Snow Pea
Serving sizes
Snow Pea changes rating with portion size. These are the amounts tested in the literature behind our ratings.
- About 23 pods (75g)
- Larger portions
- Much larger portions
Snow peas are Low FODMAP at about 23 pods (75g), with the level climbing as the pile of pods grows.
- At about 23 pods (75g) snow peas are low, an easy addition to a stir-fry or salad.
- Fructans build at larger portions, which are moderate, and much larger portions are high.
Enjoy them raw or lightly cooked for a crisp, gentle crunch.
Why snow pea is rated low
Snow peas sit in the low range at about 23 pods (75g), a good handful for a stir fry or a salad. The FODMAP in them is fructans, which build as the pile grows: larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high. A plate that is mostly snow peas, or several handfuls tossed into the wok, is where they climb, which is why the number of pods on the plate is worth a quick count.
What changes your risk
- Serving size About 23 pods (75g) is low, larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high. Treat the 23 pods (75g) as the amount to plan around and fill the rest of the plate with something else.
- Stacking across the meal Snow peas share fructans with wheat noodles, onion and garlic, so the thing to watch is the total FODMAP load of the whole plate. A serving of snow peas alongside several other low servings in one stir-fry, eaten within a couple of hours, can add up even though each component on its own is low. Spreading servings across the day is easier on the total than piling them into one sitting.
- Cooking does not remove them, but cooking water can Heat, freezing, blending and chopping do not destroy FODMAPs, so a stir-fried or steamed pod carries what the raw pod carried. Boiling in plenty of water and pouring the water away is different, because water-soluble FODMAPs can leach out into the liquid you discard. Stir-frying, steaming, roasting and microwaving keep everything in the pod.
- The sauce, not the pod Snow peas rarely arrive plain. Stir-fry sauces, oyster and hoisin style sauces, packet seasoning and most stocks are built on onion and garlic, and that is usually what turns a low FODMAP side into a hard meal. Garlic-infused oil carries the flavour without the fructans, as long as no solid pieces are left in it.
- Other peas are other foods Sugar snap peas and green garden peas are separate entries with their own serves. The 23 pods (75g) figure belongs to snow peas and does not transfer to them.
What else works
If you want more green on the plate than about 23 pods (75g) allows, build the rest of it from vegetables that are low in their own right rather than adding pods: green beans, bok choy, carrot sticks, cucumber and zucchini all give crunch and colour to a stir-fry or salad. Baby spinach wilted in at the end works when you want volume. The lookalikes are the catch. Sugar snap peas and green peas look like the same vegetable in a slightly different shape, but they are counted separately and this serving does not cover them, so look each one up rather than swapping by eye.
How to keep it low
Buy pods that are flat, bright and crisp, since limp pods get cooked longer and tend to be piled higher to make up the volume. Count about 23 pods (75g) into the bowl before anything hits the pan, because once they are mixed through a stir-fry the serving is impossible to judge. Snap the stem end and pull the string down the seam, then add the pods in the last minute or two so they stay crunchy. For flavour, start the pan with garlic-infused oil, and finish with chives or the green tops of spring onions rather than a bottled sauce. Ordering out, ask for the vegetables plain with sauce on the side, and keep the pods to a counted portion of the dish rather than the whole serve.
Common questions
how many snow peas are low fodmap
About 23 pods (75g) is the low serving. Larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high.
can i eat snow peas on the elimination phase
Yes, at about 23 pods (75g). Larger helpings move into moderate and then high, so count them rather than adding by the handful.
do cooked snow peas have fewer fodmaps than raw
Stir-frying, steaming, roasting and microwaving do not lower FODMAP content, because nothing leaves the pod. Boiling in plenty of water and tipping the water away can carry off some water-soluble FODMAPs, but the serve still applies.
are sugar snap peas the same as snow peas
No. Sugar snap peas are a separate food with their own serve, so the 23 pods (75g) figure for snow peas does not apply to them.
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Where this rating comes from
Snow Pea 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.