Blueberry Smoothie

A low FODMAP blueberry smoothie of measured blueberries, lactose-free or almond milk, vanilla, and maple syrup.

Prep 5 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 1

Gluten-freeVegan-option

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries (about 110 g), or 20 frozen blueberries (about 40 g)
• 1 cup (250 ml) lactose-free cow's milk or unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup ice (skip if using frozen berries)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

Blend

1. Add the milk to the blender first, then the blueberries, ice, vanilla, and maple syrup.
2. Blend on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth. Scrape down the sides once if any berries stick.
3. Pour into a glass and drink right away. The texture thins as it sits.

Tips & Substitutions

• Make it a protein smoothie. Add 1 scoop of plain whey protein isolate, which is very low in lactose. Whatever powder you use, check the label for inulin, chicory root, FOS, and polyol sweeteners.
• Add a banana. Half a firm banana (about 50 g, yellow with no brown spots) adds body. Once it is spotted, keep it to 1/3 of a banana (35 g). Look up bananas in the FODMAP Foods app to see how the rating changes with portion size.
• Thicken with yogurt. Swap 1/2 cup of the milk for 1/2 cup of plain lactose-free Greek yogurt. Adds protein and a tangier flavor.
• Pick the milk. Lactose-free cow, unsweetened almond or macadamia (up to 1 cup / 250 ml), or rice milk (up to about 210 ml). Carton coconut milk is low up to 3/4 cup. Oat milk is low only at about 100 ml, and cashew milk is not low FODMAP. Avoid any milk with inulin, chicory root fiber, or added "prebiotic fiber."
• Sweeten with maple syrup. Honey is low FODMAP only at about ½ teaspoon and agave is high FODMAP at recipe amounts. A few drops of stevia or sucralose work if maple isn't your thing. Skip polyol sweeteners like sorbitol, xylitol, and maltitol.
• Go easy on frozen blueberries. The 1 cup serve comes from testing fresh berries, so with frozen ones stay at the older, more cautious 20 berries (40 g) and add half a firm banana (about 50 g) for body; keep the ice.

Why This Works

Blueberry serve. Blueberries are low FODMAP at any typical portion. That holds for fresh berries; this glass uses 3/4 cup fresh, about 110 g.

Milk matrix. Lactose is the FODMAP issue in regular cow's milk. Lactose-free milk and unsweetened almond milk are low FODMAP at 1 cup, which is the amount here.

Protein-powder labels. Many protein powders add inulin or chicory root fiber, which are high FODMAP fructans, even on "clean" or "gut-health" tubs. Formulas vary, so check the label.

Sweetener rule. Pure maple syrup is low-FODMAP at 1 tablespoon. A teaspoon is plenty with ripe blueberries, and it keeps honey and agave out of the glass.

Storage

Blend and drink right away. If you need to hold one, cap it in a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours at 40°F (4°C) or below. Shake or re-blend before drinking; separation is normal. To prep ahead, freeze the blueberries, vanilla, and maple in a zip bag and add milk and ice at blend time.