiome LOVES diversity so we’re providing a seasonal fruit and vegetable update from the Sydney Markets. This update will tell you:

1. what’s in season right now

2. the best buys

3. the low fodmap serving sizes of seasonal fruit & veggies

We’ve pulled this report together from the Sydney Fruit, Vegetable and Market update (28/5/23) and correlated this with the low fodmap serving sizes recommended by the Monash Fodmap app. And the key take-away for market goers is to walk past the fruit aisle and enjoy the many low fodmap vegetables now in season.

Kale

Economical and healthy leafy kale is a popular choice (except with my husband!). Kale is a rich source of vitamins, including C, E, K, folate and beta carotene (converted to vitamin A in the body). 100g of kale has well over two days' supply of vitamin C which is great to consume as we head into the cold and flu season. Kale is a bargain buy at the moment, costing $1-$3 a bunch. Plus, only trace amounts of fodmaps were detected in this food, so you can eat freely. If you’re looking to convert any family members to kale, try this fresh and zesty salad.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are plentiful and cheap at this time of year. But despite the fabulous flavour and nourishment, each mushroom variety has different fodmap content and for button, shiitake, enoki and portobello, the recommended serving size for people with IBS is 10g (or ½ tablespoon). And let’s face it, there’s not much gain to be had by eating ½ tablespoon! So if you’re a mushroom lover, learn to recognise oyster mushrooms – they’re rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. A serving size of 75g (or 1 cup) is well tolerated by most individuals with IBS. Larger servings (1kg) contain moderate amounts of polyol, sorbitol and mannitol so you may need to forgo a meaty, mushroom stew.

If you’re feeling uninspired in the kitchen, check out our low fodmap recipes - tried and tested by Mary & Jo.