Low-FODMAP Diet Got You Missing Garlic? Try This Basil Pesto Hack For Flavor

The low-FODMAP diet is one of the most popular options for managing IBS, and while many people use it to great success that doesn’t always mean it’s easy one to adopt. One ingredient that can be challenging to cut out is garlic—after all, there’s garlic in a number of recipes, across many cultures.

One of those recipes that often features loads of garlic is pesto, and it’s a dish that Zorah Booley found herself missing when she adopted this gut-health supporting diet. And she came up with a clever way to get all that garlic flavor, without breaking the protocol: garlic oil.

“Garlic in it’s whole form (cooked or uncooked) can trigger an IBS flare-up. But garlic oil provides the same flavor without any side effects; the more oil you add, the more intense the flavor,” she writes in The Everyday Low-FODMAP Cookbook. “This recipe is a staple for me, and it’s one I have relied on almost every day since adapting my lifestyle to account for IBS.”

Since any pesto recipe is going to feature both olive oil and garlic, a basil pesto is the perfect place to use this low-FODMAP hack. Booley’s recipe is pretty classic: Just make the homemade garlic oil first and get blending.