Organ Meat (liver, kidney)

Why organ meat (liver, kidney) is rated low

Liver and kidney are low FODMAP. Fresh organ meat is essentially protein and fat with very little carbohydrate, so it holds a low rating at Any typical portion. The rating is estimated from what the meat is made of rather than a measured serving, and portions larger than a typical one are not covered by the rating. The trouble with organ meats is rarely the meat itself: the classic dishes they turn up in are some of the most onion-heavy on the menu.

What changes your risk

• Liver and onions The best-known way to eat liver pairs it with a pile of fried onion, and the onion brings exactly the load the liver does not. Cooking onion does not reduce its FODMAPs.
• Pâté and liver sausage Pâtés and spreadable liver sausages are usually made with onion, shallot or garlic, and often cream, so a slice of pâté is not the same as a piece of seared liver.
• Pies and gravies Steak and kidney pie wraps the meat in a wheat pastry and a gravy built on onion and stock, and stock cubes and gravy granules often contain onion and garlic powder.
• Flour dredging Liver is commonly dusted in ordinary wheat flour before frying, which adds wheat to the plate.
• Stacking the meal A low organ meat served with onion gravy, wheat bread and a creamy sauce in one sitting builds up a total load from the sides, and that total is what counts.

What else works

Plain beef, lamb, pork and chicken sit in the same place as liver and kidney when cooked without onion or garlic, and chicken livers behave like other liver when seared plainly. The lookalikes that are not the same are the prepared forms: pâté, liver sausage, steak and kidney pie, and dishes served with onion gravy. For a liver and onions style plate, replace the onion with the green tops of spring onions or leek leaves, and use garlic-infused oil in the pan.

How to keep it low

Buy liver and kidney fresh from the butcher or frozen, and cook them soon after buying since they do not keep long. Trim the membrane and any tough core from kidney, then sear in a hot pan with garlic-infused oil, dusting with rice flour or polenta instead of wheat flour if you want a crust. Make a quick pan sauce with a splash of wine or vinegar and herbs rather than a stock cube, and serve with plain mashed potato made with lactose-free milk, carrots or green beans. When buying pâté or ordering offal dishes out, check or ask about onion, garlic and the stock used.

Common questions

is liver low fodmap

Yes. Plain liver is rated low FODMAP at Any typical portion, an estimate based on it being essentially protein and fat with very little carbohydrate. The onions, gravy and flour it is often served with are what raise the load.

is pate low fodmap

Not reliably. Pâté is usually made with onion, shallot or garlic and often cream, so it is a different food from plain liver. Check the ingredient list before eating it.

can i eat liver and onions on low fodmap

The liver is low, but the onion is not, and cooking does not change that. Swap the onion for the green tops of spring onions or leek leaves and cook in garlic-infused oil to keep the dish low.

is kidney low fodmap

Plain kidney is rated low FODMAP at Any typical portion. Steak and kidney pie is another matter, since the wheat pastry and onion gravy bring FODMAPs the kidney does not.