Peanuts

Why peanuts is rated low

Peanuts are low FODMAP at the tested serving of 10 nuts (12g), and the record raises no FODMAP subgroup for them at that amount, so there is nothing here to name as a driver. What the page can tell you is where the data ends: 10 nuts (12g) is the only serving with published figures behind it. Plain peanuts at that serving are a straightforward choice, and the things most likely to cause trouble are not the peanut itself but the coating, the butter or the sauce it arrives in.

What changes your risk

• How much comes out of the bag The tested serving is 10 nuts (12g). Peanuts are the classic snack eaten by the fistful in front of the television, and larger amounts have not been tested, so the portion is the part worth controlling.
• Seasonings and coatings Salted, barbecue, chilli, dry roasted and honey roasted peanuts are a different ingredient list from plain ones. Onion powder, garlic powder and honey are the usual additions, and none of them are visible in the nut.
• Peanut butter and satay sauce These are different products in different amounts from 10 nuts (12g), so the serving does not carry across. Commercial satay and peanut sauces are typically built on onion and garlic, and some peanut butters add honey or high fructose corn syrup, so the label decides it.
• The whole meal, not just the nut A low rating is per serving rather than per sitting. Peanuts eaten alongside several other counted servings contribute to the day's total FODMAP load, so they are easiest to fit into a meal you are not already stacking.
• Roasting and salting do not alter FODMAPs Heat does not break them down, so raw, roasted and boiled peanuts all sit in the same place. Only what is added alongside them shifts the picture.

What else works

Peanuts are already one of the dependable low FODMAP nuts, and walnuts, macadamias, pecans, almonds and pumpkin seeds fill the same snacking role if you want to rotate. The lookalike to skip is pistachios, which are not a low FODMAP choice at ordinary servings. Be wary of mixed nut packs and trail mixes as well, since they often include pistachios or dried fruit, and drying concentrates fruit sugars so the dried mango, apple or raisins in the mix carry far more than the nuts do. For spreading, a peanut butter whose ingredient list is peanuts and salt is the simplest thing to trust.

How to keep it low

Buy plain peanuts, in the shell or unsalted, and portion them out rather than eating from the packet, because 10 nuts (12g) is a counted amount and a bar snack bowl is not. On peanut butter, turn the jar around: peanuts and salt is what you want, and honey, high fructose corn syrup or a flavoured variety is where the trouble is. For cooking, peanuts work well crushed over rice dishes, noodles or salads where a counted serving spreads over a whole plate, and a homemade satay made with garlic-infused oil, the green tops of spring onions and a peanut butter with a clean ingredient list gives you that flavour without the onion and garlic in a jarred sauce.

Common questions

how many peanuts can i eat on a low fodmap diet

The tested serving is 10 nuts (12g), and it is low FODMAP. There is no published serving larger than that, so the counted amount is what the data supports.

are peanuts low fodmap even though they are a legume

Yes. At the tested serving of 10 nuts (12g) peanuts come in low and the record raises no FODMAP subgroup for them, which is not the case for chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans at ordinary servings.

is peanut butter low fodmap

The published serving data here covers peanuts at 10 nuts (12g), not peanut butter, so that figure does not transfer to a spoonful of spread. A butter listing only peanuts and salt is the simplest version, while honey, high fructose corn syrup or added flavourings change what is in the jar.

what about honey roasted or barbecue peanuts

Those are seasoned products rather than the plain peanuts that were tested. Honey roasted versions add honey, and barbecue and dry roasted coatings often include onion or garlic powder, so plain peanuts are the safer pick.