Turnip

Why turnip is rated low

Turnip is low at 1 cup diced (75g), with no individual FODMAP subgroup recorded as raised at that serving, so nothing specific in the vegetable is driving the number. Push the helping up to 2⅜ cups diced (182g) and the published data records it as moderate, which is the total load building with the size of the serving rather than one sugar tipping over. Those two rungs are the whole of the tested data. A cup of diced turnip in a roast or a mash is the serving to work from, and anything past that has not been tested until you reach 2⅜ cups diced (182g), where the rating is moderate.

What changes your risk

• How high the bowl is piled The ladder runs from 1 cup diced (75g) at low to 2⅜ cups diced (182g) at moderate, so the portion is the only thing moving between those rungs. Turnip is often used as the filler in a tray bake or a mash, which is exactly how a serving grows without a decision being made.
• Stacking across the meal No subgroup is recorded for turnip, so the thing to watch is the whole meal's FODMAP load. A serving of turnip alongside several other low servings in one stew, all eaten together, adds up even when each one is fine alone. Spreading servings across the day is easier on the total than concentrating them in a single sitting.
• Roasting and mashing do not lower it Roasting, mashing, steaming and microwaving do not destroy FODMAPs, because nothing leaves the food. Roasted turnip also shrinks as the water cooks off, so the tested serving ends up looking small on the plate and gets topped up. Dice and measure before cooking.
• Boiling water is the one exception Boiling turnip in plenty of water and pouring that water away can carry off some water-soluble FODMAPs, because they dissolve into the liquid you discard. That only counts if the water goes down the sink. Keeping the cooking liquid for a soup or a gravy keeps whatever leached into it.
• The stock, the butter and the gravy Turnip mash and roast turnip usually meet stock cubes, ready made gravy or a seasoning blend, and almost all of those are built on onion and garlic. Cream and ordinary milk in a mash bring their own FODMAPs too. Use garlic-infused oil, lactose-free milk or a hard cheese such as cheddar or parmesan, and check the stock.

What else works

If you need more volume in a mash or a roasting tray than 1 cup diced (75g) of turnip provides, potato is the most direct answer, and carrot, zucchini, bell pepper, green beans and polenta all fill out the plate without leaning on the turnip. Skip the swap that recipe sites reach for most often: cauliflower mash is not a low FODMAP substitution at ordinary servings. Swede, which is also sold as rutabaga, is a different vegetable with its own tested serving, so check it rather than assuming the turnip figure carries across. Turnip greens are a different part of the plant and are not covered by this serving either.

How to keep it low

Choose small to medium turnips that feel heavy and firm with smooth skin, since large old ones turn woody and bitter and tend to be buried in a bigger mash to hide it. Cut the tops off before storing and keep the roots in the fridge in a bag. Peel, dice and measure 1 cup diced (75g) before cooking, because turnip loses a lot of bulk in the oven and judging the serving afterwards is guesswork. If you boil it, use plenty of water and pour it away rather than saving it for the gravy. Season with garlic-infused oil, black pepper, thyme, a little butter or hard cheese, and read the label on any stock, gravy granules or seasoning mix going in with it.

Common questions

how much turnip is low fodmap

1 cup diced (75g) is the tested low serving. At 2⅜ cups diced (182g) the published data records turnip as moderate, so a large bowl is the amount to watch.

can i eat turnip on the elimination phase

Yes, at 1 cup diced (75g), which the data records as low. The more common problem is what it is cooked with, since stock cubes, gravy and seasoning blends are usually based on onion and garlic.

does boiling turnip reduce fodmaps

Boiling in plenty of water and tipping the water away can carry off some water-soluble FODMAPs, because they dissolve into the liquid. Roasting, mashing and steaming do not, since nothing leaves the food, and the tested serving still applies.

is turnip a good potato substitute on low fodmap

It works in a mash or a roast, but the portions are not interchangeable. Turnip is low at 1 cup diced (75g) and moderate at 2⅜ cups diced (182g), so a potato sized helping of turnip is a bigger serving than the data supports.