Pistachios

High FODMAP

By Michael EisenwasserUpdated October 6, 2026

Serving sizes

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

About 7 nuts (5g) Low
Larger portions Moderate
Much larger portions High

Fructans GOS

Pistachios are High FODMAP at a usual handful, though about 7 nuts (5g) is low, from their Fructans and GOS.

Only about 7 nuts (5g) is low.
Fructans and GOS add up fast, so larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high.
Salting or roasting does not change this, and spreads or mixes made with them carry the same load.

When you want a nut to munch, macadamias or peanuts give you that crunch with more room.

Why pistachios is rated high

Pistachios are rated high. Each kernel carries two FODMAP groups at once, Fructans and GOS, and because they arrive together the load builds quickly as you keep eating. The low serve is tiny: about 7 nuts (5g) is low, larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high. That matters more than the word high on its own, because 7 nuts is a taste rather than a snack. Pistachios are one of the few nuts where the honest answer is that an ordinary handful is well past the low serve.

What changes your risk

Serving size, and the climb is short About 7 nuts (5g) is low, larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high. A handful is already a larger portion, so the useful decision is whether pistachios are a garnish of a few nuts or left off the plate.
Stacking with other fructan and GOS foods Pistachios share their subgroups with cashews, chickpeas, lentils and wheat crackers, so a trail mix, a mezze plate or a cheeseboard with wheat crackers can pile the same two subgroups into one sitting even when each item looks small.
Roasting, salting and shelling change nothing Heat does not break FODMAPs down, so raw, dry roasted, salted, in shell and out of shell all carry the same load. No preparation style tames a pistachio.
Ground and blended forms carry it too Pistachio butter, pistachio flour, pistachio pesto, dukkah, baklava, nougat and pistachio ice cream all bring the whole nut with them, and the nut is where the FODMAPs live.
Hidden in other people's cooking Pistachios turn up crushed over salads, folded into rice dishes and sprinkled on desserts, so it is worth asking rather than picking them off, since the flavour and the fructans have already gone through the dish.

Swaps

For snacking and for crunch on top of a dish, peanuts, walnuts, macadamias and pecans all fill the role and are low at their own servings, and pumpkin seeds give you the green colour and the crunch that pistachios are usually chosen for. Pumpkin seeds are also the sensible stand in when a recipe wants pistachios scattered over rice, roasted vegetables or a dessert. Cashews are not a swap, because they carry the same two subgroups. If a recipe leans on pistachio butter or ground pistachio for body, peanut butter or ground walnuts get you closest, though neither tastes the same, and a dish built entirely around the pistachio itself uses far more than about 7 nuts (5g).

How to lower the load

Read the label on mixed nuts, muesli, granola and trail mix rather than trusting the picture on the front, since pistachios are a common filler in nut mixes and in the nut bars sold as health snacks. In bakeries and Middle Eastern or Indian restaurants, pistachio is frequently the garnish on rice dishes, kulfi, baklava and nougat, so ask before ordering rather than after. Keep a jar of peanuts, walnuts, macadamias, pecans or pumpkin seeds where the pistachios used to sit, because the hardest moment is the one where you want something crunchy and the pistachios are the only thing in the cupboard. Tolerance is individual, and reintroducing a high FODMAP food later is something to work through with a dietitian.

Common questions

how much pistachio is low fodmap

About 7 nuts (5g) is low. Larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high, so a few nuts as a garnish is the low amount and an ordinary handful is not.

are pistachios high in fructans

Yes, and in GOS as well. Pistachios carry both subgroups, which is why the level climbs so quickly compared with most other nuts.

can i eat pistachios during the elimination phase

Pistachios are rated high, and only about 7 nuts (5g) is low, so they are usually left out during the strict phase. Whether they come back in later, and in what form, is worked out with a dietitian during reintroduction, since tolerance is individual.

what nut can i eat instead of pistachios

Peanuts, walnuts, macadamias and pecans all work as everyday snacking nuts, and pumpkin seeds are the closest match when you want the green colour and crunch on top of a dish. Cashews are not a substitute, since they carry the same subgroups.

Learn more

Where this rating comes from

Pistachios 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.