Ingredients

• 8 Medjool dates
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts
• 1 heaped tbsp carob powder
• 2 tbsp nut butter (peanut, cashew, almond etc.)
• 2 tsp chia seeds

Method

Remove and discard the pit from each date and cut into quarters.

Toast the hazelnuts on a baking tray in the oven at 180°c for 6 minutes, shaking the tray once during this time to ensure even toasting. Place the toasted hazelnuts onto one half of a clean tea towel and fold the other half over them. Rub the hazelnuts between the tea towel layers to remove the skins.

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blitz on high speed for 2-3 minutes. The mixture should resemble very coarse sand. Take a heaped tablespoon of mixture, press together firmly and roll into a ball. Roll the ball in the extra desiccated coconut. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Makes approximately 13 balls.

The Low FODMAP Diet is an elimination diet shown to have a high level of efficacy in the management of IBS symptoms. The diet involves an initial strict elimination phase, followed by a ‘challenge’ phase where high FODMAP foods are systematically re-introduced into the patient’s diet. The challenge phase is extremely important as it allows the patient to identify the specific high FODMAP foods that trigger their symptoms. Their long term diet can then be liberalised to only restrict their individual trigger foods, rather than restricting all low FODMAP foods.

Unfortunately, many patients who trial the Low FODMAPs diet without health professional supervision give up before reaching the challenge phase. Many find the initial elimination phase too difficult and are simply unaware that it is only meant to be a short term diet. With the support of a dietitian, patients have a higher chance of seeing the diet through to the re-introduction and liberalisation phases, which means a greater likelihood of long term symptom management.