Potato Chips
Tested serving
- About 1 small packet (30g)
Plain potato chips are Low FODMAP at about 1 small packet (30g), an easy snack when you want something crunchy and salty.
- About 1 small packet (30g) of plain, salted chips is low.
- The catch is usually the seasoning: chips flavored with onion or garlic powder change the picture, so check the ingredients on flavored varieties.
When in doubt, reach for plain or lightly salted chips.
Why potato chips is rated low
Plain potato chips come in low at about 1 small packet (30g), and no FODMAP group builds to a meaningful level at that amount, so there is no single trigger to steer around. That makes them one of the more straightforward salty snacks to keep in the cupboard. The two honest caveats are the amount and the coating. Amounts larger than about 1 small packet (30g) are not rated here, so that packet is the serving to plan around rather than an open invitation to the rest of a sharing bag. And the rating describes plain chips. Once onion powder, garlic powder or a savoury seasoning blend is dusted over them, the flavouring brings its own high FODMAP ingredients that the potato underneath never had.
What changes your risk
- Serving size The low amount is about 1 small packet (30g), and larger helpings are not rated here. Eating straight from a sharing bag makes that serving impossible to see, so tip it into a bowl and put the bag away before you start.
- The flavour coating Onion powder and garlic powder are high FODMAP seasonings, and they are the backbone of French onion, sour cream and onion, cheese and onion, barbecue and most savoury flavour blends. Plain salted chips, or lightly salted varieties with a short ingredient list, are the ones this rating describes.
- What you dip them in The dip is usually the bigger load. Hummus is made from chickpeas, French onion dip is built on onion, and creamy dips often start from sour cream or cream cheese. Chips on their own stay simpler than chips with a bowl of something beside them.
- Stacking through the meal A low rating is per serving, not per day. A serving of chips alongside several other low servings in one sitting adds up to a bigger total FODMAP load for that meal, so it helps to spread snacks across the day rather than lining them all up at once.
- Chips that are not potato Vegetable crisps, lentil chips, chickpea puffs and mixed root vegetable chips are different foods made from different raw materials, and none of them are covered by the potato chip rating.
What else works
Plain potato chips are themselves the low option here, so the real choice is which bag rather than which snack. Lightly salted or plain salted chips fit this rating. French onion, sour cream and onion, cheese and onion and most barbecue seasonings do not, and neither do lentil or chickpea based crisps, which are legume products at heart. If you want something else with crunch, carrot sticks, cucumber, peanuts, macadamias, pecans and pumpkin seeds all work at ordinary snack amounts. Leave the hummus and the onion dip out of the picture and use a squeeze of lemon, salt, or a little garlic-infused oil on the vegetables instead.
How to keep it low
Read the ingredient list rather than the front of the packet, since a chip sold as "original" can still list onion or garlic powder, and a chip sold as "salt and vinegar" often does not. Single serve bags take the guesswork out entirely. If you are buying the large bag, measure about 1 small packet (30g) into a bowl, clip the bag shut and leave it in the cupboard rather than on the couch beside you. Keep opened bags sealed so they stay crisp, because stale chips tend to get eaten absent mindedly rather than enjoyed. When eating out, plain fries or chips from the fryer are usually just potato and oil, but seasoned fries, loaded fries and anything described as "seasoned" or "spiced" are worth asking about.
Common questions
how many potato chips can i eat on a low fodmap diet
About 1 small packet (30g) of plain potato chips is low. Larger amounts are not rated here, so treat that packet as the amount to plan around.
are flavoured potato chips low fodmap
This rating describes plain chips. Onion powder and garlic powder are high FODMAP seasonings and they appear in most savoury flavour blends, so flavoured varieties are not covered by it. Check the ingredient list rather than the flavour name.
can you eat potato chips on the elimination phase
Yes. Plain potato chips at about 1 small packet (30g) are low and fit the elimination phase. Tolerance still varies between people, and reintroduction is something to work through with a dietitian.
are vegetable crisps a better choice than potato chips
No. Vegetable crisps, lentil chips and chickpea puffs are made from different ingredients and are not covered by the potato chip rating. Plain potato chips at about 1 small packet (30g) are the version with a low serve behind them.
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Where this rating comes from
Potato Chips 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.
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.
Informational only, not medical advice. Individual tolerance varies. Talk to a healthcare professional or a dietitian for personal guidance.