Just because you are on the low FODMAP diet, it doesn’t mean you need to miss out this spooky season! You can enjoy trick and treating with a bit of careful label reading. Check out the Low FODMAP Guide to Halloween Candy & keep reading for lots of handy hints…
Get your scare on with this low FODMAP candy checklist:
- Check for low FODMAP sweeteners as these will quickly tell you if the candy is your friend or foe!
- Watch out for sneaky FODMAPs.
- Don’t over do your portion size. As you know low FODMAP portion sizes are often key to getting good symptom control. Even low FODMAP candy needs to be consumed with care. Low FODMAP dietitian Patsy Catsos recommends that limiting the amount of sugar you have in one sitting… Too much sugar can be challenging for your body to process which can mean you end up malabsorbing the fructose and triggering your gut symptoms (even though sucrose (sugar) contains an equal amounts of glucose and fructose)(1).
Common Low FODMAP Ingredients In Candy
It’s easy to get confused when looking at ingredient labels so you want to focus on finding candy that contains low FODMAP ingredients. These ingredients are considered low FODMAP:
- corn syrup
- dextrose
- glucose syrup (from wheat or corn)
- sucrose
- sugar
- cane sugar
- food acid
- colours
- gelatin
- artificial flavours
- soy lecithin
- confectioners glaze
- natural flavours*
Note on Natural Flavours: In savoury products natural flavours are sometimes problematic as they can contain onion or garlic. However natural flavours derived from fruit used in sweet products are generally considered okay. This is because natural flavours extracted from fruit only provide flavour and do not add nutritional value (2). This means the amount of carbohydrates (FODMAPs) included in the flavouring is likely to very small and shouldn’t cause issues in small serves.
Watch Out For Sneaky High FODMAP Ingredients
When it comes to Halloween candy, it’s the high FODMAP sweeteners that will give you gut a fright. Make sure you steer clear of candy containing:
- high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
- honey (if having more than 1 to 2 pieces of candy)
- Molasses (if having more than 1 to 2 pieces of candy)
- agave syrup
- yacon syrup
- sorbitol
- mannitol
- xylitol
- isomalt
- concentrated fruit juices (especially if made from high FODMAP fruit)
- fructose
- inulin
- high FODMAP fruit.
Don’t be fooled by candy labeled as diabetic friendly… often these treats contain high FODMAP polyols.
How Good Are You At Spotting Low FODMAP Candy?
Test your knowledge with these Halloween candy examples:
FODMAP Rating: Low FODMAP
Notes: No common high FODMAP ingredients listed.
FODMAP Rating: High FODMAP
Notes: Contains honey which is a high FODMAP ingredient. Limit your serve to 1 to 2 pieces.
FODMAP Rating: High FODMAP
Notes: Contains sorbitol which is a high FODMAP ingredient.
FODMAP Rating: Low FODMAP
Notes: No common high FODMAP ingredients listed.
FODMAP Rating: High FODMAP
Notes: Contains concentrated blackcurrent and apple juice which are considered high FODMAP ingredients.
FODMAP Rating: Low FODMAP
Notes: No common high FODMAP ingredients listed.
FODMAP Rating: Moderate FODMAP
Notes: This candy contains semi-sweet chocolate, which can contain lactose. The low FODMAP serve for semi-sweet chocolate would be 15g. Depending on the size of the candy, you should be able to enjoy 2 to 4 pieces.
Final Thoughts
There is no reason to miss out on trick or treating this year. Just make sure you check the Halloween candy labels to make sure they are low FODMAP and watch your serving sizes. Enjoy your treats!
Feature image credit: Elena Veselova/Shutterstock.com
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