Baked Beans

Low FODMAP

By Michael EisenwasserUpdated October 6, 2026

Serving sizes

Baked Beans changes rating with portion size. These are the amounts tested in the literature behind our ratings.

About 2 teaspoons (15g) Low
Larger portions Moderate
Much larger portions High

Baked beans are Low FODMAP at about 2 teaspoons (15g), a small spoonful, with GOS, Fructans and Excess Fructose building quickly beyond that.

About 2 teaspoons (15g) sits low.
GOS, Fructans and Excess Fructose build quickly, so larger portions climb to moderate and much larger portions land high.
Some canned versions add onion or garlic to the sauce, so check the label.

Treat baked beans as a spoonful on the side, and lean on eggs or firm tofu for a bigger breakfast protein.

Why baked beans is rated low

Baked beans are low at about 2 teaspoons (15g), which is a spoonful on the side rather than a helping. GOS and fructans from the beans, plus excess fructose that can come with the sweetened sauce, are what build as the spoon count rises: a larger portion is moderate and a much larger portion, such as a heaped serve over toast, is high. That surprises most people, because baked beans feel like a mild food. The other thing that decides this plate is the sauce, since baked beans are sold sitting in it and some recipes carry onion or garlic.

What changes your risk

The helping About 2 teaspoons (15g) is the low serve. Larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high, so think of baked beans as a garnish rather than the base of the plate.
The sauce is part of the food Unlike plain canned beans, baked beans are eaten in their canning liquid, so the drain and rinse trick that lowers other canned legumes does not apply. You cannot rinse away a tomato sauce you are about to eat.
Onion and garlic on the label Some brands build flavour into that sauce with onion or garlic. Read the ingredient list rather than assuming every tin is the same, and choose one that leaves them out.
Beans boiled from dried Water soluble FODMAPs leach into cooking and canning liquid, which is why canned legumes and legumes boiled from dried are not interchangeable. This page is about canned baked beans, not a pot cooked from dried.
The whole plate GOS and fructans stack across a meal. A spoonful of beans next to a second legume, an ordinary wheat roll and a garlicky sausage is a heavy plate even when the bean serving is small.

What else works

Baked beans at about 2 teaspoons (15g) are a taste rather than a side, so for a full breakfast plate it helps to build the bulk from other things. Eggs scrambled or fried, gluten free toast, grilled tomato, a handful of baby spinach wilted in the pan, or potato all fill the plate, and firm tofu or plain meat fill the protein role without adding a legume. Canned lentils or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, are legume options with a bigger low serve on their own pages. Chilli beans, kidney beans and beans cooked from dried are not stand-ins, and a bigger bowl of baked beans moves up the ladder quickly.

How to keep it low

Serve from a teaspoon rather than straight from the tin, because a standard tin holds far more than the low serve and it is easy to scrape the lot onto one slice of toast. Portion the rest into small containers or an ice cube tray for another day as soon as the tin is open. Scan the ingredient list in the shop for onion and garlic, including anything listed as vegetable powder or flavouring, and keep a brand you have checked as your regular so you are not rereading labels every week. Reheating gently with a splash of water keeps the sauce loose without adding anything.

Common questions

how much baked beans is low fodmap

About 2 teaspoons (15g) comes in low. Larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high, so a full tin is well past the low range.

are baked beans on toast low fodmap

Only as a small spoonful. About 2 teaspoons (15g) of beans is low, the tin should have no onion or garlic in the sauce, and gluten free bread keeps the toast from adding fructans. A typical heaped serve on toast is a much larger portion and lands high.

what about beans cooked from dried

That is a different preparation. Water soluble FODMAPs leach into cooking and canning liquid, so a pot boiled from dried is not covered by the serve on this page.

can you eat baked beans on the elimination phase

Only as a small side, at about 2 teaspoons (15g) from a tin whose sauce contains no onion or garlic. Tolerance is individual, and reintroducing larger legume servings is work to do with a dietitian.

Learn more

Where this rating comes from

Baked Beans is rated from published lab measurements of its FODMAP content, using the low, moderate and high cutoffs of Varney et al. (2017).

Feedback sent through the FODMAP Foods app has led to changes in this list.

See our full rating method →

Sources

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 high-performance liquid chromatography (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 between healthy individuals and patients with irritable bowel syndrome. 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.