Gluten-Free Bread

Why gluten-free bread is rated low

Gluten free bread comes in low at about 60g, and at that serve no FODMAP group reaches a meaningful level, so the story is total load rather than one problem ingredient. What makes this page worth reading is how short the climb is: larger portions are already moderate, and much larger portions are high. 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 a serving of about 60g, not about the loaf.

What changes your risk

• Serving size About 60g is low, larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high. There is very little room between those amounts, so going back for more bread moves off the low serving quickly.
• Slices are not all the same weight The serves are 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 about 60g.
• The rest of the meal With no single FODMAP group behind it at about 60g, 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 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 the troublesome parts of garlic 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. Plain rice cakes cover the crunchy, open sandwich job, corn thins do something similar, 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 loaf sold as sourdough is not automatically a low FODMAP option, since that depends on the grain, the fermentation and the serve.

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 check the slice weight on the pack, or weigh a couple of slices from a new loaf once, to see how many slices make about 60g. 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 about 60g. Larger portions move into the moderate range and much larger portions are high, so the serving matters more than the label does.

how many slices of gluten free bread can i have

The low serving is about 60g, so the number of slices depends on how thick your brand cuts them. Check the slice weight on the pack; a larger portion is already moderate, so the low serving 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 about 60g, 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

Gluten free bread is low at its own serving of about 60g, which makes it the straightforward choice. Sourdough is not one food: whether a loaf is low depends on the grain, how long it was fermented and how much you eat, so it is not a like for like swap, and a quick loaf labelled sourdough flavoured is no different from ordinary bread.