A Low FODMAP Valentine’s Day Menu? Absolutely!

Some people love to paint the town red on Valentine’s Day, and others prefer to keep it low-key. If you like quiet celebrations at home (and if you don’t want to navigate restaurant menus full of inflammatory foods on a special day), here are our best gut-friendly dinner ideas for Valentine’s Day.

Start Off Right: Low FODMAP Valentine’s Day Appetizers 

Fody’s top tip: Get your appetizers ready ahead of time so that you can enjoy a special night-in that’s not just a routine dinner. Cooking together can be a romantic experience, but you don’t necessarily want to spend the entire evening cooking and cleaning up between courses. 

This recipe for Fody’s Easy Tomato Soup is a simple go-to to start a gut-friendly Valentine’s Day; just omit the grilled cheese to save room! And what appetizer could be more classic than soup? Salad! Try this prosciutto-melon-arugula salad to start off with some mouth-watering umami that will leave your date wanting more, and won’t leave either of you feeling uncomfortable or bloated.

If you’re a bit more ambitious, why not impress your date with these Handmade Pork Dumplings with Low FODMAP Teriyaki Sauce, or with these Low FODMAP Supreme Pizza Quinoa Bites? Remember that it’s all about presentation, and with a little bit of creativity, you can make even the simplest dish look fabulous! 

Gut Friendly Dinners and Show-Stopping Main Courses

Preparing delicious food with your partner is a lot easier if you take a few shortcuts (or, as legendary French chef Jacques Pepin says, use the supermarket as a “prep cook”!) It’s not worth making a special meal for your low FODMAP Valentine’s Day if you’re stressed and not even able to enjoy it properly. 

Keep the focus on the date by using pre-made sauces; Fody’s Spicy Mussels and Pasta with Garlic Bread sounds (and looks!) super fancy, but thanks to pre-made low FODMAP marinara sauce you can put it together in just 25 minutes. It’s also no-onion and no-garlic, meaning you can cook with total confidence.

Just as elegant, but even simpler, is this Mushroom and Kale Bolognese Pizza! This gut friendly pizza is a fantastic Valentine’s Day dinner idea, as it’s simple and fun to make together while requiring almost zero prep. Thanks to a store-bought low FODMAP pizza crust and Fody’s Vegan Bolognese Pasta Sauce, there’s no mess, no bloating and almost no cleanup!

The best part about using gut friendly, pre-made ingredients is that they’re versatile. No buying hyper-specific ingredients that you’ll once and that will then sit in the back of your fridge until the end of time. You can even re-use some of these ingredients twice in the same night (we won’t tell if you don’t!) For example, this steak recipe uses Fody’s Gluten-Free Salsa Verde, which can double as a dip if you want to curl up in front of a romantic movie with some chips.

Decadent Desserts for Your Low FODMAP Valentines Day

Finally, the part we’ve all been waiting for: dessert! Just like the appetizers, it’s a good idea to prep your dessert ahead to save time, and as most desserts will require time to bake or set in the fridge. 

For a rich and complex dessert, you could try preparing these Pomegranate Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars – they’re sweet and tart, and they’re even red and pink! If you’re feeling something more…well, dessert-y, you could try this Raspberry Dark Chocolate Crisp, which is deceptively simple and can be prepped ahead of time, then mixed together and baked for a half hour right after dinner. 

If these recipes seem like a lot of work, you can always cut to the chase with classic decadence. These chocolate truffles are low FODMAP, super easy to make, and completely indulgent; they’re also a home-run guaranteed to top a perfect evening. 

Hopefully these recipes have inspired you! Valentine’s Day is about love, so whether you’re celebrating with your partner, with your friends or family, or just with yourself, remember: you’re special, and you deserve a special day that’s just right for you! 

If you didn’t see the perfect menu for you in this post, head over to our recipes to find more gut-friendly recipes that can help you make February 14th special and worry-free. Happy Valentine’s Day from Fody!