Are all gluten free products low FODMAP?
Don’t be fooled! Not all gluten free products are low FODMAP. Just because a product says it is gluten free that does not mean it is always safe for the low FODMAP phase of the diet. Gluten free products often lack fibre and flavour. This means manufacturers sometimes pack them full of high FODMAP ingredients to improve nutrition and make them more palatable.
Why are gluten free products recommended on the low FODMAP diet?
The low FODMAP diet is not a gluten free diet so it can be difficult to understand why gluten free products are recommended. Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat endosperm (in layman’s terms, this is the type of tissue produced in seeds that is ground to make flour) (1). Gluten protein is not a source of FODMAPs (only certain carbohydrates are FODMAPs). Gluten is commonly found in wheat, rye, and barley.
Fructans are a type of oligosaccharide and fall within the ‘O’ group in the FODMAP acronym (2). Wheat, rye and barley all contain high levels of fructans. These grains are a major source of FODMAPs in western diets.
Gluten free products are recommended on the low FODMAP diet as they remove wheat, rye and barley from our daily diets. This can significantly reduce our intake of fructans and our overall level of FODMAPs.
What are some common high FODMAP ingredients found in gluten free products?
Gluten free products often lack fibre and so to counter this, manufacturers add inulin (chicory root extract/dietary fibre), apple fibre, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), oligofructose, or other high FODMAP fibre sources to products, to increase their nutritional value.
To make products more palatable, manufacturers often add high FODMAP sweeteners like: honey, apple or pear juice, fruit juice concentrate, high fructose corn syrup, fructose-glucose syrup, agave syrup, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), oligofructose, fructose (isolated), or polyol sweeteners (sorbitol (E420), mannitol (E421), maltitol (E956), xylitol (E967), and isomalt (E953)).
Not all gluten free flours are low FODMAP either. Almond flour/meal (½ cup serve), amaranth flour, coconut flour and lupin flour are all high FODMAP (2). Soy flour, chickpea flour, besan flour, gram flour and lentil flour are all suspected to be high FODMAP although they haven’t been officially tested by Monash University.
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Also watch out for high FODMAP dried fruit and lactose containing ingredients like whey protein concentrate, yoghurt, buttermilk, milk, and milk solids in gluten free products.
Please note this is not a complete list of high FODMAP ingredients that could be found in gluten free products.
How do you select low FODMAP gluten free products?
Look for gluten free products that do not contain high FODMAP ingredients. The Monash Low FODMAP app is a great tool that can help you check for high FODMAP ingredients. It is also convenient, as you can check ingredients in the supermarket using your phone app.
Can any gluten containing products be eaten on the low FODMAP diet?
Many people on the low FODMAP diet should be able to tolerate small amounts of gluten-containing oligosaccharides like the small amounts of wheat in soy sauce, two wheat based biscuits, or even one slice of white bread (2)
Final Thoughts
Just remember that not all gluten free products are low FODMAP. This means you need to check the gluten free product ingredient lists carefully to make sure high FODMAP ingredients are not sneaking into your diet.
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Certai Schar gluten free products are mentioned by Monash as being FODMAP friendly despite the inclusion of apple fiber in the products.
Has the company changed their formulation? Or has Monash concluded that the amount of Apple fiber in the product is so small as to not be problematic?
Any thoughts?
Hi Kay,
Thanks for commenting. That is right – certain Schar gluten free products do contain apple fibre. Laboratory testing has shown that the amount of apple fibre in those products is low FODMAP and they now carry the blue Monash FODMAP logo. This means those products can be enjoyed in the first phase of the low FODMAP diet.
It’s important to note that it can be hard to predict whether a product will be high or low FODMAP without laboratory testing. That means if you are looking at a product that hasn’t been laboratory tested for FODMAPs, and it contains a high FODMAP ingredient, then you might want to be cautious. Once your symptoms are settled test your tolerance level to a small amount and then go from there.
Thank you!
Hi Alana,
I have ibs and I only found out lately by my specialist that I need to go on a low Fodmap diet so I am knew to this. I want to ask you if Bread improver is okay and where is the best place in Adelaide to buy Low Fodmap baking ingredients.
Hi Sophia,
If you are only using a small amount of bread improver in the recipe (like 1 to 2 teaspoons) then it should be okay. Just keep in mind that large amounts of soy flour do become high FODMAP. Any of your large supermarkets should have a good range of gluten free products you can use in baking. Also keep a lookout for Lofo Pantry Low FODMAP flour – I think this might be stocked by Woolworths and it is a great low FODMAP flour option providing you don’t have coeliac disease.
Hi Alana
Thank you so much for your feedback. Can you please tell me which yogurts are fodmap friendly and where is the best place to buy them from in Adelaide.
Hi Sophia,
I’ve sent you an email with brand names and answered your other questions. Talk soon!
Hello, I was wondering about a bag of Bob’s Red Mill viral wheat gluten that I have. Is it low FODMAP? And if it is, why don’t I see more recipes for low FODMAP baked goods with gluten added.
Hi Jo,
Vital wheat gluten is considered low FODMAP so you can definitely experiment adding that to your low FODMAP baking. On this website we also look after a lot of people with coeliac disease and this is why we don’t use this product.
I am in the United States (Vermont) and have been advised by my doctor to try a low FODMAP diet, because of some digestive issues (not IBS). When I started, several months ago, I found that Schar Gluten Free white bread had a Monash low FODMAP symbol. I now notice that it contains soy and no longer has the low FODMAP symbol. Have they changed the formulation? or has it been re-tested and now found to be not meeting standards for low FODMAP?
Hi Cecilia,
Thanks for reaching out to us. Unfortunately, we don’t have any extra information for you on the Schar bread – we do know that at this date the Schar Gluten Free Crostini, Schar Gluten Free Deli Style Sourdough Bread, and Schar Gluten Free Multigrain Ciabatta Rolls are all still listed as low FODMAP in the USA in the Monash University FODMAP Diet App.
You could also reach out to Monash University or Schar to see if they can give you any extra information. Alternatively, you can test your own tolerance to the bread – if you can still eat it without any negative changes in your symptoms then that shows you can still tolerate it well and can keep it in your diet.