Sun-Dried Tomato

Why sun-dried tomato is rated moderate

Sun-dried tomato is rated moderate FODMAP overall, and drying is the reason. Taking the water out of a tomato leaves its excess fructose and fructans packed into a much smaller, chewier piece, so an amount that looks modest on the plate stands in for a lot of fresh tomato. The rating is estimated from what the food is made of rather than from a measured serving, and it climbs with the amount you eat: a Small serving reads low, a Moderate serving reads moderate, and a Large serving reads high. Because the turn comes at the Moderate serving, sun-dried tomato is a portion to respect, not a garnish to forget about.

What changes your risk

• Serving size The level moves with the amount: a Small serving is low, a Moderate serving is moderate and a Large serving is high. The pieces are small and dense, so chopping them through a pasta sauce makes it easy to reach the Large serving without noticing.
• Drying itself Fresh tomato and sun-dried tomato are not interchangeable on this diet. Drying removes water and concentrates the excess fructose and fructans left behind, so the same load fills far less of the plate.
• Jars packed in oil Oil-packed tomatoes often share the jar with garlic cloves or a herb blend containing garlic. Fructans do not dissolve into oil, but solid garlic left in the jar is a problem, so pick jars that list no garlic or onion.
• Stacking with wheat and sweet foods Its fructans add to those in ordinary wheat pasta, bread and pizza base, and its excess fructose adds to honey, apple or mango in the same meal. A sun-dried tomato pesto on wheat pasta stacks fructans from both.
• Soaking liquid Soaking does not destroy FODMAPs. Water-soluble FODMAPs can move into the soaking water, so if that liquid goes back into the sauce, whatever leached out goes back onto the plate.

Swaps

To get the sweet, savoury hit without leaning on the moderate rung, roasted red bell pepper brings similar colour and sweetness, and grated parmesan or aged cheddar adds depth. Chives and garlic-infused oil restore the savouriness that a sun-dried tomato pesto usually gets from garlic. On an antipasti plate, roasted zucchini, carrot ribbons and cucumber fill out the board. Do not reach for dried mango, dried apricot or other dried fruit as a sweet swap, because drying concentrates their sugars the same way.

How to lower the load

Chop sun-dried tomato finely so its flavour spreads through a dish without the amount creeping toward a Large serving, and use it as an accent rather than the base of the sauce. Portion what goes into the pan instead of tipping straight from the jar. With oil-packed tomatoes, read the label for garlic and drain the pieces before use; dry-packed tomatoes avoid the question. Ready-made sun-dried tomato pesto, tapenade and stuffed breads usually add garlic, wheat or cashews, so make your own with parmesan, garlic-infused oil and basil.

Common questions

are sun dried tomatoes low fodmap

Sun-dried tomato is rated moderate FODMAP overall, estimated from what it is made of. A Small serving reads low, a Moderate serving reads moderate and a Large serving reads high.

why are sun dried tomatoes higher fodmap than fresh tomatoes

Drying removes water and concentrates the excess fructose and fructans that remain, so a smaller amount carries more of them than the fresh tomato it came from.

are sun dried tomatoes high in fructans

They carry fructans along with excess fructose, and drying concentrates both. That is why the level climbs from low at a Small serving to high at a Large serving.

what can i use instead of sun dried tomatoes low fodmap

Roasted red bell pepper gives a similar sweetness and colour, and parmesan adds savoury depth. Pair either with garlic-infused oil rather than a garlic-packed jar.