Cherry

Why cherry is rated low

Cherries are low FODMAP at 5 cherries (35g), so they do belong on the diet, but this is one of the shortest runways of any fruit. No raised FODMAP subgroup is recorded for cherries, so the rating tracks the total load rather than one particular carbohydrate, and that total climbs quickly. At 8¼ cherries (58g) cherries are moderate, and at 10¼ cherries (72g) they are high. The whole page comes down to that climb: the difference between a low serving and a high one is a few more cherries out of the same bowl.

What changes your risk

• Serving size, and it moves fast 5 cherries (35g) is low, 8¼ cherries (58g) is moderate and 10¼ cherries (72g) is high. Few foods change level over so small a range, which is why counting matters here in a way it does not for most fruit.
• Eating straight from the bag Cherries are finger food with nothing to slow you down, and a bowl or a punnet on the table makes the climb up that ladder almost automatic. Serving the amount you intend to eat is the practical lever.
• Dried cherries concentrate it Drying removes the water and leaves everything else behind, so dried cherries pack far more fruit into the same mouthful than the fresh serving does.
• Juice and concentrate Cherry juice and cherry concentrate press many cherries into one glass and drop the fibre, so a drink is not comparable to the tested fresh serving.
• The rest of the meal counts A low rating is per serving, not per meal. Cherries on a fruit platter or alongside other fruit add to the meal's total FODMAP load even when each item on its own is low.

What else works

For a sweet, poppable fruit with a longer runway, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and grapes all fill the same role and give more room on the plate, and orange or mandarin segments work where something juicier is wanted. Keep in mind that the close stone-fruit relatives are not the answer: plum, apricot, peach, nectarine and blackberry are not low FODMAP and should not be reached for as a gentler version of cherry. Dried cherries, glace cherries, cherry juice and cherry pie filling are all separate from the fresh serving, and baked cherry desserts usually sit on wheat pastry that brings FODMAPs of its own.

How to keep it low

Count the serving out onto a plate and put the bag away before sitting down, because cherries are the fruit most often eaten absent-mindedly from a bowl. Buying loose rather than by the punnet makes a counted serving feel normal instead of leftover. Stored unwashed with the stems on in a covered container in the fridge, they last well and can be rinsed as needed. Frozen pitted cherries are handy for this, since a counted serving can be taken from the bag and the rest stays frozen and out of reach. When ordering out, cherry compotes, sauces and pie fillings are made with far more fruit than appears on the plate and cannot be portioned by eye.

Common questions

how many cherries can i eat on a low fodmap diet

5 cherries (35g) is the low serving. At 8¼ cherries (58g) cherries are moderate and at 10¼ cherries (72g) they are high, so the level changes over a handful of fruit.

are cherries ok on the elimination phase

At 5 cherries (35g) they are low, so that counted serving is generally kept in. It is worth knowing that 8¼ cherries (58g) is moderate, so the serving needs measuring rather than eyeballing.

are dried cherries low fodmap

Dried cherries are not the same as the fresh serving. Drying removes the water and concentrates what is left, so far more fruit ends up in each mouthful than in 5 cherries (35g) of fresh cherries.

what fruit can i eat instead of cherries

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and grapes cover the same sweet, snackable role with more room on the plate. Plum, apricot and blackberry are not low FODMAP and are not substitutes.