Strawberry Smoothie

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

Prep 5 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 1

Gluten-freeVegan-option

Ingredients

• 5 medium strawberries (about 65 g), fresh or frozen
• 3/4 cup (180 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 strawberries, 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.
• Banana-free version. Strawberries alone blend to a lighter, more drinkable smoothie. If you want body without banana, thicken with 1/2 cup lactose-free Greek yogurt or a tablespoon of chia seeds (let it sit 2 minutes before blending).
• Add a banana for body. Half a firm banana (about 50 g, yellow with no brown spots) makes the glass thicker and sweeter. Once a banana is spotted, the low FODMAP serve drops to 1/3 of a banana; look up bananas in the FODMAP Foods app to see how the rating changes with portion size.
• Pick the milk. Lactose-free cow, unsweetened almond or macadamia (up to 1 cup / 250 ml), or rice milk (up to about 210mL). 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. Choose unsweetened and avoid added fibers (inulin, chicory root, prebiotic fiber) and sugar alcohols.
• Sweeten with maple syrup. Honey is low FODMAP only at about ½ teaspoon (4g) 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.
• Fresh vs frozen berries. Both work at the same 5-berry serve. Frozen strawberries thicken the smoothie and chill it, so skip the ice and add a splash more milk if it's too thick to pour. Fresh berries give a brighter flavor; frozen give a thicker, colder texture.

Why This Works

Strawberry serve. Monash University testing puts strawberries at 5 medium (65 g) per serve; larger portions carry excess fructose. One serve per glass, with the milk and ice making up the volume.

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, and this glass uses 3/4 cup.

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 strawberries, 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 strawberries, vanilla, and maple in a zip bag and add milk and ice at blend time.