Can Cereal Be Low FODMAP? Your Guide to Breakfast Cereals on a Low FODMAP Diet

Yes, there are many cereals that you can enjoy when following the low FODMAP diet. Your low FODMAP breakfasts can be just as enjoyable as they have always been. Cereal can absolutely be part of your morning (or afternoon snack) routine, even when managing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or digestive sensitivities.

Choosing the right cereals is essential, so here’s a helpful guide to navigating your breakfast choices while keeping symptoms in check. There are dozens of low FODMAP cereals waiting for you! You can find many of them in our downloadable supermarket low FODMAP shopping lists!

What Are FODMAPs?

FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligo-saccharides, Di-saccharides, Mono-saccharides, and polyols. These short-chain carbohydrates can be poorly absorbed in the small intestine, leading to bloating, gas, and other digestive discomforts.

Read more here: What Are FODMAPs?

The key is to find cereal options that adhere to the low FODMAP diet for IBS.

Swap Like For Like

One of the best tips from our Monash-trained dietitians is to think about swapping like for like. In other words, have you been eating granola for breakfast? There are low FODMAP granola choices! More of a Cheerios person, or Corn Flake fan? There are servings of all these cereals, and many more, that are considered low FODMAP.

Start With Certified, Lab-Tested Cereals

Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly lab tests products for FODMAP content, including cereals. Their lab tested products will have one of the icons above on the package.

Everyone following the low FODMAP diet should have both the Monash University and FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps; you can look up cereals in a flash! Serving sizes are within the apps.

Here are just a few highlights from the cereal aisle:

• Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Frosted Flakes, Cocoa Krispies, and Special K
• Carman’s Original Fruit Free Muesli
• Freedom Foods Cranberry & Buckwheat Flakes
• Sanitarium Weet-Bix
• Food for Health Caramelised Apple Crumble Granola
• Coles Rice Puffs
• Blissful Double Chocolate Protein Porridge
• Uncle Toby’s Traditional Oats and Quick Oats
• Gut Feelings PB & J Oat Bowl, prepared meal

NOTE: Quaker Oats used to have eight products certified by Monash University, but they have dropped their certification. This does not mean that their products are no longer low FODMAP; they are. You can read more in, Explore An Ingredient: Oats & Oatmeal.

Does Low FODMAP Cereal Have To Be Gluten-Free?

The low FODMAP diet is not gluten-free. You can read more in our article, The Low FODMAP Diet is Not a Gluten-Free Diet. The confusion stems from the fact that wheat, rye, and barley (common gluten containing grains) also contain fructans, which are a FODMAP. But as with everything with the diet, portions count. About 25 to 20 g of wheat is low FODMAP.

Are Cheerios Low FODMAP?

There are several kinds of Cheerios, for instance, and their formulations also vary depending on country of origin. 

The original version of Cheerios available in the US, with this ingredient label, is considered appropriate for the Elimination Phase of the low FODMAP diet: Whole Grain Oats, Corn Starch, Sugar, Salt, Tripotassium Phosphate. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness. Vitamins and Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Iron and Zinc (mineral nutrients), Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), A B Vitamin (niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), Vitamin A (palmitate), Vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate), A B Vitamin (folic acid), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3.

Note that Cheerios in the UK contain large amounts of oats, wheat, and barley, and are not considered appropriate for the Elimination Phase of the low FODMAP diet. Always read labels.

Caveat: Serving Sizes Count!

Always remember that the diet is “low”, not “no” FODMAP. The diet is very serving size dependent. Please review our article, What Is A Low FODMAP Serving Size? Portion sizes are the amount you eat. In other words, once you determine a cereal to be low FODMAP, you don’t just pour an arbitrary amount into a bowl; you determine the appropriate low FODMAP portion size. Those UK Cheerios have larger amounts of high FODMAP wheat and barley, but that is the key: amounts!

For instance, if you see molasses, honey or agave listed on a cereal label, but the sugars on the Nutritional Panel are less than 5 g, you could try the product; it very well might pass a low FODMAP certification in lab testing (assuming other ingredients are low FODMAP as well).

Which Cereals Can You Eat with IBS?

There is a distinction between foods that are definitively low FODMAP (either naturally, like pure proteins and fats, or that have been lab tested and certified), and those that are likely low FODMAP due to ingredients.

If FODMAPs are your issue, consider looking for the following:

• Rice-based cereals, such as cream of rice, and Rice Chex
• Oats and oatmeal, such as rolled oats, and quick oats
• Corn-based cereals, such as corn grits, and Corn Flakes
• Quinoa flakes, such as Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes
• Buckwheat, such as Pocono Cream of Buckwheat, and Arrowhead Organic Maple Buckwheat Flakes 
• Millet and millet flakes
• Puffed amaranth

Other Common Low FODMAP Ingredients

All of these common cereal ingredients have low FODMAP serving sizes:

• Sweeteners: Sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, maple syrup, golden syrup, rice malt syrup. Read more in our article, Explore and Ingredient: Sugar & Sweeteners, for more information.
• Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts
• Seeds: Chia, sunflower, pumpkin, and flax seeds 
• Vanilla and other extracts
• Cocoa
• Cinnamon and other spices
• Vitamins, minerals, and preservatives

Common FODMAP Triggers In Cereals

During Elimination it is best to avoid cereals that contain:

• Fructose or high fructose corn syrup
• Sorbitol and mannitol
• Chicory root or inulin
• Added “fibers”
• Lactose
• Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)

Are Natural Flavors A Problem When Following A Low FODMAP Diet?

“Natural flavor” is often listed as an ingredient on breakfast cereal labels. Determining whether they are low FODMAP is tricky, and sometimes impossible. Contacting cereal manufacturers will not necessarily provide answers. This is because flavorings are purchased by the manufacturers from third-party flavoring companies, and the contents of the flavoring is proprietary information to that company, often not disclosed to the cereal manufacturer.

For more details on whether natural flavors contain high FODMAP ingredients, be sure to read How To Decipher “Natural Flavors” & “Spices” on Food Labels for the Low FODMAP Diet, where you find information pertinent to the US, Canada, UK and Australia.

In brief, natural flavors, being the last ingredient listed, or one of the last, are usually in such small amounts that they do not typically trigger IBS symptoms.

Artificial flavors are never a FODMAP issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

How To Choose Low FODMAP Cereal

Here is our at-a-glance approach:

• Look at main ingredients (listed first) and stick with low FODMAP options
• Check for common high FODMAP ingredients (like chicory root, wheat as main ingredients)
• Stick with small to moderate serving sizes.
• Choose appropriate dairy milk or yogurt, such as lactose-free cow’s milk, or lactose-free cow’s milk yogurt.
• Or, use a non-dairy alternative like almond milk, hemp milk, oat milk, macandamia milk, coconut milk, quinoa milk, soy protein based milk, or similar yogurt.
• Consider adding appropriate servings of low FODMAP fruits, like blueberries strawberries, bananas, and raspberries.
• Low FODMAP nuts can be included; check your smartphone apps for serving sizes of walnuts, pecans, peanuts, and macadamias, for instance.

Final Thoughts

Navigating cereals on a low FODMAP diet can be accomplished with a bit of care. Choose cereals and grains thoughtfully, monitor your serving sizes, be aware of additional ingredients, and you’ll find plenty of delicious, symptom-friendly breakfast options available to you.