March Madness: Low FODMAP Snack Food for College Basketball Parties

It’s that time of year again: March Madness. Everyone is gathering together to watch college basketball and eat greasy snacks, and it’s your turn to throw a party.

The trouble is that you have IBS and many of the typical snack foods (crackers with or without soft cheese spreads, cookies, veggie trays with creamy dips, cashews and pistachios) are high FODMAP.  Not to mention, any one of your guests may also deal with IBS and you don’t want to be the cause of a sudden flare-up.

Not to worry though! We’ve got you covered with these delicious low FODMAP snack food recipes that you can serve throughout the game.

Tip-Off

Start off nice and simple with some fresh veggies and dip. Any of our low FODMAP salad dressings can double as a delicious dip, or you can make some garlicky low FODMAP hummus. (Don’t worry; chickpeas are fine in moderation).

For something with a crunch, how about a nice crostini with lemon thyme goat cheese? It’s super easy to make, and along with some marinated mozzarella & olives, and deviled eggs with salsa avocado, you’ll add some elegance to the party.

We know, we know. What’s a college basketball party without nachos? Well, these salad nachos are off the hook. Mixing salad with nachos may sound like a food crime, but trust us when we say that the salad offers a fresh and light contrast to the gooey melted cheese and crunchy corn chips.

Your guests will be pumped as soon as they walk through your door when they see these low FODMAP appetizers, and that’s just the start.

Halftime

We’re halfway through the game and if it’s been entertaining, maybe no one was getting up and grabbing food during gameplay. Now that it’s halftime, they need something substantial.

These low FODMAP cocktail meatballs, for instance, are bursting with flavor and can be served simply with toothpicks and a bit of hot sauce on the side.

You can provide another option by serving sesame ginger chicken skewers. The chicken needs at least an hour to marinate, but after that, cook time is only 7 or 8 minutes. Not very long for such light and delicious chicken. 

Top it all off with a side of spiced oven-baked low FODMAP fries and you’ll have everyone’s bellies full and equipped to watch the second half of the game.

To Celebrate or Console

Whether your team wins or loses, dessert is always a good idea. For a loss, serve a low FODMAP take on some comfort food with salted chocolate chip cookies or snickerdoodle white chocolate blondies.

For a dessert of a more celebratory nature, consider these light and fluffy confetti cupcakes or some cute coconut snowballs. Both are perfect for propelling that triumphant energy.

Of course, you could just serve all the desserts. They’re all so good. 

You’re ready to host a low FODMAP college basketball party, but what about Thanksgiving, Halloween, or a simple family dinner? Find more sweet and savory low FODMAP recipes in our recipes section!