Cashew Milk

Why cashew milk is rated moderate

Cashew milk is rated moderate FODMAP overall. Cashews carry GOS and fructans, and blending them with water spreads those through the drink, so how much you pour decides where you land. The rating is estimated from what the drink is made of rather than from a measured serving: a Small serving reads low, a Moderate serving reads moderate, and a Large serving reads high. The turn sits right at the Moderate serving, which is why cashew milk is one to portion rather than one to use as a straight swap for a full glass of milk.

What changes your risk

• How much you pour A Small serving reads low, a Moderate serving reads moderate and a Large serving reads high. A bowl of cereal or a smoothie base uses far more than a coffee does, and that is where it tips.
• How much cashew is in it The GOS and fructans come from the cashews, so a richer, creamier drink, or a homemade one blended thick, carries more of them per pour than a thinner one.
• Added fibres and sweeteners Some plant milks are boosted with inulin or chicory root fibre, which adds fructans, or sweetened with agave syrup or honey, which bring their own FODMAPs. Read the label every time.
• Stacking in one meal Its GOS and fructans add to those from ordinary wheat cereal, granola with cashews or pistachios, legumes and inulin-fortified bars. Cashew milk over a wheat-based cereal stacks fructans from both the bowl and the milk.
• Spreading it out A coffee in the morning and another later is easier to manage than the same total poured into one large smoothie.

Swaps

When you want a full glass or a cereal pour, lactose-free milk does the job at ordinary servings. It is ordinary cow's milk with the lactase enzyme added, so it is not dairy-free and is not suitable for a milk allergy. If you need a dairy-free milk, there is no plant milk this page can point to as an automatic low FODMAP swap: each one is rated on its own, so check the rating of that specific drink before switching. Do not move to soy milk made from whole soy beans, or to a pistachio or cashew blend, since those share the same problem.

How to lower the load

Keep cashew milk for jobs that only need a Small serving, such as lightening a coffee or tea, and switch to lactose-free milk where a recipe needs a Large serving, such as porridge oats, a smoothie or a white sauce. Use the same mug or jug each time so your portion stays consistent instead of drifting upward. Pick an unsweetened carton and check the ingredient list for inulin, chicory root fibre, agave syrup and honey. Homemade cashew milk can be more concentrated than bought, depending on how many cashews go into the blender, so treat it as the richer end of the range.

Common questions

is cashew milk low fodmap

Cashew milk is rated moderate FODMAP overall, estimated from what it is made of. A Small serving reads low, a Moderate serving reads moderate and a Large serving reads high.

is cashew milk high in gos

It carries GOS and fructans from the cashews it is made from. Dilution with water is why a Small serving reads low, but both build as the pour grows.

can i have cashew milk in coffee on low fodmap

A Small serving reads low, which suits a coffee. Bigger pours move to moderate at a Moderate serving and high at a Large serving.

what milk can i use instead of cashew milk low fodmap

Lactose-free milk works at ordinary servings, though it is still dairy and not for a milk allergy. For a dairy-free option, check the rating of the specific plant milk rather than assuming any nut milk is equivalent.