Peanut Butter

Low FODMAP

Serving sizes

Peanut Butter changes rating with portion size. Its rating is estimated from what it is made of, so the servings are described rather than weighed.

Small serving Low
Large serving Moderate

Peanut butter is Low FODMAP, a rich protein-and-fat spread with only modest carbohydrate to worry about.

Peanut butter stays low at a small serving, since peanuts lean heavily on protein and fat rather than fermentable carbs, but the FODMAP load builds up to moderate at a large serving.
Most plain peanut butters keep things simple, though added ingredients like honey or extra sweeteners can shift the picture, so a quick glance at the label helps.

Spread a modest amount on rice cakes or gluten-free toast for a satisfying snack that keeps you comfortable.

Why peanut butter is rated low

Peanut butter is ground peanuts, and peanuts lean heavily on protein and fat rather than on fermentable carbohydrate, which is why it sits low. The rating is estimated from what the spread is made of rather than from a weighed serving, so the ladder here is qualitative: a Small serving is low, and a Large serving climbs to moderate as the total adds up. That climb is the real content of this page, because peanut butter is one of the easiest foods to eat past the point you meant to. Spread on toast it stays near the low rung. Eaten from the jar, stirred into a satay sauce and spooned onto a smoothie in the same day, the total moves.

What changes your risk

Serving size A Small serving is low and a Large serving is moderate. Nothing about the jar changes that, so how thickly it is spread is the lever that matters most.
Straight from the jar A spread eaten with a knife standing at the counter is the classic way a Small serving becomes a Large one without anyone noticing. Put it on something and sit down with it.
What else is in the jar Some peanut butters add honey or high fructose corn syrup, both of which are high FODMAP. Look for a list that is peanuts, and maybe salt and oil.
Spreading servings out The same day's total is easier to manage across breakfast and an afternoon snack than concentrated into one sitting.
The rest of the meal A low rating is per serving, not per meal. Peanut butter usually arrives on bread, in a sauce or in a smoothie, and those companions are often doing more to the meal's FODMAP load than the spread itself.

What else works

If peanut butter is being used for the nutty, creamy role, walnuts, macadamias, pecans, pumpkin seeds and plain peanuts all fill it and are low in their own right. Firm tofu blended smooth, or lactose free yoghurt, will carry a satay style sauce when peanut butter alone would push past a Small serving. The important lookalikes are the other nut butters: cashew butter and pistachio butter are not low FODMAP swaps at ordinary servings, so a jar of mixed nut butter is worth reading carefully. Chocolate and hazelnut spreads are a different food with their own ingredient list rather than a substitute. Sweetened peanut butters with honey stirred through are also not equivalent to the plain kind.

How to keep it low

Buy the plainest jar on the shelf, ideally one where the ingredient list is peanuts and salt, and check for honey or high fructose corn syrup in anything labelled smooth and sweet. Natural peanut butter separates, so stir the oil back in when the jar is opened and keep it in the fridge afterwards, which makes it firmer and much harder to over spread. Portioning works better by vehicle than by eye: spread it on gluten free toast, rice cakes or a firm just yellow banana, and let the surface set the amount rather than the knife. In cooking, thin it out with water, lime juice and garlic infused oil so a Small serving flavours a whole pan of satay rather than sitting on one plate. Restaurant satay and peanut sauces usually contain garlic and onion, so treat them as a separate question from the jar at home.

Common questions

is peanut butter low fodmap

Yes, at a Small serving. Peanuts are mostly protein and fat, so the spread comes in low, though a Large serving climbs to moderate as the total builds up.

how much peanut butter can i eat

The data here is qualitative rather than weighed, so there is no gram figure to quote. A Small serving is low and a Large serving is moderate, which in practice means spreading it rather than spooning it.

is cashew butter low fodmap like peanut butter

No. Cashews are high FODMAP at ordinary servings, so cashew butter is not a swap for peanut butter. Stay with plain peanut butter, or use walnuts, macadamias, pecans or pumpkin seeds for a nutty note.

does crunchy or smooth peanut butter make a difference

No, they are the same food ground to a different texture and the ladder applies to both. What does make a difference is added honey or high fructose corn syrup, so check the ingredient list.

Learn more

Informational only, not medical advice. Individual tolerance varies. Talk to a healthcare professional or a dietitian for personal guidance.

Peanut Butter is an estimated rating: it is inferred from the food's ingredients and composition and cross-checked, not measured directly in the papers below. The low, moderate and high cutoffs are still those of Varney et al. (2017).

References

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 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. 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.