Camembert

Why camembert is rated low

Camembert is rated low, and "Any typical portion" reads LOW. No FODMAP subgroup is recorded for plain camembert, so there is no particular group to count and no point at which it turns. The catch is that camembert almost never arrives alone. The whole wheel baked with garlic pushed into the rind, the quince paste or fig jam beside it, and the wheat baguette used to scoop it are all carrying load that the cheese is not, and a typical portion is a wedge rather than a whole wheel.

What changes your risk

• Serving size One rung exists, "Any typical portion", and it sits low. Working through most of a wheel in one sitting is a different amount, so low should not be read as unlimited.
• Garlic in the baked version Studding a wheel with garlic cloves before baking puts garlic's FODMAPs straight into the melted cheese, and they are water-soluble, so they spread right through it. Baking itself changes nothing about the cheese, since heat does not break FODMAPs down.
• The accompaniments Quince paste, fig jam, chutney, honey and dried fruit are the real FODMAP content of most cheeseboards. Choosing what sits next to the camembert matters more than choosing the camembert.
• What you scoop with Baguette, crackers and crusty wheat bread carry their own FODMAP load. Rice crackers, gluten free crispbread or rice cakes keep the plate where you want it.
• Stacking across a sitting A low rating applies to a serving, not to a whole meal. Camembert on a grazing board next to several other items that each sit near their own limit still adds to the total load for that sitting.

What else works

Plenty of cheese stays comfortable here. Brie is the obvious near neighbour and is also rated low, and hard cheeses such as cheddar, parmesan and swiss are reliable when you want a more generous helping. The cheeses to keep out of the same mental category are the fresh, unripened ones: ricotta, cottage cheese and cream cheese are not substitutes, and fresh buffalo mozzarella climbs with the portion. Camembert sold with an onion or garlic seasoning, or baked in pastry, is also a different proposition from the plain wheel. For the creamy element elsewhere in a meal, lactose-free cream and lactose-free milk do the job, and they are ordinary dairy with the lactase enzyme added rather than dairy-free products, so they are not suitable for a milk allergy.

How to keep it low

Choose a plain wheel and check the label on anything sold flavoured or pre-prepared for baking, since those often arrive with a garlic or onion seasoning already inside the box. Keep the wheel in its wooden box in the fridge, wrapped, and take it out well before serving, because a properly softened camembert goes much further than a cold one. If you want the baked version, bake it plain with rosemary or thyme pushed into the rind and a spoon of garlic-infused oil over the top, which gives the garlic flavour without the garlic itself as long as no solid pieces are left in the oil. Serve it with rice crackers, gluten free toast or rice cakes, and put strawberries or cucumber on the board instead of quince paste.

Common questions

is camembert low fodmap

Yes, camembert is rated low. "Any typical portion" reads low, so a normal wedge is what the rating describes.

how much camembert can you eat on a low fodmap diet

"Any typical portion" is rated low. Most of a wheel in one sitting is a much bigger amount than that, so a typical wedge is the sensible way to read it.

is baked camembert low fodmap

The cheese itself does not change when baked, because heat does not break FODMAPs down. Most baked camembert recipes push garlic cloves into the rind, and that is what makes the dish high, so bake it plain with herbs and garlic-infused oil instead.

can i have camembert on the elimination phase

Plain camembert is rated low, so it generally fits. Watch what shares the board with it, since chutney, quince paste, honey and a wheat baguette carry load the cheese does not, and reintroductions are planned with a dietitian.