Blueberry

Why blueberry is rated low

Blueberries are low FODMAP at 1 cup (80g), and that is a genuinely generous serving for a fruit. The record shows no raised FODMAP subgroup for blueberries at that serving, so there is no single carbohydrate driving the rating: the tested amount simply comes in low. What the rating does not mean is unlimited. The published data covers 1 cup (80g), and larger bowlfuls, dried berries and juice sit outside what has been tested.

What changes your risk

• Serving size The tested serving is 1 cup (80g) and it is low. Nothing larger has been tested here, so a bowl refilled twice in an afternoon has moved past what the data covers.
• Drying concentrates everything Dried blueberries have had the water removed, so the same weight holds far more fruit than fresh. They are not interchangeable with the fresh serving, and they are easy to eat in quantity from a bag or scattered through granola.
• Juice and smoothies Juicing packs the sugars of many berries into one glass and leaves the fibre behind, and a smoothie does much the same by making a large amount of fruit quick to drink. Neither is covered by the fresh serving.
• The rest of the meal counts A low rating is per serving, not per meal. Blueberries on top of a bowl that also holds other fruit, honey-sweetened granola or ordinary yoghurt can push the meal's total FODMAP load up even though the berries themselves are low.
• Frozen is still blueberries Freezing does not change FODMAP content in either direction. Frozen berries behave like fresh ones, so the same 1 cup (80g) serving applies when they come out of the freezer bag.

What else works

Blueberries sit alongside strawberries, raspberries, grapes, kiwi, oranges and mandarins as fruit that works well within its tested serving, so a bowl can be varied without leaving low FODMAP ground. The lookalike to watch is blackberry, which is not low and is often sold in the same punnet display and mixed into the same frozen berry bags, so a berry blend is worth checking rather than assuming. Dried blueberries and blueberry juice are also not the same food as the fresh serving. Blueberry muffins, pancakes and pastries are usually built on wheat flour, which brings its own FODMAPs regardless of the fruit.

How to keep it low

Buy firm, dry berries and store them unwashed in the fridge, rinsing only what is about to be eaten, since wet berries collapse quickly and tempt you into finishing the punnet at once. Portioning helps more than willpower: measure out the serving into a bowl rather than eating from the container, and freeze the rest in a flat layer on a tray so it can be scooped rather than poured. Frozen blueberries stirred into oats or a lactose-free yoghurt thaw into the bowl and spread the fruit through the meal. When buying frozen mixed berries, read the fruit list on the back, because blackberry is a common third ingredient.

Common questions

how many blueberries can i eat on a low fodmap diet

The published data tests 1 cup (80g) and it comes in low, which makes it one of the more generous fruit servings on the diet. Larger amounts have not been tested here.

are blueberries ok on the elimination phase

Yes. Blueberries are low FODMAP at 1 cup (80g), so they are among the fruits usually kept in during the elimination phase. Tolerance still varies between people.

are dried blueberries low fodmap

Dried blueberries are not the same as the fresh serving. Drying removes the water and concentrates what is left, so a handful from a bag holds far more fruit than the tested 1 cup (80g) of fresh berries.

are blackberries low fodmap like blueberries

No. Blackberries are not low FODMAP and are not a substitute for blueberries, which matters because the two are often sold side by side and mixed together in frozen berry blends.