Getting your FODMAP challenge portions right is possibly the most important part of the reintroduction phase. Your dietitian will likely supply you with the details for your specific reintroduction plan. They are best placed to make sense of your reactions and tailor your challenges to suit you. The Monash app also contains a detailed, challenge by challenge, reintroduction guide to support your dietitian led plan.
Knowing some of the basics about FODMAP challenge portions can help you to understand things a bit better. This makes it easier to go along with, especially if things get a bit rough.
Start small
Generally, depending on your response, the fodmap challenge portions are steadily increased over the course of 3 days;
- ¼ portion on day 1
- ½ portion on day 2
- 1 portion on day 3
This helps you to understand the largest serving you can eat, before triggering symptoms. If you trigger a flare-up on day 1 by eating a full portion that would be the end of the challenge. If your symptoms are severe it might put you off experimenting any further. This might mean you never discover that you can tolerate a ¼ or a ½ portion.
You should attempt at least the day 1 challenge for each FODMAP type. Even for the FODMAPs you've previously had issues with or are nervous about reintroducing. Starting with small portions, in isolation, can help you to see things more clearly.
What if the challenge portion is too big?
When it comes to your challenge portions you only need to challenge up to the largest portion you would usually eat. If you wouldn't normally eat the day 3 portion in one sitting then there's no need to challenge that amount. Simply weigh out the largest portion you would eat. You would then challenge that amount on day 3 or eat the previous day's portion again, whichever is the largest.
Keep in mind that the typical portions you would consume when eating out may be bigger than your regular portion. If you often eat out, enjoy takeaways or rely on ready-made meals bear this in mind throughout your challenges. You may want to challenge a bigger portion than you might typically cook. This could help give you some wiggle room and peace of mind when eating a meal you haven't prepared yourself.
What if the challenge portion is too small?
The reverse also applies to foods that you usually eat in large amounts. If you typically eat 4 slices of wheat bread in a sitting then it's worth considering adding extra challenge days. This is so that you can work up to the maximum amount you're likely to attempt to eat in the future.
If a challenge is going well you might decide to add an extra day/large portion to the end of the challenge. Alternatively, you could include these extra challenges as a natural part of your personalised phase.
This is not a competition against your gut or other fodmappers. You're not challenging yourself to see how much of a food you can physically consume just for the sake of it. The goal of each challenge is to find your personal tolerance for the foods that you enjoy. You only need to do this in the realistic quantities that you would usually eat.
What did your challenge portions tell you?
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