Fig

Why fig is rated low

Fig is low FODMAP only at a very small amount, about 1½ teaspoons (7g), a sliver or a small taste rather than a whole fruit. The FODMAP in it is excess fructose, the surplus of fructose over glucose, and it builds quickly: larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high. Figs are small, sweet and easy to eat two or three of without thinking, and that is well past the low serve. The other thing worth separating in your head is form. Dried figs are made by taking the water out of fresh ones, which concentrates everything left behind into a much smaller piece.

What changes your risk

• A taste is the serving About 1½ teaspoons (7g) is low, larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high. A whole fig is a larger portion, and figs are the kind of fruit people eat in pairs.
• Fruit size varies a lot Figs range from tiny to very large depending on variety and season, so even a single fig can be a much bigger helping than it looks. Slice off a small piece rather than counting whole fruit.
• Dried figs are a different food Drying concentrates the fruit into a much smaller piece, so dried figs pack more excess fructose into each bite than fresh. The same applies to fig paste, fig rolls and fig syrup, which are concentrated and usually sweetened on top of that.
• Stacking across the plate Excess fructose adds up across a meal. A fig on a cheese board alongside honey, apple, dried fruit and chutney contributes to a running total that no one item owns.
• Hidden onion in the savoury versions Figs get paired with chutneys, relishes and balsamic glazes, and fig chutney is almost always built on onion. The fruit is not the issue there. The jar it is served from is.

What else works

If you want more sweetness on the plate than a sliver of fig gives, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, oranges and mandarins fill the same fresh fruit role and are low at a normal serve, and maple syrup or table sugar handles the drizzle. The lookalikes to be careful with are dried figs, fig jam and fig paste, which people treat as interchangeable with the fresh fruit and are not. Do not reach for pear, peach, plum, apricot or cherries as the sweet stone fruit substitute, since none of those are low at ordinary servings.

How to keep it low

Choose figs that feel heavy for their size, give slightly when pressed and smell faintly sweet at the stem. A fig that is rock hard was picked too early and will never ripen properly on the counter. They bruise fast and last only a few days, so keep them in the fridge in a single layer and bring them out shortly before eating. Because the low serve is so small, slice a fig thinly and use about 1½ teaspoons (7g) as a garnish over oats or lactose-free yoghurt, sharing the rest of the fruit around the table. A hard cheese such as parmesan pairs well, and skips the fig chutney that usually carries onion.

Common questions

are figs low fodmap

Only in a very small amount. About 1½ teaspoons (7g) is low, while larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high.

how many figs can i eat

About 1½ teaspoons (7g) is the low serve, which is a small piece rather than a whole fig. A whole fresh fig is a larger portion.

are dried figs low fodmap

Dried figs are more concentrated than fresh. Drying removes the water and packs the fruit into a much smaller piece, so even a small dried fig goes well past the 1½ teaspoons (7g) low serve.

is fig jam ok on a low fodmap diet

Fig jam and fig paste are concentrated and usually sweetened, so they climb faster than fresh fig. Savoury fig chutney is also worth checking, since it is nearly always made with onion.