Scallops

Why scallops is rated low

Scallops are low FODMAP, and that holds at "Any typical portion". Plain scallop meat is shellfish protein with negligible carbohydrate, so there is nothing in it that counts toward a FODMAP load. This rating is estimated from what scallops are made of rather than from a measured serving, which is why the data gives one plain answer instead of a ladder of sizes. The scallop itself is rarely what turns the plate. The garlic butter, the shallot sauce, the breadcrumb coating or the onion-based stock it was cooked in usually is.

What changes your risk

• The sauce Garlic butter and buttery sauces built on shallot are the classic scallop pairings, and garlic and shallot are both high FODMAP. A plate of perfectly low scallops in garlic butter is no longer a low plate.
• Breading and batter Crumbed or battered scallops are usually coated in wheat breadcrumbs or wheat flour, which brings in a FODMAP load the scallop does not have. Rice flour or gluten free crumbs keep the coating in line.
• Stock and poaching liquid Fish stock, seafood stock and bouillon often contain onion and garlic. Poaching scallops in that stock or reducing it into a pan sauce carries the onion and garlic straight into the dish.
• The rest of the meal Because scallops add nothing of their own, the meal's total load comes from everything around them: a cauliflower purée, a risotto started with onion, a side of garlic bread. Several of those together add up even when the scallops are spotless.
• Serving size The rating covers "Any typical portion". It describes a normal plate of scallops, not a reason to stop checking what they are served with.

What else works

Other plain seafood sits in the same low place: prawns, mussels, and plain fish such as cod, snapper or salmon, all cooked without onion or garlic. Plain poultry, meat and eggs fill the same protein role. The lookalikes that are not low are the prepared versions: scallops in garlic butter, crumbed or battered scallops, scallops in a creamy sauce started with shallot, and scallop dishes served over cauliflower purée. In each case it is the added ingredient, not the scallop, that changes the answer.

How to keep it low

Buy plain fresh or frozen scallops where the ingredient list is scallops and nothing else, and set aside any sauce sachet that comes in a frozen pack until its label has been read. Pat them very dry, sear them in a hot pan with garlic-infused oil, and finish with lemon juice and chopped chives or the green tops of spring onions for the oniony note. Serve them over rice, polenta or potato rather than a purée of unknown make. When ordering out, ask for the scallops seared in oil rather than garlic butter, and ask what the sauce and the purée underneath are made from.

Common questions

are scallops low fodmap

Yes. Scallops are rated low FODMAP at "Any typical portion", an estimate based on what they are made of: shellfish protein with negligible carbohydrate.

can you eat scallops on the low fodmap elimination phase

Plain scallops fit the elimination phase at "Any typical portion". What needs checking is the cooking: garlic butter, shallot sauces, wheat breadcrumbs and onion-based stock are where the FODMAPs come from.

are breaded scallops low fodmap

Not usually. The scallop is low, but ordinary breading is made with wheat breadcrumbs or flour, so the coated version is not the same food. A rice flour or gluten free crumb keeps it low.

what sauce can i put on scallops on a low fodmap diet

Garlic-infused oil with lemon juice and chives gives the garlicky flavour without the garlic pieces. Skip garlic butter and any sauce started with shallot or onion.