Chinese Broccoli
Serving sizes
Chinese Broccoli changes rating with portion size. These are the amounts tested in the literature behind our ratings.
- About 1 cup (75g)
- Larger portions
- Much larger portions
Chinese broccoli is Low FODMAP at about 1 cup (75g), a leafy brassica with Fructans building at larger portions.
- Chinese broccoli is low at about 1 cup (75g).
- Fructans add up as the portion grows, moderate at larger portions and high at much larger portions.
- Gai lan comes as tender stems and leaves and works well steamed or stir-fried; added sauces or garlic can shift the picture.
Stir-fry about a cup in a little garlic-infused oil for savory depth.
Why chinese broccoli is rated low
Chinese broccoli, or gai lan, is low FODMAP at about 1 cup (75g), and that is genuinely good news for anyone who cooks Asian greens. The FODMAP it carries is fructans, and they build with the size of the pile on the plate: larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high. Low means low at that serving, not unlimited, and the climb is the part most people miss when a wok full of greens gets treated as a free food.
What changes your risk
- Serving size The clearest lever here. About 1 cup (75g) is low, larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high, so gai lan is a vegetable to portion onto the plate rather than to heap. If greens are the bulk of the meal rather than a side, that is where it tips.
- What goes in the wok with it Gai lan is usually stir fried, and the pan is where the risk sits. Garlic cloves, onion, shallot, the white part of spring onion, stock powder and ready-made sauces carry far more fructans than the vegetable does. Garlic-infused oil gives you that savoury depth without them, since fructans are water-soluble and do not dissolve into oil, as long as no solid pieces are left in the bottle.
- Stacking fructans across the meal Several servings carrying fructans in one sitting add up, so about 1 cup (75g) of gai lan alongside wheat noodles, a garlicky sauce and other vegetables can land somewhere quite different from where the greens alone sit.
- Cooking method does not lower it Steaming, stir frying and blanching do not destroy FODMAPs, and neither does charring the stems. Boiling in plenty of water and pouring the water away does take some water-soluble FODMAPs out with it, which is the only cooking step that removes anything, and that is a different fact from heat breaking them down.
- Stem to leaf ratio A bunch of gai lan is mostly thick stem with leaves on top. Trimming the woody ends and splitting thick stalks so they cook evenly means you serve a sensible amount rather than padding the plate with stem to make the greens look modest.
What else works
Chinese broccoli holds its own place, and the greens that behave similarly are bok choy, baby spinach, green beans, zucchini and carrot, all of which work in the same stir fries. Chives, the green tops of spring onions and leek leaves give the allium note without the bulb. The lookalikes worth separating are the ones people assume are equivalent: mushrooms are a common stir fry partner that is not low, and ordinary broccoli is a different vegetable with its own portion rules, so gai lan being low does not transfer to it. Firm tofu, eggs, plain chicken, prawns or beef alongside rice make the rest of the plate straightforward.
How to keep it low
Buy bunches with firm stems and unwilted leaves, and store them upright or wrapped loosely in the fridge so they do not go limp, since a tired bunch tempts you to cook the whole lot at once. Trim the dry ends, halve or quarter the thicker stalks lengthways so stems and leaves finish together, and blanch the stems briefly before they hit the wok if you want them tender. Portion the cooked greens onto plates as a side rather than serving them family style from the pan, which is the easiest way to keep about 1 cup (75g) to that amount. The bigger practical job is the sauce: build it on garlic-infused oil, soy sauce, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil, table sugar and the green parts of spring onion instead of a bottled stir fry sauce, and when you order gai lan out, ask for it steamed or with oil and ginger rather than in a garlic sauce.
Common questions
is chinese broccoli low fodmap
Yes, at about 1 cup (75g) Chinese broccoli is low FODMAP. Larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high, so it is a vegetable to portion onto the plate rather than to treat as unlimited.
how much gai lan can i eat on a low fodmap diet
About 1 cup (75g) is low. Larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high, so keeping gai lan as a side rather than as the bulk of the meal keeps it low.
can i eat chinese broccoli during the elimination phase
Yes, about 1 cup (75g) fits the elimination phase. The thing to watch is what it is cooked with, since garlic, onion, the white part of spring onion and bottled stir fry sauces carry far more load than the greens do.
is stir fried chinese broccoli still low fodmap
Stir frying does not change the FODMAPs in the vegetable itself, so about 1 cup (75g) is still low. The oil and aromatics decide the rest, so use garlic-infused oil with no solid pieces left in it rather than garlic cloves.
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Where this rating comes from
Chinese Broccoli 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.
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.
Informational only, not medical advice. Individual tolerance varies. Talk to a healthcare professional or a dietitian for personal guidance.