Turkey Gizzard

Why turkey gizzard is rated low

Turkey gizzard is low FODMAP. The gizzard is a muscular part of the bird's digestive tract, made of protein and fat with negligible carbohydrate, and its rating is estimated from what it is made of rather than from a measured serving. The serving data gives a single rung, "Any typical portion", and it reads low. Gizzards are tough and almost always simmered or braised before eating, so the real question on the plate is what the cooking liquid, gravy or coating brings with it.

What changes your risk

• Braising liquid and stock Gizzards often simmer for a long time in stock with onion and garlic. Cooking does not break those FODMAPs down, and what leaches out of the onion and garlic stays in the liquid, so a gravy made from it carries the load.
• Giblet gravy and stuffing Holiday giblet gravy and stuffing usually include onion, celery and wheat bread or flour. The gizzard is low; the dish built around it often is not.
• Fried gizzards Battered or floured fried gizzards use wheat flour. Rice flour or cornflour keeps the coating low.
• The whole meal Low is per serving, not per meal. Gizzards served over wheat noodles or with onion gravy add up to a load the meat never carried.
• Portion The rating covers any typical portion. A very large helping sits outside what the estimate describes.

What else works

Chicken gizzards and hearts, turkey neck meat and plain dark turkey meat sit in the same low range when cooked without onion or garlic. The lookalikes that are not reliably low are giblet gravy, bread stuffing that uses the chopped giblets, and gizzards sold in a ready-made sauce or seasoning. To build flavour in a braise without onion or garlic, use carrot, the green leaves of leeks, the green tops of spring onions, fresh herbs and garlic-infused oil.

How to keep it low

Turkey gizzards usually come in the giblet packet inside a whole turkey, alongside the heart, neck and liver, and some butchers sell them separately. Trim any remaining tough membrane, then simmer them until tender in water or a homemade stock built on carrot, leek leaves and herbs rather than onion. Once tender, slice them into a low FODMAP gravy thickened with cornflour, sear them in garlic-infused oil, or chop them into rice. If you fry them, dredge in rice flour or cornflour instead of wheat flour.

Common questions

are turkey gizzards low fodmap

Yes. Turkey gizzard is rated low FODMAP, estimated from what it is made of: muscle protein and fat with negligible carbohydrate. The serving data reads low at "Any typical portion".

is giblet gravy low fodmap

Only if the stock and thickener are. Traditional giblet gravy uses onion and wheat flour, while a version made with onion-free stock and thickened with cornflour keeps the low gizzard in a low sauce.

how much turkey gizzard can i eat on low fodmap

The serving data gives one rung, "Any typical portion", and it reads low. Very large helpings are not covered by the estimate.

can i eat fried gizzards on a low fodmap diet

The gizzards are low, but a wheat flour batter is not. Coat them in rice flour or cornflour and fry in oil to keep the whole dish low.