LSA Mix
Serving sizes
LSA Mix changes rating with portion size. These are the amounts tested in the literature behind our ratings.
- About 20g
- Larger portions
- Much larger portions
LSA Mix is Low FODMAP at about 20g, a nutty sprinkle that works well in modest amounts.
- A sprinkle of 20g is low.
- Fructans and GOS build at larger portions, reaching moderate and then high at much larger portions.
Keep it as a light sprinkle over yogurt, oats, or smoothies for that nutty boost.
Why lsa mix is rated low
LSA mix, the ground blend of linseed, sunflower seed and almond, is low FODMAP at about 20g, and fructans and GOS are what build as the amount grows. Where it moves is with the spoon count: a larger portion is moderate and a much larger portion is high. Because the mix is a fine powder that disappears into whatever it is stirred through, the step from a sprinkle to a moderate serving happens without looking like much on the plate. Treat about 20g as the serve rather than as a starting point.
What changes your risk
- Spoon count About 20g is low and larger portions are moderate, so this is a sprinkle rather than a scoop. A portioned amount is a very different thing from a spoon heaped straight from the jar.
- Stacking through the day The mix turns up in several places easily: over porridge in the morning, into a smoothie later, through a yoghurt bowl at night. Each serving counts toward the day's total FODMAP load, and spreading them out is easier on a meal than piling them into one sitting.
- Baking it into a batch Once the mix is blended into muffins or a loaf, the amount per slice is guesswork. Measure what goes into the bowl and divide by the number of pieces so the per serve amount is known rather than estimated.
- Heat, grinding and chilling change nothing Toasting the mix, blending it, or keeping it in the freezer does not break FODMAPs down. Only the amount eaten moves the number.
- Check what else is in the jar Some blends are sold with extras stirred through, such as dried fruit or an added fibre like inulin or chicory root. This page covers the plain mix, so a blend with additions is a different product.
What else works
For the same job, a nutty topping with texture, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pecans, macadamias and peanuts all sit comfortably on a low FODMAP diet and can rotate with the mix so no one topping carries the whole week. The lookalike to watch is almond meal used as a flour: a cake or a batch of biscuits built on almond meal puts far more almond on the plate than a spoonful of the mix, and it is not covered by this page. Larger spoonfuls of LSA itself are the other lookalike, since a larger portion is already moderate.
How to keep it low
Buy the plain mix rather than a flavoured blend, and keep it in the fridge in a sealed jar, since the ground linseed and sunflower oils go stale quickly once the jar is opened. Weigh it once so you know what about 20g looks like on your spoon, rather than tipping from the jar, and add it after the bowl is served so the amount is visible instead of stirred out of sight. Over lactose-free yoghurt, porridge or a smoothie it does its work at about 20g, and if a recipe calls for a cupful of it as a flour, that is a different quantity altogether and worth rethinking rather than scaling up.
Common questions
how much lsa mix is low fodmap
About 20g is the low serving. Larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high.
is lsa mix ok on the elimination phase
It is low at about 20g, so it fits an elimination phase meal at that amount. Tolerance varies between people, and reintroduction work is done with a dietitian.
can i bake with lsa mix on a low fodmap diet
Yes, but measure the mix into the batter and divide by the number of servings so each piece stays near about 20g. Baking does not lower the FODMAP content, it only hides how much is in each slice.
is lsa mix the same as almond meal
No. LSA is a blend of linseed, sunflower seed and almond, and the low serve of about 20g applies to that blend. Almond meal used as the flour in a recipe is a much larger amount of almond and is not covered here.
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Where this rating comes from
LSA Mix is rated from published lab measurements of its FODMAP content, using the low, moderate and high cutoffs of Varney et al. (2017).
Feedback sent through the FODMAP Foods app has led to changes in this list.
Sources
- 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 high-performance liquid chromatography (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 between healthy individuals and patients with irritable bowel syndrome. 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.
Informational only, not medical advice. Individual tolerance varies. Talk to a healthcare professional or a dietitian for personal guidance.