Can I Eat Apples on The Low FODMAP Diet?
Great questions! And the answer is, YES, you can eat apples on the low FODMAP diet. Monash University is constantly testing and re-testing foods and in the August 2018 update they have now provided a low FODMAP/Green Light portion of 20 grams for either Pink Lady Apples or green Granny Smith apples.
This is approximately a generous 2 tablespoons of finely diced apple, if measuring by volume.
Let’s See How Much We Can Eat!
The images on this page are showing you the amount of apple that is OK to eat! Of course you always have to listen to your own digestive reaction, but these serving sizes are a good place to start.
Dices & Slices
The dish in the middle above contains 20 g of diced apples. This amount could be added to oatmeal, granola or yogurt, or, multiplied up by serving size, diced apples could be added to quick breads, muffins, scones or even savory dishes like our Apple & Walnut Charoset or our Low FODMAP Curried Chicken Salad.
The slices of apple on the left are a little thicker; the slices on the right a little thinner, so you can have 2 or 3 slices.
Apples & Peanut Butter = The Perfect Low FODMAP Snack
Below you can see 3 approved slices with schmears of peanut butter; almond butter is great, too!
The wedge to the right of the peanut butter covered slices is 20 grams as well.
The image below gives some perspective, showing my hand holding the 20 gram wedge of apple.
Get a Digital Scale
While following the low FODMAP diet it is incredibly helpful (we actually believe necessary) to own a digital scale. Serving sizes for raw ingredients are often represented in grams or ounces and you must use a scale to truly know what the acceptable amount is.
Our photos are an attempt to help you see what the serving sizes are.
We use an OXO Digital Scale in the Test Kitchen and find it to be well made, well priced and intuitive to use.
Can I Drink Apple Juice or Cider?
Apple cider has not been lab tested. Reconstituted apple juice has been tested and is high FODMAP even at 100 ml or 105 g, with both fructose and sorbitol.
Extrapolations can be made for fresh cider and juice – but extrapolating about FODMAPs can steer us wrong, so be careful when you apply them. All you have to do is look at winter squashes (not the same), peppers (not the same), cabbages (not the same), etc.
But let’s look at the likelihood. Apples are rich in fructose and sorbitol. Reconstituted apple juice has shown similar. I would expect cider to be similarly high or probably higher as it is not as filtered as juice.
It is true that we do not know about smaller amounts, as Monash has not tested them. In order words, if you used ½ cup (120 ml) in a recipe but then the recipe was divided into 4 servings, would that be low FODMAP? We don’t know.
Personally, I would not use during Elimination. Check with your RD and put it on the list to try during your Challenge Phase.
Low, Moderate, High FODMAPs
As with many foods, there will be servings that are low FODMAP, in this case 20 grams (as shown on this page), Moderate in FODMAPs at 28 grams (moderate in polyols) and one apple at 200 grams is considered high FODMAP (high in polyols and fructose).
Note that the line between Low and Moderate FODMAPS is very close. You need a scale to differentiate between Low at 20 grams and Moderate at 28 grams.
You may want to read: What are Polyols? Learn all about the “P” in FODMAP!
An Apple a Day?
You know the old saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Well, we cannot eat a whole apple, unless our digestive system tolerates polyols and fructose very well, but we CAN have a few slices and that opens up a whole world of ways to enjoy this fabulous, fiber packed fruit.
Im new to the fodmap diet.can anyone please give a link to a low fodmap list of foods that are also low in acid. I have dyspepsia and its very challenging with having to learn so much now to advoide naucia. Thank you so much
Hi Emily, this is the kind of question that is best addressed with a medical professional, such as a Registered Dietitian (RD or RDN), preferably one trained in FODMAPs. We do not offer medical advice and I have to say I have never seen a list of low FODMAP/low acid foods in particular. Consult your doctor or RD for a list of low acid lists that they approve for you and then cross-reference this with our lists and also the foods on the Monash University app. Yes, this diet takes work, but it is so worth it when you get a handle on your health! Take your time and look around the site. I am sure you will find many resources to help you.
Hello Dédé. About apples, is there any difference with or without the peel? Thanks in advance.
Cecelia, we highly recommend that you download the Monash university smart phone app. He will have this information at your fingertips. At the low and high levels they found no distinction between peeled in on peeled apples. For the moderate levels they have the tiniest bit of discrepancy. Of course this doesn’t make much sense but it is what the lab testing has told us. Again if you can take a look at the app it will make much more sense visually but the short answer is there is no difference.
Is it better if they are cooked.
Hi Annette, Monash has only tested apples raw. In general cooking will not affect the FODMAP load. One curious fact about the apples that they did test was that the FODMAP load did not vary whether they were peeled or not. Fun fact of the day! Ultimately what counts is how you tolerate them, so if you are an apple fan, certainly work them into your Challenge Phase to determine your personal reaction to them and in what amounts and frequency of ingestion.
Hi, do you think that apple pieces in tea would make the tea high fodmap? what about chicory root?
Chicory root is high FODMAP. If you mean can you take
a low FODMAP amount of apples
and steep them in your tea, yes you can. If you mean can you use a tea with dried apple pieces, then that is an unknown.
I can’t tolerate even a small bit of apple hidden in anything and I am in pain.
This is not unheard of. Just because something – anything – is low FODMAP, doesn’t guarantee that you will not trigger symptoms. This is exactly what we each discover during the Challenge phase. Everyone will come out with a unique FODMAP roadmap.