Cod

Why cod is rated low

Cod is low FODMAP. A fillet of white fish is protein, water and a little fat, with essentially no carbohydrate in it, and since FODMAPs are carbohydrates there is nothing here to ferment. The data records no FODMAP subgroup for cod at all. This level is estimated from what the fish is made of rather than from a measured serving, and the ladder holds a single rung, Any typical portion, at low. Almost every problem people run into with cod comes from what surrounds it: the batter, the breadcrumbs, the creamy parsley sauce, the chowder, the fish pie topping and the poaching liquid can each bring something the fish never did.

What changes your risk

• Serving size Low applies at Any typical portion, meaning a normal fillet at a meal. Plain cod does not accumulate a FODMAP load as the helping grows, so the portion is a matter of appetite rather than tolerance.
• Batter and breadcrumbs Wheat batter and ordinary breadcrumb coatings are the single most common way cod stops being a simple choice. Frying does nothing to the coating's carbohydrate, so a battered fillet is a wheat question wearing a fish disguise.
• Creamy sauces and chowder Parsley sauce, chowder, fish pie filling and brandade are built on milk, cream and usually an onion or garlic base, so the sauce decides the meal rather than the fish underneath it.
• Poaching and cooking liquid Court bouillon, fish stock and vegetable stock are aromatic liquids by design, and the fish sits in them while it cooks. Poaching in plain water with lemon, bay and peppercorns keeps the fillet as simple as it started.
• The rest of the plate A low rating is per serving and not per meal. Cod contributes nothing to your running total, which makes it a useful anchor for a meal, but it cannot offset a side of battered chips, a bread roll and a creamy sauce all landing together.

What else works

Cod is already the easy option, so the point is knowing which versions are not: battered or breaded cod, salt cod whipped with garlic, cod in a cream or milk based sauce, and chowder made on an onion base. Other plain fish and seafood behave the same way as cod, so a plain fillet of haddock, salmon, tuna or trout fills the role when cod is unavailable or expensive. Build flavour with lemon, black pepper, dill, parsley, chives, the green tops of spring onions and garlic infused oil, and if you want a crust, use gluten free breadcrumbs with grated parmesan rather than wheat batter. Plate it with potato, rice, polenta, carrots, zucchini, green beans, bok choy or baby spinach for a meal that stays where the fish already was.

How to keep it low

Buy fillets that smell of the sea rather than of fish, with firm flesh that springs back, and treat frozen at sea cod as a genuinely good option since it is usually fresher than the chilled counter. Check the back of breaded and marinated packs, where garlic powder and onion powder turn up regularly, and choose plain frozen fillets you season yourself. Cod is delicate and overcooks quickly, so bake or pan fry it in garlic infused oil until the flesh just flakes and pull it off the heat early, since it keeps cooking on the plate. Eating out, ask for it grilled or baked with lemon rather than battered or sauced, and ask what the sauce is made on, because the kitchen's onion base is invisible by the time it reaches the table.

Common questions

is cod low fodmap

Yes. Plain cod is rated low FODMAP at Any typical portion, the only serving the data records, and no FODMAP subgroup is listed for it.

how much cod can i eat on a low fodmap diet

The ladder gives one rung, Any typical portion, at low, so a normal fillet is not limited by its FODMAP content. The batter, sauce and sides are what decide how the meal sits.

is battered cod low fodmap

The fish inside is, but the batter is usually wheat based, which is a separate question entirely. Grilled, baked or pan fried cod, or a coating of gluten free breadcrumbs, keeps the meal closer to the fish's own rating.

can i eat cod in the elimination phase

Plain cod fits the elimination phase as rated. Prepared versions such as breaded fillets, chowder, fish pie and cream sauces need checking on their ingredients, since those are where onion, garlic, wheat and milk appear.