The good news is that the low FODMAP diet is not a dairy-free diet and you can enjoy low FODMAP cheese. However, you do need to avoid cheeses that contain high amounts of lactose. This means the trick is to choose naturally low lactose cheeses and to control your portion size.
Types of Cheeses
Did you know that natural, aged cheese normally contains less than 0.5g of sugar? During the manufacturing process most of the high FODMAP lactose is drained off with the whey (1). The small amount of lactose that is left in the curd is then transformed into lactic acid as the cheese ripens (1). This means aged cheeses only contain very small or trace amounts of lactose per serve (1). Aged cheeses include Cheddar, Camembert, Cheshire, Pecorino Style, Swiss, Brie, Blue Cheese, Havarti, or Parmesan. These are low FODMAP cheese options and they are normally well tolerated by people with lactose intolerance.
The next category of cheeses are fresh unripened cheeses and these usually have lactose levels that are less than 5 grams (1). These unripened cheeses do not go through a long aging process which means that not all of the lactose in the curd converts into lactic acid (1). Cheeses in this category include Colby, Edam, Halomi, Cottage Cheese, Feta, or Cream Cheese. Most of these are still classed as low FODMAP cheeses or have low FODMAP serving sizes, however you will need to watch your portion sizes.
Finally, we have processed cheese foods and spreads. These are made by melting natural cheese and then adding dairy products like whey or milk (1). These products contain higher levels of lactose and can be high FODMAP (1).
How to Choose Low FODMAP Cheese
The lactose content is important when choosing low FODMAP cheese. There is a quick and easy way to check how much lactose is in your cheese by looking at the nutrition panel on the cheese label. The sugar in cheese is lactose – this means the lower the amount of sugar, the less lactose the cheese contains. This trick only works for cheese, as other lactose-containing products like milk or yoghurt can have added sugar.
From the table below it appears that the Monash University Low FODMAP App recommends cheese serving sizes that contain less than 1g of lactose per serve. This means when reading labels look for cheeses that contain 1g or less of lactose per serve.
Low FODMAP Cheese Options & Serving Sizes
Ready to find a delicious cheese to add to your low FODMAP diet? We’ve got you covered with a variety of low FODMAP cheese options. The table below is compiled from information from the Monash University low FODMAP app, as well as the Food Standards Australia New Zealand NUTTAB Database and USDA Natural Nutrient Database.
| Lactose Content of Cheese | ||
|---|---|---|
| Low FODMAP Cheese | Lactose per 100g | Recommended Serving Size |
| Blue Cheese | 0 – 0.5 | Not tested but considered low FODMAP at 40g |
| Camembert Cheese | 0.1g – 0.46 | Low FODMAP serve 40g |
| Cheddar Cheese | 0.1g – 0.48 | Low FODMAP serve 40g |
| Cheshire Cheese | 0.0g | Not tested but considered low FODMAP at 40g |
| Cheese, soft, white, mould coated (brie & camembert) | 0.1g – 0.46g | Low FODMAP serve 40g |
| Colby Cheese | 0.1g – 0.69g | Low FODMAP serve 40g |
| Creamed Cottage Cheese | 1.9g – 2.67g | Low FODMAP serve 40g (2 tablespoons). Some cottage cheese might be lower in lactose than others so check the labels. Larger serves contain moderate FODMAPS. |
| Feta Cheese (cows milk or sheep & cows milk) | 0.1g to 4.09 | Low FODMAP serve 40g (See note below about lactose levels) |
| Pecorino Style Cheese | 0.2g | Low FODMAP serve 40g |
| Swiss Cheese | 0.0g – 0.1g | Low FODMAP serve 40g |
| Havarti | 0.1g | Low FODMAP serve 40g |
| Jack Monterey | 0.1g | Low FODMAP serve 40g |
| Manchego Cheese | 0.1g | Low FODMAP serve 40g |
| Romano Style | 0.2g – 0.73g | Not tested but could be considered low FODMAP |
| Mozzarella Cheese | 0.1g – 1.0g | Low FODMAP serve 40g |
| Parmesan | 0.0 – 0.07 | Not tested but considered low FODMAP. Suggested serve 40g. |
| Moderate FODMAP Cheese | ||
| Edam Cheese | 0.0g – 1.43g | Not tested but depending on the product lactose level and serve it could contain moderate FODMAPs |
| Cream Cheese | 2.5g – 3.76 | Low FODMAP at 2 tablespoons. Moderate FODMAP at 80g |
| Gouda Cheese | 0g – 2.22g | Not tested but depending on the product lactose level and serve it could contain moderate FODMAPs |
| Haloumi | 1.8g | Low FODMAP serve 40g, Moderate FODMAP at 60g |
| Queso Fresco Cheese | 2.98g | Low FODMAP serve 40g, Moderate FODMAP serve 120g |
| Quark cheese (low fat) | 2.9g | Low FODMAP serve 2 tbsp, Moderate FODMAP serve 3 tbsp |
| Ricotta | 0.27 – 2.0g | Low FODMAP 40g, Moderate FODMAP at 120g |
(Data sourced from: NUTTAB Database, 2010; USDA, 2015; Monash App, 2019).
