Mussels

Why mussels is rated low

Plain mussels are low FODMAP at Any typical portion. The rating is estimated from what mussels are made of rather than from a measured serving, and as a plain shellfish protein they carry no recorded FODMAP subgroup. That means the mussels themselves are rarely the issue. The real risk sits in the pot: the broth, sauce and bread that usually come with them can take the whole bowl well past low, even when every mussel in it is fine.

What changes your risk

• The cooking liquid Classic mussel broths start with onion, shallot or garlic, and those carry over into the liquid the mussels sit in, so the bowl can be high while the shellfish is low.
• Stock and seasoning Stock cubes, fish stock and seasoning blends often contain onion or garlic powder, which turns a plain steaming liquid into a high one.
• Creamy sauces Cream-based sauces and chowders add their own FODMAP load from the cream and milk, which plain mussels do not have.
• What goes alongside Ordinary wheat bread or baguette for mopping up the broth, or a wheat pasta base, adds to the meal's total load.
• Prepared and canned mussels Marinated, smoked or sauced mussels sold in jars and tins are a different product, and their marinades can contain onion, garlic or honey, so they are not covered by this rating.

What else works

Other plain proteins sit in the same place: fish, prawns, plain meat, poultry and eggs are all low FODMAP when cooked simply. The lookalikes that are NOT low are the dishes mussels usually come in: mussels in a garlic and shallot broth, mussels in a creamy sauce, seafood chowder, and seafood marinara built on onion and garlic. The mussel is the same in each, but the dish is not.

How to keep it low

Buy mussels with tightly closed shells, or shells that close when tapped, and discard any that stay open before cooking or that stay shut after cooking. Scrub them and pull off the beards just before cooking. To keep the bowl low, build the steaming liquid from garlic-infused oil with the green tops of spring onions, leek leaves or chives for the oniony flavour, and skip stock cubes unless the label is free of onion and garlic. Serve with gluten free bread, traditional sourdough or potato fries for the broth. When ordering out, ask whether the broth contains onion, shallot or garlic, since almost every restaurant version does.

Common questions

are mussels low fodmap

Yes, plain mussels are low FODMAP at Any typical portion, estimated from what they are made of. The broth or sauce they are cooked in is what usually changes the rating of the dish.

can i eat mussels on the elimination phase

Plain mussels fit the elimination phase. The catch is the cooking liquid, so steam them in garlic-infused oil with chives or spring onion greens instead of an onion and garlic base.

are moules marinieres low fodmap

Usually not as served, because the classic broth is built on shallot or onion and garlic. The mussels are low, but the liquid they sit in is not.

are canned smoked mussels low fodmap

They are not covered by this rating. Jarred and tinned mussels often come in marinades or sauces that can contain onion, garlic or honey, so check the ingredient list.