What flours are low FODMAP?
In this blog, I want to talk about low FODMAP flours. These days there is a wide variation of gluten-free and low FODMAP flours available, so luckily there is enough to choose from for us. One thing to note is that gluten-free does not always mean something is low FODMAP too. Next week I will share a blog that gives more information about this.
Spelt flour is a flour kind that leads to a lot of confusion on the low FODMAP diet but spelt flour is not low FODMAP. For more information, you can read this blog.
Corn flour
A large part of the gluten-free flour mixes that are available contain corn flour. Corn flour is low FODMAP and polenta, which is made from corn flour, is low FODMAP too. Monash University says that a serve of 100 gram (2/3 cup) corn flour is low FODMAP. A safe serving of polenta is 255 gram cooked polenta.
Corn starch
Just like corn flour, corn starch is low FODMAP too. Corn starch is often added to gluten-free flour mixes. Also for corn starch, a serving of 100 gram (2/3 cup) is low FODMAP.
Rice flour
Rice flour is another kind of flour that is often used in gluten-free flour mixes. Often in combination with corn flour and/or corn starch. A serving of 100 gram (2/3 cup) corn flour is low FODMAP.
Oat flour
Oat flour is made of ground oats. Personally, this is one of my favourite low FODMAP flours because it is relatively cheap and very versatile. The recommended serving size for oats is 60 gram per serving (1/2 cup uncooked) and because oat flour is made of ground oats the recommended serving size for oat flour is the same.
Buckwheat flour
Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free and is also low FODMAP. A serving of 100 gram (2/3 cup) buckwheat flour is low FODMAP.
Millet
Millet is naturally gluten-free and millet flour is too. A serving of 100 gram (2/3 cup) millet flour is low FODMAP.
Teff flour
Teff is an ancient grain that is naturally gluten-free. A serving of 100 gram (2/3 cup) teff flour is low FODMAP.
Quinoa flour
Quinoa flour is made of ground quinoa seeds. A serving of 100 gram (2/3 cup) quinoa flour is low FODMAP.
Almond flour
Almond flour is flour made of ground almonds. Almond flour is low FODMAP up to a limited amount. 24 gram (1/4 cup) almond flour per serving is low FODMAP.
Yam flour
Yam flour is not something you usually buy separately, but it is often added to gluten-free flour mixes. Yam flour is made of the yam, which is a root vegetable. A serving of 100 gram (2/3 cup) yam flour is low FODMAP.
Sorghum flour
Also, sorghum flour is a flour kind that is often added to gluten-free flour mixes. A serving of 100 gram (2/3 cup) sorghum flour is low FODMAP.
Tapioca flour
Tapioca flour is flour made from the cassava root. It is often used in Asian cuisine and is also often added to gluten-free flour mixes. Tapioca flour is low FODMAP up to 100 gram (2/3 cup) per serving.
Which flours are high FODMAP?
The following flours are high in FODMAPs and should be avoided:
- Wheat
- Rye
- Spelt (read this blog for more information about spelt)
- Lupin (this kind of flour is often added to gluten-free flour mixes, therefore it is important to always read the ingredients list before you buy a gluten-free flour)
- Emmer and einkorn flour (these are two ancient flour kinds)
- Amarant
- Kamut
- Barley
Finally, there is soy flour and coconut flour. These two flours have not been tested yet by Monash University, but they have been tested by FODMAP Friendly. FODMAP Friendly is an Australian certification program for low FODMAP products and they test products for their level of FODMAPs, just as Monash University does. In their app they state that coconut flour is high in FODMAPs because of a high amount of sorbitol. Next to that their testing results have also shown that soy flour is high in FODMAPs. Therefore these two flours should be avoided too.
I hope I have made the different kinds of flours that you can use on the low FODMAP diet a bit more clear! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below. What are you favourite low FODMAP flours to use?
Sources used for this article:
Monash University App, 2017
FODMAP Friendly App, 2017
Is soy flour FODMAP friendly – FODMAP Friendly, 2016
17 Comments
This is useful, Karlijn. I knew almond flour was potentially high FODMAP, but I didn’t realize it could be tolerated up to a quarter cup–that puts a few more potential recipes on the table. I also knew that Monash hadn’t tested coconut flour, but I didn’t realize that FODMAP friendly had tested it. Thanks so much for this really useful post!
You’re welcome 🙂 Now and then new information comes up that you didn’t realize was there yet! I have it too sometimes when I am checking the app. I use almond flour sometimes too, in banana bread for example. When you use 150 g for an entire loaf, one slice usually contains far less than a quarter cup.
Is store-bought Lemon curd such as Dickinson’s brand, low FODMAP?
That depends on what the ingredients are. What is in it?
So can i eat Enjoy life double brownie cookies if i eat only one?? They have either apple, grape or pear juice. Only grape is.ok and they have date paste in them. All other ingredients are ok. It seems confusing when they say small amounts??
Do u possibly know if plain goat whey protein with no added sugar is low fodmap?
Thank you
I wouldn’t risk that. Apple or pear juice is high in FODMAPs, so is date paste. Especially if you are still in the beginning phase of the diet. If you know your triggers, you can estimate better how your reaction would be on these brownies and then you could test them.
I am not familiar with goat whey protein, so unfortunately I cannot give you any advice on this.
Is gram flour included in low food map?hat If not then what is the minimum amount that can be can be considered safe?
It has not been tested yet, but chickpeas are only limited low FODMAP (canned chickpeas are low FODMAP up to 42 gram per serving), so I expect that if it is low FODMAP it will be only in a really small amount.
Thank for the info. Can you please let me know if Ragi and Jowar flour is low FODMAP?
These flours have not been tested I am afraid. The flours that I mention here can be found in the Monash app and that’s where you will find updates when new flours have been tested.
Not been tested? you mentioned sorghum flour being low fodmap. Do you not realize jowar flour and sorghum flour are the same?
Hi Brian, I am not sure if you realised but your comment doesn’t sound very friendly. Here in the Netherlands sorghum flour is not a commonly used flour and I was not aware of those two being the same.
What a rude thing to do to try to trap the OP. She is posting in the interest of being helpful to people and has been clear as to the source of her information. Everyone dealing with these diet restrictions is doing their best with a difficult situation and can do without this type of bullying, I’d say.
In sourdough the ingredients are made with wheat flour and malted barley flour.
At the end of all the ingredients it says contains bioengineered food ingredients.
Not use if this is good for a low fodmap diet. Thank you,
Really appreciate all this information!
Hi Karlijn, do you know if hemp flour and apple flour are Low FODMAP?
I don’t think these flours have been tested. Hemp is low FODMAP in servings of 20 grams (at least 20 grams, but Monash University doesn’t give information about larger servings). So maybe hemp flour is low FODMAP too in small servings. Apples are not low FODMAP, so I would assume apple flour is not either.