Note on Lactose Content of Feta Cheese
There was one discrepancy in the lactose levels for feta cheese between the USA database and the Australia/New Zealand database. Feta cheese is listed as containing 0.1g lactose per 100g in the Australia/New Zealand database and 4g of carbohydrates (lactose) per 100g in the USDA database. The difference in lactose levels could be due to manufacturing processes. This means it is recommended that you check the nutrition label before purchasing your feta cheese and adjust your portion size as needed.
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Final Thoughts
Dairy products are an important part of a healthy diet and unless you are completely dairy intolerant there is no need to avoid them. While on the low FODMAP diet there are plenty of low FODMAP cheeses to choose from. Try adding them to your favourite salad, low FODMAP pizza, or have a slice of cheese on a rice cracker for a delicious snack.
More Tools to Help
We know that taming your gut symptoms can be challenging but we’re here to help! We can support you through your journey from starting the low FODMAP diet to reintroducing FODMAPs and finding your food freedom in our FODMAP Made Easy programme.
Explore our 1000+ delicious low FODMAP recipes, plan your meals with our weekly meal plans, track your symptoms, and get extensive help for all the stages of the low FODMAP diet through our e-courses. All our resources are dietitian reviewed. So what are you waiting for? Come and join us in the FODMAP Made Easy programme!
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Is Monterey jack cheese low fodmap
Hi Helen,
It looks like Monterey jack cheese only contains 0.5g of sugars per 100g grams. This meant it should be low FODMAP in a 50g serve. I hope that helps!
Can anyone tell me if asadero cheese is Low FODMAP?
Hi Jeff,
We’ve just looked at the nutrition facts for asadero cheese. It looks like there is up to 3g of sugar (potentially lactose) per 100g. This means in the first phase of the low FODMAP diet we would suggest you limit your serve to 30g per meal.
can you comment on reduced fat provolone FODMP content
Hi Howard,
I’ve had a quick look and some brands like this one have 1g or less of sugar per serve: https://www.sargento.com/our-cheese/sliced-cheese/reduced-fat-sliced-cheese/sargento-sliced-reduced-fat-provolone-cheese
This means the cheese should be low FODMAP in a 40g serve. I hope that helps!
Alana, could you confirm which cheeses I can have please?
I am on fodmap diet and also dairy free.
Hi Joan,
The cheeses we recommend in this article are low lactose so suitable for the low FODMAP diet but do contain dairy (cow’s milk). If you need to be dairy free then you will need to look for a vegan cheese instead look for a soy-based one does not include onion, garlic or coconut flour in the ingredients. If you let me know what country you are in I might be able to recommend a brand of vegan cheese that is suitable.
Is velveeta cheese high fodmap or low?
Hi David,
Thanks for commenting. Low FODMAP cheeses have less than 1g of sugar (lactose) per serving. The nutrition label on Velvetta cheeses shows that there is 2g of sugar per serving. This means these cheeses might fall into the moderate or high FODMAP zone depending on the serving size. We would suggest you wait until you have tested your tolerance to lactose before using these products.
I have had reactions to the Cabot Seriously Sharp or Extra Sharp Cheddar (both white cheeses) 3 times in a row. I get constipated and my lower abdomen becomes sore for a couple of days. I have been on the low FODMAP diet for over a year (having no idea how to do more than one phase, I just eliminate everything to keep it simple) and I have been able to eat all cheese with no problem. Is there something different about this type of cheese that is irritating me?
Hi Emily,
I’ve just been looking at the nutrition labels for those cheese. They look like they would only be low FODMAP in 28g serves, so if you have more than that then your serve would have contained more lactose. This might have contributed to your symptoms.
If your symptoms are now settled, then it’s definitely time to start phase two of the low FODMAP diet. We have some more information on that here: https://alittlebityummy.com/testing-fodmaps-how-does-the-reintroduction-phase-work/
Or if you join our FODMAP Wellness Club we can help support you through the next phase of the low FODMAP diet with online courses, recipes and message support. You can find out more here: https://alittlebityummy.com/join-our-low-fodmap-club/
Is provolone cheese Low FODMAP? Also are these ingredients ok? INGREDIENTS: PASTEURIZED MILK, SALT, ANIMAL RENNET, CHEESE CULTURES. CONTAINS MILK.
