Coconut Milk

Low FODMAP

Serving sizes

Coconut Milk changes rating with portion size. These are the amounts tested in the literature behind our ratings.

1 cup (250mL) Low
1⅝ cups (400mL) Moderate
2 cups (500mL) High

Coconut milk is Low FODMAP at a modest serving, staying gentle when you keep to about 1 cup (250mL).

Coconut milk carries no elevated FODMAP subgroups at a small serving, so it sits comfortably in the low range at 1 cup (250mL). As the pour grows, the overall FODMAP level climbs to moderate and then high, so it is the total amount rather than any single subgroup that matters here.
It is a creamy, versatile base for curries, smoothies, and coffee, but portions add up quickly in rich dishes, so it helps to be mindful of how much ends up in the bowl.

Stick to around 1 cup (250mL) to keep things comfortable, and use it as a flavorful base for curries or a splash in your morning coffee.

Why coconut milk is rated low

Coconut milk starts out comfortable: at 1 cup (250mL) it is low FODMAP, and the record lists no raised FODMAP subgroup for it. What makes this food worth reading about is what happens next on the ladder. At 1⅝ cups (400mL) it becomes moderate, and at 2 cups (500mL) it is high. That climb is about the total amount of coconut milk in the meal rather than any single subgroup, so the pour is the whole story. Low here means low at a measured cup, not low at whatever the recipe happens to use.

What changes your risk

Serving size, first and last The three tested rungs tell you everything: 1 cup (250mL) is low, 1⅝ cups (400mL) is moderate, 2 cups (500mL) is high. Few foods hand you the turning point this clearly.
How much of the pot lands in your bowl A curry, a laksa or a dhal is usually built on a whole tin, so how much coconut milk you actually eat depends on how the pot is divided and whether you go back for seconds. Ladling generously is the most common way people pass the low rung without noticing.
The rest of the meal A low rating is per serving, not per meal. A cup of coconut milk alongside other foods sitting near their own limits builds a total FODMAP load for the meal that is larger than any single item suggests, so spread servings across the day rather than stacking them into one sitting.
Curry pastes, stocks and seasoning blends The coconut milk is rarely the risky part of a curry. Ready made pastes, stock cubes and spice blends are usually built on onion and garlic. Garlic-infused oil, chives, the green tops of spring onions, leek leaves and a pinch of asafoetida give that depth without the fructans, as long as no solid pieces are left in the oil.
Other coconut products are separate foods Coconut cream, coconut water, desiccated coconut and coconut flour each have their own tested servings. The numbers on this page cover coconut milk only and do not transfer to them.

What else works

If you want more creaminess in a dish than one cup of coconut milk allows, lactose-free milk and lactose-free cream stretch a sauce without leaning further up this ladder. They are ordinary dairy with the lactase enzyme added so the lactose is already split, which means they are genuinely low in lactose but are not dairy-free and are not suitable for a milk allergy. Ordinary milk and cream are not the swap to reach for. In coffee and on porridge, lactose-free milk does the same job as a splash of coconut milk. And do not assume the coconut aisle is interchangeable: coconut cream and coconut water are different foods with their own serving data, not larger or smaller versions of this one.

How to keep it low

Measure the pour once with a measuring cup rather than guessing from the tin, because a standard tin is the 1⅝ cups (400mL) rung, which the data already rates moderate. Cooking for the household makes this easier, since a tin split across a pot of curry for several people leaves less in any one bowl than a tin poured into a dish for one. Shake the tin before opening so the thick top layer and thin liquid combine and your measure is consistent. Leftover coconut milk keeps better decanted into a container in the fridge than left in the open can, and it freezes well in portions for the next curry, which also stops the habit of using up the rest of the tin just because it is open.

Common questions

how much coconut milk is low fodmap

1 cup (250mL) is low. Above that the data moves: 1⅝ cups (400mL) is moderate and 2 cups (500mL) is high.

is a whole can of coconut milk low fodmap

No. At 1⅝ cups (400mL) coconut milk is rated moderate, and 2 cups (500mL) is high, so a whole tin eaten by one person is past the low rung.

can i have coconut milk in my coffee on a low fodmap diet

Yes, within the tested serving. Keep the day's coconut milk in mind as a total, since a splash in coffee plus a curry at dinner both count toward the same 1 cup (250mL) low rung.

is coconut milk ok in a curry

It is, as long as your share stays near 1 cup (250mL). The bigger question in most curries is the paste or stock, which usually contains onion and garlic, so build the base on garlic-infused oil and the green tops of spring onions instead.

Learn more

Informational only, not medical advice. Individual tolerance varies. Talk to a healthcare professional or a dietitian for personal guidance.

References

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 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. 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.