Rice Noodles

Why rice noodles is rated low

Rice noodles are low at the tested serving of 1 cup (220g), with no raised FODMAP subgroup recorded, which is what makes them such a dependable base for anyone building meals around Asian flavours. One rung is all the data gives, so 1 cup (220g) is the amount that rating speaks for and larger servings have not been tested here. The thing to watch with rice noodles is almost never the noodles. They arrive in laksa, pho, pad thai and stir fries, and the broth, the paste and the sauce are doing far more to the meal's total FODMAP load than the noodles ever will.

What changes your risk

• The tested serving 1 cup (220g) is the tested amount. Larger bowls have not been tested here, so serve to the cup rather than to the bowl.
• The broth and the paste restaurant broths and curry pastes are usually built on onion and garlic, and a noodle soup can carry a large load that has nothing to do with the noodles. This is the single biggest variable in a rice noodle meal.
• Seasoning sachets and pre-flavoured packs instant rice noodle cups and pre-sauced packets come with their own onion and garlic powder. Plain noodles plus your own dressing keep control of what goes in.
• Everything else in the bowl a low rating is per serving, not per meal. Noodles with a sweet sauce, a legume side and a fruit drink add up to a total that no single item on the table predicts.
• Cooking does not add anything soaking, stir frying and reheating do not raise or lower the FODMAP content of the noodles themselves, and boiling in plenty of water and pouring it away can only carry water-soluble FODMAPs off, never add them. Only the serving and what you add to the bowl move the meal.

What else works

Plain rice, quinoa pasta and gluten free pasta made from rice or corn all cover the same starchy base at their own tested servings, and 100% buckwheat noodles are another option worth looking for. The lookalikes to know are the wheat noodles sitting beside them: egg noodles, ramen, udon, hokkien noodles and wonton wrappers are not substitutes for rice noodles. Soba is the one that catches people out, since most soba is a buckwheat and wheat blend rather than pure buckwheat, so the ingredient list matters more than the name.

How to keep it low

Buy the plainest packets you can find, where the ingredient list is essentially rice and water, and skip anything with a seasoning sachet tucked inside. Soak or boil them, drain, then measure out 1 cup (220g) rather than guessing by eye from the bundle. At a restaurant the safer order is usually a stir fry or a dish dressed to order rather than a soup, since the broth has been simmering with onion and garlic for hours and cannot be unmade. At home, dress them with garlic-infused oil, chives and the green tops of spring onions, which carry the aromatic flavour that onion and garlic would have given.

Common questions

are rice noodles low fodmap

Yes. Rice noodles test low at 1 cup (220g), and no raised FODMAP subgroup is recorded for them.

how much rice noodles can you eat on low fodmap

1 cup (220g) is the tested serving. Larger amounts have not been tested here, so measure the serving rather than filling the bowl by eye.

can i have rice noodles on the elimination phase

Plain rice noodles at 1 cup (220g) are suitable during the elimination phase. The care belongs with the sauce, the broth and any seasoning sachet rather than the noodles.

is pho or pad thai ok if the noodles are low fodmap

The noodles are the easy part. Pho broth and pad thai sauce are usually built on onion and garlic, so the dish around the noodles is what needs checking, and a dish made to order is easier to adjust than a simmered broth.