Sour Cream

Why sour cream is rated low

Sour cream is low at about 2 tablespoons (40g), a generous dollop, which is good news for anyone who tops chilli, baked potatoes or tacos with it. At larger portions it turns moderate. The FODMAP behind that step is lactose, the milk sugar that sour cream carries over from the cream it is made from, and it adds up as the scoop gets bigger. So the cap is real: low describes a topping, not the tub. The difference between a dollop and a generous second scoop is the whole story on this page, and lactose-free sour cream is the answer when you want more.

What changes your risk

• The size of the scoop About 2 tablespoons (40g) is low and larger portions are moderate. Nothing else about plain sour cream changes as much as this, so the spoon does more work than the shopping list.
• Stacking lactose across the whole meal A low rating counts per serving, not per meal. Sour cream on a plate that also carries a cheese sauce, a milky drink or ice cream afterwards is adding lactose to lactose, and an onion based salsa, a bean chilli and a wheat tortilla bring their own load on top. Spreading richer foods across the day keeps the total manageable.
• What is stirred into it Ready made dips built on sour cream are usually built on onion and garlic too, and French onion, ranch and chive and garlic tubs all belong in that group. Plain sour cream and a sour cream dip are not the same food.
• Lactose-free sour cream Lactose-free dairy is ordinary dairy with the lactase enzyme added, so the milk sugar is already split. It is a genuine option when you want a bigger scoop, and it is still dairy, so it is not dairy-free and not suitable for a milk allergy.
• Heat does not change the load Stirring sour cream into a hot sauce, baking it into a casserole or warming it through does not lower what it carries. Cooking does not break FODMAPs down, so the serving on the plate is still what counts.

What else works

When you want more than about 2 tablespoons (40g), lactose-free sour cream is the straightforward swap, and plain lactose-free yoghurt does much the same job on a baked potato or alongside a curry. A sharp grated hard cheese such as cheddar or parmesan gives the same rich finish to chilli or nachos with very little lactose. The lookalikes to watch are the ones people assume are equivalent: ordinary yoghurt, cream and ice cream carry lactose of their own, and shop bought sour cream dips are a different proposition entirely because of the onion and garlic in them. Soft, fresh cheeses such as ricotta, cottage and cream cheese are not the gentler alternative either.

How to keep it low

Buy plain sour cream and read the ingredients on anything labelled as a dip, because the onion and garlic are a separate problem from the cream. Spoon it onto the plate at the table and return the tub to the fridge, since eating straight from an open tub is how a dollop of about 2 tablespoons (40g) quietly becomes a much bigger scoop. A thin swirl across the top of a bowl of chilli reads as more than the same amount dolloped in one place. When ordering out, ask for sour cream on the side so you decide the amount, and keep a lactose-free tub in the fridge for the meals where you want to be generous.

Common questions

is sour cream low fodmap

Yes, at about 2 tablespoons (40g), a generous dollop. At larger portions it turns moderate, because the lactose adds up as the scoop gets bigger.

how much sour cream can i have on a low fodmap diet

Keep to about 2 tablespoons (40g), which is low. Larger portions are moderate, so the tub is not unlimited, and lactose-free sour cream is the choice for a bigger scoop.

is sour cream dip low fodmap

Usually not, because ready made dips are typically built on onion and garlic as well as sour cream. Plain sour cream is the food rated here, not the flavoured dip.

can i eat sour cream on the elimination phase

Sour cream is low at about 2 tablespoons (40g), so it fits during elimination when the portion is kept there. Watch the rest of the plate for other sources of lactose, since a low rating applies per serving rather than to the whole meal.