Low-FODMAP Indian Vegetarian Food List: What to Eat and Avoid With IBS
By Dt. Hashika Vyas, gut health & weight-loss specialist · Last reviewed: November 2026
Quick answer: A low-FODMAP Indian vegetarian diet is very doable. Build meals on rice, poha, jowar, millet, buckwheat, oats, moong dal in small portions, tofu, paneer, lactose-free curd, ghee, and vegetables like carrot, spinach, tomato, capsicum, cucumber, brinjal and bhindi. Reduce onion, garlic, rajma, chole, urad, large servings of wheat, milk, apples, mangoes and cashews. Cook with garlic-infused oil, gluten-free hing, ginger, jeera and spring-onion greens. Follow it strictly for only 2 to 6 weeks, then reintroduce foods to find your own triggers.
Key takeaways
- Low-FODMAP is a test, not a lifestyle. The goal is to find your triggers, then eat as widely as possible.
- Portion size matters. Many foods are fine in small amounts and only trigger symptoms in large servings.
- Vegetarians need to protect protein. Tofu, paneer, firm curd, small portions of rinsed canned chickpeas and moong, peanuts and seeds keep protein up while you cut beans.
- Most commercial hing contains wheat flour. Choose gluten-free hing if wheat bothers you.
- Check exact portions in the Monash University FODMAP app, which tests foods in its lab.
What are FODMAPs?
FODMAPs are short-chain carbohydrates that some people absorb poorly: fructans (wheat, onion, garlic), GOS (beans and lentils), lactose (milk), excess fructose (apple, mango, honey) and polyols (some fruits, mushrooms and sugar-free sweeteners). In a sensitive gut they draw in water and are fermented by bacteria, causing bloating, pain, gas, diarrhoea or constipation.
The Indian vegetarian low-FODMAP food list
General guidance from published FODMAP testing. Amounts matter, and tolerance is individual.
| Group | Usually low-FODMAP | Small portions only | Usually high (reduce first) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grains | Rice, poha, rice idli and dosa, rice flour, jowar, millet, buckwheat (kuttu), quinoa, oats | Wheat roti or bread (1 small), sooji | Several wheat rotis or parathas, maida, barley, rye |
| Dals and beans | Tofu, tempeh | Moong dal, masoor dal, canned and rinsed chickpeas | Rajma, chole (dried and cooked), urad, chana dal in large bowls |
| Dairy | Lactose-free milk and curd, ghee, butter, hard cheese | Paneer, hung curd, regular curd | Milk, milky chai, kheer, rabdi, ice cream |
| Vegetables | Carrot, spinach, tomato, capsicum, cucumber, brinjal, bhindi, potato, green beans, ginger, spring-onion greens | Sweet potato, pumpkin, beetroot, green peas | Onion, garlic, cauliflower, mushrooms |
| Fruits | Firm banana, papaya, orange, kiwi, grapes, pineapple, strawberries | Pomegranate, ripe banana | Apple, pear, mango, watermelon, dried fruit, fruit juice |
| Nuts and seeds | Peanuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame | Almonds (about 10), flaxseed (1 tablespoon) | Cashews, pistachios |
| Sweeteners | Sugar, maple syrup in small amounts | Jaggery | Honey, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol |
| Flavour | Jeera, ajwain, haldi, ginger, coriander, mint, gluten-free hing, garlic-infused oil | Ready-made masalas (check for onion and garlic) | Onion and garlic powder, regular hing with wheat flour |
How to cook Indian food without onion and garlic
- Tadka: ghee or garlic-infused oil, jeera, ajwain or rai, gluten-free hing, curry leaves, ginger.
- Gravy base: tomato puree with ginger and a little cashew-free nut paste such as peanut, or a spoon of hung curd at the end.
- Onion flavour: the green part of spring onions or chives added at the end.
- Garlic flavour: garlic-infused oil. The gut-irritating fructans do not dissolve into oil, so the taste carries without the trigger.
- Freshness: lemon juice, coriander and mint at the end.
A low-FODMAP Indian vegetarian day (example only)
| Meal | Example |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | Vegetable poha with peanuts, or oats chilla with paneer |
| Mid-morning | Papaya or 2 kiwis |
| Lunch | Rice, a small bowl of moong dal with jeera and hing tadka, bhindi or capsicum sabzi, cucumber raita with lactose-free curd |
| Evening | Weak tea with lactose-free milk, roasted peanuts or makhana |
| Dinner | Jowar or millet roti, tofu or paneer bhurji with tomato and capsicum, sauteed spinach |
The 3 phases (do not skip phase 2 and 3)
- Reduce (2 to 6 weeks): swap high-FODMAP foods for low ones until symptoms settle.
- Reintroduce (6 to 8 weeks): test one FODMAP group at a time, for example wheat, then onion, then milk, over 3 days each, and note symptoms.
- Personalise (for life): keep only your real triggers limited, and bring everything else back.
This is the same Identify, Stabilise, Sustain structure I use with every gut client. Done alone, many people stay stuck in phase 1 for months, which can harm gut bacteria and make eating stressful.
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Frequently asked questions
Is low-FODMAP possible for Indian vegetarians?
Yes. Rice, millets, moong in small portions, tofu, paneer, lactose-free curd and most everyday vegetables are low-FODMAP. The main changes are cooking without onion and garlic and reducing large bowls of beans and wheat.
Is moong dal low-FODMAP?
In small portions, split and well-cooked moong dal is usually tolerated. Large bowls of any dal can trigger symptoms because of GOS.
Is paneer low-FODMAP?
Paneer is much lower in lactose than milk, and most people with IBS tolerate a normal portion. Very lactose-sensitive people should start with small amounts.
Is hing (asafoetida) low-FODMAP?
Hing itself is used in tiny amounts, but most commercial hing is mixed with wheat flour. Choose a gluten-free hing to be safe.
Can I eat roti on a low-FODMAP diet?
A small wheat roti is often tolerated, but several rotis or parathas add up to a large dose of fructans. Jowar, millet, buckwheat or rice-flour rotis are good alternatives during the reduce phase.
How long should I follow a low-FODMAP diet?
The strict phase should last only 2 to 6 weeks. After that, reintroduce foods to find your personal triggers and widen your diet again.
References
- Monash University. The Low FODMAP Diet and FODMAP app.
- Lacy BE, et al. ACG Clinical Guideline: Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol. 2021;116(1):17-44.
- Vasant DH, et al. British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines on the management of irritable bowel syndrome. Gut. 2021;70(7):1214-1240.
This article is educational and does not replace advice from your doctor. Medical disclaimer.