Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: Heather, what is the rule of thumb with frying?

Hi Karin - The problem with frying is usually just the very large quantity of oil used. Deep frying and pan frying in restaurants uses tons of fat - and a lot of home recipes for fried dishes do too.

But, you can pan fry foods to make them crispy and golden, but still low in fat so they're safe for IBS. It just requires using a nonstick skillet and a little spray cooking oil. This works really well for everything from French toast to grilled sandwiches to frying firm tofu to hash browns, and tons of other things as well.

For stir frying, you do need a little oil, but usually just a tablespoon or two for an entire recipe that will serve 6-8 people.

While you want a diet that is low fat for IBS, as fat is a really powerful GI stimulant, you can't go fat free. That's not necessary, and it's also really unhealthy. So the fats you do use have to count - they need to be monounsaturated and have essential fatty acids. You want the fats in your diet to come from things like olive oil, canola oil, fatty fish, ground nuts, and flax, and avocados. For cooking, olive oil has a pretty low smoking point, so it's not good for frying. Canola oil has a very high smoking point, so it's great for frying. You'll only use a little bit, and it will always be used with a high soluble fiber foundation.

Hope this helps,

Heather

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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!

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