Split Pea (boiled)

High FODMAP

Tested serving

½ cup (90g) High

Fructans GOS

Split peas are High FODMAP at ½ cup (90g), driven by both Fructans and GOS.

Like most legumes, boiled split peas carry a hefty dose of GOS and Fructans, the carbohydrate groups that ferment readily in the gut and are common triggers for IBS symptoms.
At the tested ½ cup (90g) serving, both subgroups land in the high range, so this is a food that packs a real FODMAP punch even in a modest scoop.

Split peas shine in soups and dals, but if you're keeping things gentle, canned and well-rinsed lentils in a small portion can be a satisfying way to still enjoy that hearty legume texture.

Per ½ cup (90g): 0.66g fructans, 1.69g GOS.

Why split pea (boiled) is rated high

Split peas are High FODMAP at ½ cup (90g), and unusually for a legume they bring two subgroups rather than one: Fructans and GOS both sit high at that tested serving. Split peas are dried peas with the skins removed, and drying has already pulled the water out and concentrated everything left behind, which is part of why a modest scoop carries so much. Only one serving has been tested and it is already high, so the ladder offers no smaller rung and no portion the data can call safe. Simmering them for hours, which is what split peas are for, does nothing to the FODMAPs themselves.

What changes your risk

Serving size The published data tests ½ cup (90g) and puts it in the high range on both Fructans and GOS. No smaller amount has been tested, so there is no verified split pea portion for the strict phase.
Where the cooking water goes Both fructans and GOS dissolve in water, so boiling in plenty of water and pouring it away carries some of them off. Split pea soup does the opposite: the peas break down into the liquid and every bit of it is served, which is the worst case for a water soluble FODMAP.
Canned and rinsed versus boiled from dried Legumes packed in liquid and then drained and rinsed run consistently lower than the same legume boiled from dried, because the liquid takes a share of the GOS with it. That is a real effect on the legume shelf generally, and it is not a way to make split peas low.
Two subgroups means two stacking risks A split pea dish sits alongside other fructan sources such as wheat bread, rye crackers, onion and garlic, and alongside other GOS sources such as chickpeas, lentils and cashews. Either group can add up across one meal on its own.
The stock and the base Split pea soup is almost always built on onion, garlic and a stock cube or stock powder, all of which are fructan sources in their own right. Even setting the peas aside, that base needs replacing.

Swaps

For the thick, savoury, spoon coating body that split peas give a soup, cook down potato, carrot and zucchini and blend them, which gets you the texture without a legume anywhere in the pot. Polenta, rice, quinoa and buckwheat carry the same warming, filling role in a bowl. For the protein, firm tofu, eggs, plain chicken, plain meat and fish all slot in cleanly, and peanuts, walnuts, macadamias or pumpkin seeds scattered on top bring back the earthy, nutty finish. Build the base on garlic infused oil with chives and the green tops of spring onions rather than onion and garlic. Do not swap in lentils, chickpeas or kidney beans, since those carry the same subgroups the split peas do, and leave cauliflower out as the vegetable filler too, because it is not a low FODMAP choice at ordinary servings either.

How to lower the load

Split peas hide in more places than the soup they are named for: dal, pease pudding, thick winter broths, ham and pea soup, and some packaged soup mixes and falafel blends where they stand in for chana dal. Read the ingredient list on dried soup mixes, since split peas are usually listed alongside barley and dried onion, which are fructan sources too. In a restaurant, split pea soup is worth ruling out rather than ordering small, because the peas dissolve into the broth and there is nothing to leave on the side of the bowl. At home, a pot of potato and carrot soup finished with garlic infused oil, black pepper and a little smoked paprika gets close to the smoky, hearty character people actually want from split pea soup.

Common questions

are split peas low fodmap

No. Boiled split peas are High FODMAP at ½ cup (90g), and they sit high on both Fructans and GOS at that serving.

how much split pea is low fodmap

None of the tested amounts come in low. The published data tests ½ cup (90g) and rates it high, and no smaller serving has been tested.

is split pea soup ok on the elimination phase

Split pea soup is not suitable during the strict phase. The peas break down into the broth, so the fructans and GOS that dissolve into the cooking water are served rather than poured away.

what can i use instead of split peas in soup

Blended potato, carrot and zucchini give the same thick body, with firm tofu or plain meat for protein and garlic infused oil for the savoury base.

Learn more

Informational only, not medical advice. Individual tolerance varies. Talk to a healthcare professional or a dietitian for personal guidance.

References

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 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. 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.