Apple

High FODMAP

Tested serving

1 fruit (165g) High

Excess Fructose Sorbitol

Apple is High FODMAP at 1 fruit (165g), driven by both Excess Fructose and Sorbitol.

Apples naturally carry Excess Fructose, meaning they hold more fructose than glucose, which can be tricky for the gut to absorb, at this tested serving of 1 fruit (165g).
They also contain Sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that adds to the overall load, so a whole apple stacks two FODMAP sources together.

If you're craving that fresh crunch, a smaller amount or a naturally lower-FODMAP fruit like a firm banana or a few strawberries can hit the spot.

Per 1 fruit (165g): 0.81g excess fructose, 1.37g sorbitol.

Why apple is rated high

Apple is high FODMAP at 1 fruit (165g), and it is high for two reasons at once. It carries excess fructose, meaning it holds more fructose than glucose, and the leftover fructose has no glucose to travel with. It also carries sorbitol. One fruit brings both subgroups to the same meal. The published data for apple has a single rung, 1 fruit (165g), and that rung is high, so there is no tested serving of apple that comes in lower and no published portion to aim at instead.

What changes your risk

No smaller tested serving exists The ladder for apple has one rung, 1 fruit (165g), and it is high. Nothing published says a smaller apple or a few slices comes in lower, so cutting the fruit down is not a tested way to bring it into range.
Juice and cider run higher Juicing squeezes several apples into one glass and leaves the fibre behind, so apple juice concentrates the fructose and sorbitol rather than diluting them. Apple juice concentrate is also a quiet sweetener in cereal bars, dried fruit mixes, sauces and drinks labelled as having no added sugar, so the label is worth reading even when apple is not the point of the product.
Dried apple Drying removes the water and concentrates everything left behind, so dried apple rings and apple pieces in muesli carry the fructose and sorbitol of far more fresh fruit in far less food.
Cooking does not break it down Heat does not destroy FODMAPs, so stewed, baked and roasted apple hold the same fructose and sorbitol the raw fruit held. Both are water soluble, so some can pass into poaching liquid, but the syrup in a can or a compote carries it straight back onto the plate, and no cooked or canned serving of apple has a published level.
Stacking the same subgroups Sorbitol also comes from apricot, blackberry, plum, peach, nectarine and pear, and from sugar-free gum and mints. Excess fructose also comes from honey, high fructose corn syrup, mango and watermelon. Apple is already carrying both, so it is an easy fruit to double up on without noticing.

Swaps

For the fresh crunch and the lunchbox role, carrot sticks, cucumber, bell pepper strips and green beans do the job, and for sweetness, strawberries, oranges, mandarins, grapes, kiwi, pineapple, blueberries and cantaloupe are all low FODMAP. In baking, change the fruit rather than the recipe: a strawberry and blueberry crumble or a raspberry tart fills the same place as an apple crumble, and sweeten with maple syrup, table sugar or rice malt syrup rather than honey or agave, both of which bring excess fructose back. What will not work is a swap that shares apple's subgroups: pear, watermelon and mango are not gentler, and apricot, blackberry, peach, plum, nectarine and cherry simply trade the fructose problem for the same sorbitol one. There is no low FODMAP fruit that cooks down into something identical to apple sauce, so for pork or roast dinners a citrus or pineapple based sauce is the more honest move than a lookalike.

How to lower the load

Apple hides in more than the fruit bowl. Scan labels for apple juice concentrate in bars, granola, dried fruit blends, chutneys, barbecue sauces and drinks, and check the ingredient list on cider and on anything sold as pure fruit. Eating out, the usual ambushes are coleslaw and shaved salads, waldorf-style sides, cheese boards, overnight oats and porridge toppings, so it is worth asking for those without apple. At home, if other people in the house eat apples, keep them out of shared containers of cut fruit and trail mix, since apple pieces are hard to pick around once they are in the mix.

Common questions

is apple low fodmap

No. The only tested serving, 1 fruit (165g), is high, and no smaller serving has a published level.

is apple high in sorbitol

It carries sorbitol and excess fructose together, and both of them contribute to the high rating at 1 fruit (165g).

is apple juice ok on a low fodmap diet

Juicing packs the sugars of several apples into one glass and leaves the fibre behind, so apple juice runs higher than the fruit rather than lower. Apple juice concentrate used as a sweetener in other products counts too.

what fruit can i eat instead of apple

Strawberries, oranges, mandarins, grapes, kiwi, pineapple, blueberries and cantaloupe are low FODMAP and fill the same snack role. Pear, mango and watermelon are not substitutes, and apricot, peach, plum and blackberry share apple's sorbitol.

Learn more

Informational only, not medical advice. Individual tolerance varies. Talk to a healthcare professional or a dietitian for personal guidance.

References

Fructan and free fructose content of common Australian vegetables and fruit. Muir et al. (2007), J. Agricultural and Food Chemistry 55(16):6619-6627.
Measurement of short-chain carbohydrates in common Australian vegetables and fruits by HPLC. Muir et al. (2009), J. Agricultural and Food Chemistry 57(2):554-565.
Quantification of fructans, galacto-oligosaccharides and other short-chain carbohydrates in processed grains and cereals. Biesiekierski et al. (2011), J. Human Nutrition and Dietetics 24(2):154-176.
Dietary sorbitol and mannitol: food content and distinct absorption patterns. Yao et al. (2014), J. Human Nutrition and Dietetics 27(Suppl 2):263-275.
FODMAPs: food composition, defining cutoff values and international application. Varney et al. (2017), J. Gastroenterology and Hepatology 32(Suppl 1):53-61. Supplies the low, moderate and high cutoffs used on this page.