Low FODMAP Olive Pesto Baked Pork Chops

Dive into the mediterranean-inspired flavours of this dish! These pork chops are melt in your mouth delicious, with salty olives, punchy parmesan, and herbaceous fresh parsley. Plus, they are so easy! They are oven baked, so you don’t need to stand over the stove as they cook. Serve them up with your favourite low FODMAP salad or other low FODMAP sides like potato wedges, rice, or low FODMAP risotto if you’re feeling fancy.

Making Pesto Without Garlic

Most store bought pesto contains garlic, as this is typically a staple ingredient in the pesto-making process. However, garlic is high in fructans, a type of FODMAP that can often worsen symptoms of bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. In this recipe, I’ve used garlic-infused olive oil to get a mild garlic-flavour, but you could easily use regular olive oil instead. There is still lots of fantastic flavour even without it!

For the topping of these pork chops, we’re putting a spin on traditional pesto, which usually contains basil. Instead, I’ve opted to use olives and parsley as the core ingredients. This makes the pesto a bit salty while still tasting fresh and herby.

For those who love a more traditional pesto, we do have a low FODMAP basil pesto recipe as well. You could use this on pork and other meats too!

Are Olives Low FODMAP?

Olives are indeed low FODMAP! Monash university has tested the FODMAP content of both black and green olives and confirmed they are both low FODMAP at a portion of 1/2 cup or approximately 60 grams. But what if you want more than that? Well, lucky for you, they’ve actually confirmed that they are still low FODMAP up to 500 grams!

Keep in mind, 500 grams of olives is over 4 cups, and that would also contain a lot of fat – which is another non-FODMAP trigger for IBS symptoms for some people. Nevertheless, olives are a fantastic food to add for flavour and variety on a low FODMAP diet.

Pork and Other Low FODMAP Meat

FODMAPs are types of fermentable carbohydrates, which are found in mostly plant-based foods, as well as dairy (ie. lactose). Animal proteins such as beef, pork, poultry, fish, and eggs don’t contain any carbohydrates at all, making them automatically low FODMAP. However, this can change depending on the preparation method of the protein. For example, some processed meats like sausage or salami may contain high FODMAP ingredients such as wheat starch or garlic powder. Meats that come pre-marinated or with a gravy may contain FODMAPs as well.

Using plain, unseasoned animal proteins and adding your own low FODMAP marinades and spices is the way to go if you follow a low FODMAP diet. For vegetarian or vegan eaters, there are also lots of plant-based protein options that are still low in FODMAPs.

How to Make Olive Pesto Baked Pork Chops

Preheat your oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with foil. Set aside as you prepare the pesto.

To make the olive pesto:
In a food processor or high-speed blender, add 1/2 cup parsley, 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, and 3 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil. Pulse the mixture until it is mostly smooth – a few small chunks is fine. You may need to stop and scrape the sides of the food processor a few times, as the mixture will likely stick.

Prepare the pork chops:
Use the back of a spoon or your hands to rub both sides of 2 pork chops with the olive pesto. Once they are well covered, transfer the pork to the foil-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the pork chops are cooked through. The internal temperature of the pork chops should be at least 145℉ on a meat thermometer.

Serve warm. Enjoy!