Green Bean

Why green bean is rated low

Green beans are low at about 15 beans (75g), and at that serve no FODMAP group reaches a meaningful level, which is why they are a dependable green side on a low FODMAP plate. They are eaten as an immature pod rather than as a dried mature bean, and that is exactly why they behave so differently from the beans in the pantry. The load does climb with the amount, as mannitol and sorbitol build: larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high, so a big bowl of beans as the main vegetable adds enough load to notice. A small handful alongside the meal is the sweet spot, and going back for more is the decision point.

What changes your risk

• Serving size About 15 beans (75g) is low, larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high. Doubling up is the most common way green beans stop being an easy option, so serve the handful and fill out the plate with something else.
• Drain and rinse the canned ones Water soluble FODMAPs leach out of vegetables into the canning liquid, so canned green beans should be tipped into a sieve, the liquid poured away, and the beans rinsed under cold running water for thirty seconds or so before they go in the pan. Never cook them in the liquid from the can.
• Boil and pour the water away If you are cooking from fresh or frozen, boiling in plenty of water and draining it off takes some water soluble FODMAPs with it. Steaming, roasting, microwaving and stir frying do not, because nothing leaves the food.
• Hidden onion and garlic Green bean casserole is the classic trap, built on fried onions and a condensed soup base. Beans almondine, bean salads with a shallot dressing and restaurant sides tossed in a garlic butter are all carrying FODMAPs the beans themselves do not. Garlic infused oil, chives and the green tops of spring onions cover the same flavour.
• Stacking in one meal A low serving counts per serving, not per meal. A handful of green beans next to several other vegetable sides builds the meal's total FODMAP load even when each item is low on its own, and spreading servings across the day is easier to manage.

What else works

Green beans are low at about 15 beans (75g), so what matters most is not confusing them with their pantry relatives. The mature legumes people lump in with them, including chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, baked beans, soy beans and broad beans, are separate foods with their own, usually much smaller, low serves, so a bigger scoop of any of those is not a way to get more beans on the plate. For a second green vegetable that keeps the total down, bok choy, zucchini, carrots and cucumber all sit low at a normal serve, and potato, rice, polenta or quinoa fill out the meal underneath. If you want the crunch and colour without doubling the beans, a mixed plate of green beans and carrot does more for the total than a double helping of beans.

How to keep it low

Buy beans that snap cleanly rather than bending, because limp ones get cooked longer and end up drowned in sauce. Top and tail about 15 beans (75g) per person rather than a whole bag, so the portion is decided at the chopping board. Frozen green beans are genuinely convenient here since you can count them straight from the bag. With canned beans, open the tin, drain it fully, rinse the beans under cold running water and drain again before they touch the pan. Blanch fresh beans in a big pot of salted water, pour the water away, then finish them in a hot pan with garlic infused oil, lemon zest, salt and a few flaked almonds. Ordering out, ask for green beans plain or with oil and lemon, and skip anything described as casserole, almondine with a shallot dressing, or tossed in garlic butter.

Common questions

how many green beans can i eat on the low fodmap diet

About 15 beans (75g) is low. Green beans are moderate at larger portions and high at much larger portions, so a small handful alongside the meal is where to keep them.

are canned green beans ok

Yes, when you drain the liquid away and rinse the beans under cold running water before cooking. Water soluble FODMAPs leach into the canning liquid, so tipping that liquid into the pan defeats the point.

are green beans the same as other beans on this diet

No. Green beans are eaten as an immature pod and are low at about 15 beans (75g). Dried and canned mature beans such as chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans and baked beans are separate foods with their own, usually much smaller, low serves.

why does green bean casserole set me off

Green bean casserole is built on fried onions and a soup base, both of which carry FODMAPs of their own. The beans in it are not the issue, the onion is.