Pesto

Moderate FODMAP

By Michael EisenwasserUpdated October 6, 2026

Serving sizes

Pesto changes rating with portion size. These are the amounts tested in the literature behind our ratings.

About ½ tablespoon (10g) Low
Larger portions Moderate

Fructans

Pesto is Moderate FODMAP at a usual serving, though about ½ tablespoon (10g) is low, mainly from the garlic Fructans.

About ½ tablespoon (10g) is low.
Fructans from the garlic build with the spoonful, so larger portions are moderate.
Most jarred and fresh versions lean on garlic as a base flavor.

Stir just a small spoonful through pasta or vegetables, or make your own with garlic-infused oil in place of fresh garlic.

Why pesto is rated moderate

Pesto is moderate. Garlic is a base ingredient in nearly every recipe and jar, and it brings fructans. It is low at about ½ tablespoon (10g), and at larger portions it is moderate, which is where the sauce sits overall. That low serve is the single most useful thing on this page, because it means pesto is usable as a sharp accent rather than a sauce you coat a bowl of pasta with. Blitzing, jarring and heating change none of this, since fructans are not broken down by a blade or by a hot pan.

What changes your risk

Where you sit on the ladder The climb is short. About ½ tablespoon (10g) reads low and larger portions are moderate, so pesto stops being a small decision very quickly. Spoon it on and stir, rather than dressing the whole dish from the jar.
Garlic-infused oil in place of garlic Fructans are water-soluble and do not dissolve into oil, so a good quality garlic-infused oil carries the garlic flavour without the fructans, as long as no solid pieces are floating in it. Building your own pesto on infused oil removes the bigger of the two sources.
Which nut goes in Cashews and pistachios are not low FODMAP choices for a homemade batch. Walnuts, macadamias, pecans, peanuts and pumpkin seeds fill the same creamy role, so a homemade pesto keeps the nut side low as well.
What is underneath it Even a small spoonful of pesto stirred through wheat pasta brings more fructans from the pasta itself. Serve it over gluten free pasta, rice, potato, zucchini ribbons or green beans so the sauce is the only fructan source on the plate.
Stacking across the meal Fructans are the most commonly stacked FODMAP group in a single sitting. Garlic bread on the side, an onion-based soup to start, or legumes in the salad will push a meal over even when the pesto itself stayed at about ½ tablespoon (10g).

Swaps

The most faithful swap is a pesto you make yourself: basil, olive oil, garlic-infused oil, parmesan and walnuts, macadamias or pumpkin seeds, blitzed the same way. It fills the identical role and skips the fructans of the jarred version. When you want the herby lift without any sauce at all, plenty of fresh basil with good olive oil, lemon and parmesan over hot pasta does the job, and chives or the green tops of spring onions add the savoury note people are usually chasing from the garlic. Store-bought pestos that swap basil for another herb are not a way around this, because the garlic and nuts are still in them.

How to lower the load

If you are buying a jar, read the ingredients and expect garlic near the top, then treat what you buy as an accent and keep it at about ½ tablespoon (10g), the serve that reads low, spooning it in rather than pouring. Making your own is genuinely easy and gives you both levers at once: use a garlic-infused oil that is clear with no solid pieces suspended in it, pick walnuts, macadamias or pumpkin seeds over cashews and pistachios, and freeze the batch in a flat sheet you can break pieces off so a single portion is what comes out of the freezer. Eating out, pesto is usually pre-made and garlic-heavy, so ask for it on the side and add your own, or order olive oil, parmesan and fresh basil instead.

Common questions

how much pesto is low fodmap

Only the smallest serve comes in low. About ½ tablespoon (10g) reads low, while larger portions are moderate, and pesto's overall rating is moderate. Use it as an accent rather than as the sauce for a whole dish.

is pesto high in fructans

It carries them. Garlic is a base ingredient in most pesto and brings fructans, which is what puts it at moderate overall.

can you eat pesto on the elimination phase

A shop-bought pesto is moderate beyond about ½ tablespoon (10g), so it is not a free choice during elimination. A homemade version built on garlic-infused oil with walnuts, macadamias or pumpkin seeds fits the phase far better.

how do you make low fodmap pesto

Blend basil with olive oil and garlic-infused oil in place of fresh garlic, add parmesan, and use walnuts, macadamias, pecans or pumpkin seeds rather than cashews or pistachios. The infused oil works because fructans do not dissolve into oil.

Learn more

Where this rating comes from

Pesto 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.

See our full rating method →

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.