SIBO-Safe Sandwiches

When I had SIBO, Waffle Sandwiches were my go-to SIBO sandwich bread. I enjoyed them with breakfast sandwiches, grilled chicken sandwiches, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, and even hamburgers.

I think Waffle Sandwiches are my best SIBO secret… But they are hard to make and take a lot of time. I’ve been hesitant to post this recipe because it is labor intensive and requires a blender, a waffle iron, a panini press, and a little bit of patience and skill. But if you want something to replace bread that isn’t a green leaf then this recipe is wonderful! It’s the closest thing I ever got to SIBO sandwich bread that stayed within the SIBO Specific Food Guide. Now, I’m not going to promise it tastes and feels just like bread, because it’s not light and fluffy and full of wheat and yeast. But it is soft on the inside and a little crispy on the outside like a grilled panini sandwich.

Waffle Sandwiches are a bit of a process to make. First, make macadamia nut waffle batter. For my guideline recipe, I like Danielle Walker’s Blueberry Waffle Recipe in her book Against All Grain: Delectable Paleo Recipes to Eat Well & Feel Great– omit the vanilla, honey, and any added fruits. Next, gently stir in 2 tsp of an Italian herb blend- thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, etc. (Simply Organic Italian Seasoning is my standard). Make sure the herb blend is a combination of herbs only and does NOT include any fillers or sugars. Alternately, you can sprinkle herbs right onto the batter after you have poured it into your waffle iron but before you close the lid.

Next, cook your waffles on your waffle iron. Be sure to go slow with getting used to cooking waffles made from nuts. They burn much more quickly, so start at a lower cooking temperature and know that this macadamia nut batter produces extremely fragile waffles. Take your time pulling the waffles out of the waffle iron. You may even need to add a little extra oil directly to the iron in order to get the outside a little firmer so they don’t fall apart when you take them out. (I have had more than one round of these waffles crumble to pieces which sucks because macadamia nuts are outrageously expensive to buy. But I usually get the right temperature on the second round.) Once the waffles are cooked and cooled, throw them onto a panini press and toast away. This will flatten the waffles into bread sized thickness and crisp up the outside to hold the waffle together providing the structure to keep a sandwich intact. Remove them from the panini press and ta-da!

Now you have a SIBO sandwich bread!

Lastly, build the sandwich of your dreams. My favorite was a breakfast sandwich with homemade breakfast sausage, a fried egg, and aged cheese. Every now and then, when I could tolerate it, I would add a few slices of the higher FODMAP avocado. My family packed these to the mountains for trips in the woods, camping, traveling, flying, and even picnics with friends.

If you know you are going to want a sweeter sandwich like a peanut butter and honey or almond butter with some stewed strawberries or blueberries leave out the added herbs and go ahead and include vanilla extract or almond extract.

If you want a more traditional lunch sandwich Primal Kitchen Mayonnaise is a SIBO-safe condiment. It does not contain added sugars or strange spices or garlic. While I did not have the option of lunch meat when I had SIBO, there are now several different brands of lunch meat or deli meat that do NOT contain gum, thickeners, sugars, garlic, or “other spices.” Plainville Farms Oven Roasted Organic Turkey Breast is one brand. I can find that at Costco.