Hi Leon,
Thanks for leaving a comment. Okay on your cheese does it say how many grams of sugar there is per 100g?
If there is 1g or less of sugar per 100g then the cheese is considered low FODMAP and you should be able to enjoy it in a 40g serve.
is Raclette cheese a fodmap low cheese?
Hi Chris,
That is a great question. I’ve been doing some research for you and it looks like raclette cheese contains less than 1 gram of super per 100g. This means that is should be low FODMAP in a 60g serve. We would suggest you try that serving size and see how you go.
Is Cheese Whiz considered low fodmap? I love it on my celery!
Hi Erin,
Thanks for commenting. We’ve just been looking into Cheese Whiz products for you and it looks like they are potentially high FODMAP for lactose. That means we would suggest avoiding the product for a few weeks until you see if your symptoms settle. Then you can test your tolerance to the product after you’ve done your lactose challenge. We hope that helps!
Is goats cheese low FODMAP
Hi Jane,
Small serves of goat cheese can be low FODMAP. Just check the nutrition label if there is 1g of sugar or less per 100g then you should be okay to have a 40g serve. We hope that helps.
Can one assume these guidelines apply to IBS sufferers even if they’ve tested negative for lactose intolerance? That describes me.
Hi Anthony,
In general the only FODMAP cheese contains is lactose. That means if you know you tolerate lactose well then you don’t need to worry about the type of cheese you eat or the serving size.
what about goat cheese? Apologies if it was listed somewhere
Hi Jackie,
The lactose content of the goat’s cheese will most likely vary depending on how the cheese is made. We know that plain chevre goat cheese is low FODMAP but there are lots of other types of goat cheese. What we suggest you do is check the nutritional label on the cheese you want to try. The sugar in cheese is lactose – this means the lower the amount of sugar, the less lactose the cheese contains. This means when reading labels look for cheeses that contain 1g or less of lactose per serve.
Thanks for the logic behind “which cheese”. Very helpful to have a chance of reasoning this out.
But either there’s an error in your in your table or (more likely) I just don’t get it: You consistently recommend larger servings for moderate FODMAP cheese, than you do for low.
Wouldn’t “low” be easier to tolerate in larger quantity than “moderate”?
For example:
“Low FODMAP serve 2 tbsp, Moderate FODMAP serve 3 tbsp”
Hi Brighton,
Thanks for commenting. Okay so the serving sizes in the table work like this:
1. Low FODMAP serving size will have very low amounts of lactose and can be enjoyed during the first phase of the low FODMAP diet. Just remember that FODMAP ratings are serving size dependant so the larger your serve the more FODMAPs might be in it.
2. Moderate FODMAP serving size will contain moderate amounts of lactose and that serving size should be limited (or avoided) during the first phase of the low FODMAP diet until you are ready to test your tolerance to lactose.
Just remember that the low FODMAP diet isn’t a lifetime diet and after 2 to 4 weeks you can come back and test your tolerance to lactose-containing dairy products.
Does that help?
Hi, do you know if Babybels are okay on a low fodmap diet? I am getting mixed reviews. Thanks!
Hi Hannah,
According to the Babybel website (www.babybel.co.uk) 100g of any of the Babybel cheese has less than 0.01g of carbohydrate/sugars this means they are super low in lactose and meet low FODMAP criteria. This means you can enjoy them in the first phase of the low FODMAP diet.
Any idea about Kashkaval? I am from the Middle East — Beirut, Lebanon — and my favorite is the strong sheep kashkaval. How do i find out how much lactose is in it?
Hi Nazha,
Thanks for commenting. We don’t have any nutrition data on Kashkaval cheese. What we would recommend you do is find out how many grams of sugar is in the cheese per 100g serving. If it is 1 gram or less per 100g of cheese then the cheese should be low FODMAP in a 40g serving size. We hope that helps.
Hello I am feeling pretty dreadful after eating low lactose halloumi, I thought that it was low lactose would mean it would be fine – I cant really understand this – could it be the brine or the dried mint (I did wash it before I cooked it!)
Hi Tracy,
We are sorry to hear that. We have a few questions for you to help you figure out what is going on:
1. How much halloumi did you eat? It’s only low lactose in 40g (1.4oz) servings – larger serves will contain more lactose.
2. How quickly did you get symptoms after eating it?
3. Has the rest of the food you’ve eaten over the last 12 to 24 hours been low FODMAP?
4. How were your stress and anxiety levels on the day you ate the halloumi?
5. Do you tolerate lactose free milk without symptoms?
Let us know and we can go from there. Feel free to respond via email ([email protected]) instead of a comment.