Have you ever seen someone count out beans? I am thinking they must have been a FODMAPer or an accountant! Or in my case, both! For those of you who aren’t familiar with the life I led before I did a 180 degree career change and started studying nutrition, I was on the path to becoming a CPA (certified public accountant). To read more about how my health issues turned that plan upside down, visit my about page.
Today I found myself counting out the number of green beans used for this recipe so that I could keep the serving size low FODMAP. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself when I realized that I was fulfilling both of my careers as a “bean counter.” It made me realize that being a good accountant and being a good nutritionist have one important transferable skill in common: being detail-oriented. In creating this recipe, I utilized my detail-oriented nature to bring you a symptom-free meal to enjoy!
- Vegetables:
- 4 medium unpeeled carrots, cut into ¼ inch coins
- 2 cups broccoli florets (approximately 1 small crown of broccoli)
- 40 green beans (approximately 1 large handful), ends trimmed, quartered
- Lemon Chive Butter:
- 4 tablespoons organic grass-fed unsalted butter (or ghee if you react to butter)
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
- Zest and juice from 1 lemon
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Prepare the vegetables by cutting each type of vegetable into equal-sized pieces.
- In a small saucepan, add an inch or two of water, making sure that the water level does not touch where the vegetables will be sitting.
- Place the steam basket over the water.
- Boil water by heating saucepan over high heat. Steam rising around the lid of the saucepan will indicate that the water is boiling.
- If your setup allows all vegetables to be added to the steam basket, add them. Otherwise, select one vegetable, add it to the basket, and repeat steps 5-7 for each batch.
- Cover with lid, turn heat down to medium, and set a timer for 5 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, pierce vegetables with a fork to check for doneness. If the vegetables are still hard, the timer should be reset at 1-3 minutes intervals, checking for doneness. To avoid the vegetables becoming mushy, they are to be removed from the steamer when they are still slightly crunchy as they will continue cooking somewhat.
- Turn stovetop down to low.
- Drain water from saucepan and return it to the stove. Add butter, letting it melt.
- Once butter has melted, whisk in lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Arrange steamed vegetables on serving plates.
- Remove lemon chive butter from stove top and drizzle over steamed vegetables. Enjoy!
In order to keep this servings of this low FODMAP, recipe must be split into 4 portions. For individuals who are highly reactive to FODMAPs or just beginning their SIBO journey, I recommend choosing EITHER broccoli OR green beans since the amounts I chose for these two vegetables are toward the upper end of the low FODMAP limit and FODMAPs can have an additive effect.
Janet says
December 1, 2017 at 7:19 pmIn your note you say you like to serve it with a small baked potato. I thought potatoes were not allowed on a SIBO diet.
Riley says
December 1, 2017 at 9:16 pmGreat question! That is an area of confusion for many. Dr. Siebecker’s SIBO Food Guide includes potatoes in the “illegal” column, however, at the 2016 NUNM SIBO Symposium, she shared that many of her SIBO patients actually do okay with potatoes. She is in the process of updating her food guide, so I predict the chart will reflect that change in the near future. Potatoes can be a very necessary carbohydrate addition for many on a SIBO diet who are struggling with fatigue, weight loss, and other issues related to low carbohydrate intake.
Megan Lask says
May 1, 2018 at 7:48 amI tried this this week but substituted zucchini for broccoli since I’m sensitive to sulfur. It was so nice to have a bowl of veggies with every meal that was already lightly seasoned and ready to go. Great recipe to include in your weekly meal prep. You could sub any SIBO friendly veggies. I made extra butter to use on fish or chicken later this week.
Riley says
May 1, 2018 at 8:43 amThanks for sharing your experience with this recipe! Also, great tips on including other veggies and making it fit in with a meal prep routine!