Surviving the Wedding Season on the FODMAP Diet

Wedding season is around the corner and it can be a stressful time for the bride, groom, wedding party, family and even guests.  I have been all of the above and strangely enough it was the least stressful when I was the bride.  Who would have thought?  It might have something to do with us being married on the beach in Cabo San Lucas….but back to the topic at hand…  It can be challenging being at a wedding especially if it’s out of town when it comes to the FODMAP diet and any dietary restrictions.  I have made many mistakes like showing up to a wedding hungry and finding out there is nothing I can eat.

On more than one occasion I have had to:

• Sneak out in a rental car to run to a restaurant to pick up something to eat and quickly eat in the car.
• Pack a PB&J and sneakily eat it under the table.
• Pull an orange and a FODMAP safe granola bar out of my clutch during cocktail hour.

The key is always being PREPARED!  I don’t recommend escaping to the nearby restaurant but if there is no way you can eat something and you are starved, you can discretely leave for a few minutes and come back without anyone noticing.

Here are a few FODMAP diet wedding tricks that have worked for me in the past in being the most prepared:

• Eat a snack or small meal before the wedding.  The odds of being able to eat the selection of food during the cocktail hour is usually small.  I have found the key is to avoid being “hangry.”
• As soon as you are seated at your table, discreetly inform your waiter about your dietary restrictions.  The sooner the staff is aware, the greater the chance they can help.
• If there are really no options, discreetly eat a FODMAP safe snack packed in your bag.

I did a full review on all of my favorite travel snacks that you can find here.  It’s all about being prepared!

My girlfriend, Katherine @deliberatefare, and I were discussing this topic the other day and she has an awesome strategy when she attends events locally.  Before she leaves she makes sure to have a plate of food ready to go in the fridge for when she gets home.  Katherine typically has roasted chicken and vegetables prepared and ready to eat.  This is a great strategy for coming home and having a healthy and filling FODMAP safe meal to eat after a long night.  The last thing you want to do at 11 PM or midnight is make dinner.  What tips do you have??

At the end of the day, weddings are so much fun!  Get dressed up, feel pretty and pack a safe FODMAP snack just in case!