UPDATED February 3, 2020
If you are wondering which legumes and nuts are low FODMAP you have come to the right place. Below I have included a list of LOW, MODERATE and HIGH FODMAP legumes and nuts. You’ll find that most legumes are HIGH in FODMAPs, but there are still some you can enjoy. Just stick to the recommended low FODMAP serving sizes.
In order to protect our immune system and reap the benefits of much-needed nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals, it’s important to include legumes in your diet along with vegetables and fruits.
Certain nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals can help lessen the damage done to our bodies by chemical pollutants, radiation hazards, free-radical damage, bacteria, viruses, the use of alcohol or nicotine, pharmaceutical drugs, and even stress. I could list the benefits of legumes, nuts, veggies, and fruits all day, but for now, let’s get you educated on legumes and nuts for the low FODMAP diet.
Legumes for the low-FODMAP diet
The following serving sizes are recommended by Monash University. Below, if you see a HIGH rating it means that you are to avoid that food. Otherwise “safe” servings have been listed next to the legume foods below. Additional tips are listed.
If there’s a legume you are looking for (examples: fava beans, mung beans or adzuki beans) and you do not see it in the list below it’s because they have not been analyzed by Monash University. So whenever that’s the case, you have two options – you can play it safe and avoid the food entirely OR you can try a small amount and see how you do. Remember to always record all food and drinks consumed and any symptoms in your Food & Symptom Diary.
The reason why I give the suggestion for trying a little yourself is that everyone is different in how their bodies acknowledge FODMAPs, and what might bother someone else, may not bother you. So if you must try a food, it’s very important though to start small and keep a record in your diary.
Which are the best serving sizes for legumes on a low FODMAP diet?
Low FODMAP Tips:
- Canned legumes/pulses have lower FODMAP content because the water-soluble Oligos-GOS and fructans leach out of the bean and into the water or brine solution in the can. *Be sure to drain and rinse before consuming canned lentils or chickpeas.
- Anything in BOLD below means it is to be completely AVOIDED during the Elimination Phase of the diet. When you move on to the Challenge Phase you should also avoid these same foods unless you are using them for a challenge. Anything not in BOLD, I have included the low FODMAP and moderate FODMAP servings. Dieitians recommend to consume some foods moderate in FODMAPs, but in moderation of course!
Beans
- Baked Beans – HIGH -only 2 teaspoons is LOW
- Borlotti beans, canned – HIGH
- Broad beans – HIGH
- Butter beans, canned – 1/4 cup is LOW, 3 tablespoons is MODERATE *Be sure to drain and rinse before consuming.
- Haricot beans, boiled -HIGH
- Lima beans, boiled – 1/4 cup is LOW, 1/3 cup is MODERATE
- Four bean mixed, canned – HIGH
- Red kidney beans, boiled – HIGH
- Edamame (frozen soybeans) – 1/2 cup is LOW, 1 1/4 cup is MODERATE
- Soya beans, boiled – HIGH
- Bean sprouts – 3/4 cup – LOW
- Green beans – 15 beans – LOW. 25 beans MODERATE, 35 beans HIGH
- Lentils, canned – 1/2 cup – LOW *Be sure to drain and rinse before consuming.
- Lentils, green, boiled – 1/4 cup – LOW, 1/2 cup has MODERATE
- Lentils, red, boiled – 1/4 cup – LOW, 1/2 cup has MODERATE
- Lentil burger – HIGH
Tofu
- Firm tofu, drained – 2/3 cup LOW
- Silken tofu – HIGH
Peas
- Chickpeas, canned – 1/4 cup LOW, 1/2 cup MODERATE. *Be sure to drain and rinse before consuming.
- Snow peas – 5 pods – LOW, 7 pods MODERATE, 22 pods HIGH.
- Sugar snap peas – 4 pods – LOW, 7 pods MODERATE, 25 pods HIGH.
- Thawed peas – 1 tablespoon LOW, 1/8 cup MODERATE, 1/2 cup HIGH.
- Split peas, boiled – HIGH
Nuts, Tree Nuts
- Almonds – 10 nuts LOW, 20 nuts HIGH
- Cashews – HIGH
- Cashews, activated – 10 nuts LOW, 20 nuts HIGH
- Hazelnuts – 10 nuts LOW, 20 nuts MODERATE
- Pistachios – HIGH
- Pistachios, activated -HIGH
- Mixed nuts – 18 assorted nuts LOW. Depending on the nuts used, large servings of mixed nuts may contain Oligos-GOS and fructans.
- Peanuts (classified as a legume) 32 nuts LOW
- Pine nuts – 1 tablespoon LOW. Larger servings (8 Tbsp/100 grams) contains HIGH amounts of the Oligos-fructans and intake should be avoided.
- Walnuts – 10 nut halves LOW.Larger servings (35 nut halves/135 grams) contains MODERATE amounts of the Oligos-fructans and intake should be limited.
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Reblogged this on Home of the Heaton's and commented:
For all of my low-FODMAPer friends out there this article has a great list of legumes! She is laid out the good and the bad, the high in the low, and even explains the difference between fresh and canned in some instances. I found it very informative and wanted to share.
God bless,
Hi Colleen, I eat almonds but only prob 10-12 at most and always eat only half serving of walnuts per day which does indeed only add up to 10 . Anyways, if eating more than 10 almonds are high then what about almond milk?? Does that cause big issues? It is on the list! Or does fructans get taken out in process of making the milk. Thanks! Hope to see reply. Very curious to know! Thanks again..
