Eggplant

Low FODMAP

Tested serving

1 cup diced (75g) Low

Eggplant is Low FODMAP at 1 cup diced (75g), making it one of the more relaxed veggies to keep in rotation.

At the tested serving of 1 cup diced (75g), eggplant carries no elevated FODMAP subgroups, so it sits comfortably in the low range and tends to be gentle on sensitive tummies.
Eggplant is wonderfully versatile: it soaks up flavor beautifully when roasted, grilled, or stir-fried, though it's worth watching prepared dishes where it's often paired with garlic or onion, which can add hidden fructans.

Try roasting eggplant with garlic-infused oil for that savory depth without the FODMAP load.

Why eggplant is rated low

Eggplant is low at the tested serving of 1 cup diced (75g), with no FODMAP subgroup recorded for it, so it is one of the easier vegetables to build a meal around. That is the only serving the published data tests, so it is the only amount that can honestly be called low. Larger helpings have not been tested here, which is not the same as them being high, but it does mean the tested cup is the number to cook to. In practice the eggplant is almost never the problem on the plate. What comes with it usually is.

What changes your risk

Serving size 1 cup diced (75g) is the tested low serving and the only one in the data. Cooking to that measure is straightforward, and there is no tested figure above it to lean on, so the cup is where to keep it.
Hidden onion and garlic This is the real lever for eggplant. Baba ganoush, moussaka, ratatouille, caponata, curry bases and jarred marinated eggplant are nearly all built on onion, garlic or both. Garlic infused oil carries the same savoury depth with none of the fructans, provided no solid garlic pieces are left sitting in the oil.
Stacking in one meal A low serving is per serving, not per meal. A cup of roasted eggplant next to a generous helping of other vegetables, a sauce and a side all draw on the same meal's total FODMAP load, and the total is what matters.
Roasting and salting change nothing Eggplant is famous for being salted and drained before cooking, and for soaking up oil. Neither step removes FODMAPs, and roasting, grilling and frying do not break them down either. Salting improves the texture, not the rating.
The sauce it sits in Eggplant is a sponge, so a tomato and onion sauce, a stock based braise or a shop bought pasta sauce puts more of the sauce inside the eggplant than beside it. Choose or build the sauce first and the eggplant takes care of itself.

What else works

Eggplant is low at its tested serving, so the point is what shares the plate. Zucchini, bell pepper, green beans, carrots, bok choy and baby spinach all sit low and roast or grill happily alongside it, and polenta, rice, quinoa, potato or gluten free pasta carry the meal underneath. For the savoury, slow cooked flavour that usually comes from onion and garlic in eggplant dishes, use garlic infused oil, chives, the green tops of spring onions, leek leaves or a pinch of asafoetida. The lookalikes to be careful with are prepared eggplant products rather than other vegetables: jarred marinated eggplant, shop bought baba ganoush and ready made ratatouille are usually packed with garlic and onion, so they do not inherit the fresh vegetable's rating. Mushroom is a common partner in eggplant dishes and is not a safe substitute.

How to keep it low

Pick eggplants that feel heavy for their size with tight, glossy skin, because older ones turn spongy and bitter and tempt you into masking them with a heavy sauce. Dice before you cook rather than after, so the cup is measured while it is still raw and the portion is settled before the pan gets involved. Salt the cubes for twenty minutes and pat them dry if you want less oil absorption, then roast or grill with garlic infused oil, salt and herbs. Batch roasting is fine, but portion it into single serves as it cools so the tray does not become one sitting. Eating out, the safest eggplant dishes are grilled slices or a simple roast side, while anything described as caponata, parmigiana, baba ganoush or curry should be checked for onion and garlic first.

Common questions

how much eggplant is low fodmap

1 cup diced (75g) is the tested low serving, and it is the only serving the published data records for eggplant. Larger amounts have not been tested here, so the cup is the figure to cook to.

is eggplant ok on the elimination phase

Yes, at 1 cup diced (75g). Tolerance still varies between people, and reintroduction work is best done with a dietitian.

does salting or peeling eggplant lower the fodmaps

No. Salting draws out water and improves the texture, and peeling only removes the skin. Neither one lowers FODMAP content, and roasting or frying does not break FODMAPs down either.

why does baba ganoush upset me when roasted eggplant is fine

Baba ganoush is almost always made with garlic, and many shop bought versions add onion too. The fructans come from those ingredients rather than from the eggplant.

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.