Gluten-Free Bread

Why gluten-free bread is rated low

Gluten free bread comes in low at 2 slices (52g), and the record shows no raised FODMAP subgroup for it, so the rating is about total load rather than one problem ingredient. What makes this page worth reading is the second rung: at 2⅜ slices (63g) the level is already moderate. That is a very short climb. The gap between the low serving and the moderate one is a matter of a little more bread, which means the portion is doing all the work here. Low is a verdict about 2 slices (52g), not about the loaf.

What changes your risk

• Serving size 2 slices (52g) is low and 2⅜ slices (63g) is moderate. There is very little room between those two rungs, so going back for more bread moves off the low serving quickly.
• Slices are not all the same weight The ladder is anchored to a weight, not to a slice count. A thick artisan style gluten free slice or the end of a dense loaf weighs considerably more than a thin sandwich slice, so counting slices alone can quietly put you past the tested serving.
• The rest of the meal With no raised subgroup of its own, gluten free bread adds to a meal's total rather than bringing a specific problem. Toast at breakfast, a sandwich at lunch and bread with dinner is where the day's load builds, and spreading servings across the day is easier to manage than stacking them into one sitting.
• Gluten free does not mean FODMAP free Plenty of gluten free loaves are built with inulin or chicory root fibre for texture, or sweetened with honey, apple juice concentrate or high fructose corn syrup. Those ingredients bring FODMAPs of their own regardless of what the flour is.
• Flavoured loaves and garlic bread Onion and garlic powder turn up in savoury rolls, herb loaves and ready made garlic bread, including gluten free versions. Garlic infused oil brushed on plain slices gives the same flavour, because fructans do not dissolve into oil.

What else works

Gluten free bread is the swap most people arrive at, so the useful question is what else fills the same role. Traditional sourdough spelt bread and traditional sourdough wheat bread are treated differently from ordinary yeasted bread, because a long, slow starter fermentation breaks down much of what makes standard wheat bread a problem. Plain rice cakes cover the crunchy, open sandwich job, and potato, rice, polenta and oats fill the starch role in a meal when bread is not essential. The lookalikes to be clear about: ordinary wheat, rye and barley bread, wheat crackers and couscous are not low FODMAP at ordinary servings, and a fast supermarket loaf sold as sourdough flavoured is not the same thing as a genuinely long fermented sourdough.

How to keep it low

Read the ingredient list before the front of the pack, since the flour blend tells you less than the additions do: look for inulin, chicory root fibre, honey, apple juice concentrate and onion or garlic powder. Gluten free loaves are often sold pre sliced, and slice thickness varies a lot between brands, so it is worth weighing a couple of slices from a new loaf once to see how that brand's slices compare with 2 slices (52g). Most gluten free bread stales fast, so freeze the loaf and take slices straight to the toaster, which also makes it easy to take exactly the number you intend rather than picking at an open bag. When you make a sandwich, put the attention on the filling, since the bread is the predictable part and the spread, dressing or deli seasoning is usually where onion and garlic arrive.

Common questions

is gluten free bread low fodmap

Yes, at 2 slices (52g). At 2⅜ slices (63g) it moves into the moderate range, so the serving matters more than the label does.

how many slices of gluten free bread can i have

The published low serving is 2 slices (52g). The next tested rung, 2⅜ slices (63g), is moderate, so the low rating covers a small sandwich rather than an open ended amount.

can i eat gluten free bread on the elimination phase

Gluten free bread is one of the standard bread options during elimination at 2 slices (52g), provided the loaf itself is not built on inulin, chicory root fibre or honey. Reintroduction of other breads is worked through with a dietitian.

is sourdough better than gluten free bread on a low fodmap diet

They are both used to fill the bread role. Traditional sourdough spelt or wheat bread relies on a long fermentation to break down much of what makes ordinary wheat bread a problem, while gluten free bread is low at its own tested serving of 2 slices (52g). A quick loaf labelled sourdough flavoured is not the same as a traditionally fermented one.