Jen
Hi Jen, Almond milk is low in FODMAPs probably because when almond is made by some leading manufacturers, the almonds themselves only make up 2% of the milk (see article here: http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Regulation/Almond-milk-only-contains-2-almonds-claims-lawsuit-v-Blue-Diamond/?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=22-Jul-2015&c=vKuGflyMHAoOf2i2%2FeVC%2FQk9DtXbqc%2Fk&p2=). It’s the rest of the ingredients that make up most of the almond milk (like water, sugar, sunflower lecithin, different gums, carrageenan etc.). According to Monash University almond milk is low FODMAP and safe to have in up to 250ml (1 cup).
wish someone would reply to Jen…I would like to know also.
Thanks for reminding me! I’ve answered the question. Hope you have a great weekend. ~Colleen
You state that butter beans are high FODMAPs but you failed to say WHAT ones they are. Not all people can eat a low Fodmap diet without issues; in fact, a low Fodmap diet has nearly killed me twice because I am intolerant to Fructose, Fructans, Polyols and Galactans (GOS) and that is what I was suppose to eat. I bloat so much that the wind/gas starts to squash my lungs and my heart making it impossible to breath and move. I have been rushed to hospital twice with chest pains that went once I had discharged the offending wind/gas.
Why can’t you dieticians and food experts name the offending Fodmap, even if it only in a small amount. Gluten Free products are high in carbs and therefore are not suitable for Diabetics who have to watch their carbs.
I get very frustrated when I have to look for food to eat and can only find a “High” or “Low” rating but not what the actual Fodmap is. How am I supposed to eat when I don’t know what is safe to eat. Also not all foods should be tagged under the same grouping. Mushrooms can be divided into two groups. Normal mushrooms (Brown, White and Swiss) are out due to Polyols but Gourmet mushrooms (Shiitake, Enoki, Oyster and King Oyster) have very little to nil Polyols in them and are safe to eat.
Thanking you
Joan
Hi Joan, I am so sorry you do not feel well and I do wish that you can find out what is bothering you. If you’ve been following my blog you would know that I have told my readers (and there are studies you can lookup online as well) that the low-FODMAP diet does not work for everyone; around 70% of people find relief.
There are some people that can try the low-FODMAP diet and have minimal issues, and others who may have a lot of issues but then begin to feel better as they negate low-FODMAPs from their diet. It’s not a magical cure and it surely does not happen overnight.
As you start to follow the diet under the guidance of a trained FODMAP nutritionist, that’s when you’ll learn about the different FODMAP groups and which foods fall under which FODMAPs. If you know beans cause you issues, then you are already a step ahead.
Butter beans (a 1/2 cup canned) are high in the FODMAPs Oligos-GOS. A moderate serving is 3 tablespoons and a low serving is a 1/4 cup. You can look up all of that information on the Monash University app, and there you will also learn that baked beans can also be high in Oligos-GOS and fructans as well as excess fructose. You can find more information on the app I mentioned for black beans, borlotti beans, broad beans and more. If you are in pain please see your physician.
Best,
Colleen
Are runner beans high or low fodmap ?
I believe they are in the green bean category so they should be OK, however, I’ve not seen “runner beans” tested and analyzed for FODMAPs
I am suspecting they are high having eaten some in last couple of days and suffering with nothing else a possible offending item!!
Are pinto beans low or high formap?
HIGH
Hi Colleen,
I just found your site. You mentioned an
app regarding black beans, but I can’t find
it. I know that Allison Siebecker has a Sibo
Diet list that allows black beans, but doesn’t
allow garbanzo beans. Any updates on the
different beans? I hoped to use Bob’s Mill
All Purpose Flour that uses beans (mostly
garbanzo, but some others). I’d use it only
occasionally. I guess there are variations
in who tolerates which beans and how much.
I’m unsure if I have Sibo or IBS.
Hi Barbara, When it comes to apps I use Monash University’s FODMAP app or the FODMAP Friendly FODMAP app. Black beans are a no-no on the low-FODMAP diet, but you can have mung beans or other legumes like canned lentils (1/2 cup) or canned chickpeas (1/4 cup) – both need to be drained and rinsed before consuming.
I’m surprised that peanuts are listed under nuts. Peanuts are a legume.
They are certainly legumes but are listed that way as I find most people put them in the category of nuts.
Do you find that you still have to figure out personal tolerances quite a bit with these? I ate 1/4 cup or less canned chickpeas last night and had a horrible time. Similarly, I find that peanuts are one of my very worst offenders.
Absolutely. The foods listed for the diet are meant to be a guide for you. Some people have trouble even when a low-FODMAP food is listed as low no matter what, or it could also be classified as a gut irritant (coffee, some low-FODMAP cruciferous vegetables, low-FODMAP alcohol, low-FODMAP spices) or if a food is low but still comes with an upper limit serving (a.k.a FODMAP stacking). Since chickpeas already come with a moderate and high-FODMAP rating, I am not surprised why you might have had an issue. I personally can only tolerate them in small amounts, which is a shame as I love hummus and putting them in salads, in wraps, etc. So be sure to keep track of everything with your Food & Symptom Diary so you can pinpoint which foods and servings might be triggers.
How can I get enough daily fibre on a low fodmap diet
Hi Clare, I have a new course for the low-FODMAP diet and I talk at length about fiber: https://fodmap-life.teachable.com/p/low-fodmap-diet-beginners-course A good rule of thumb is to add in low-FODMAP sources of fiber a couple grams at a time to your tolerance and over a span of a couple weeks.