Vegetable Fat

Low FODMAP

Typical portion

Any typical portion Low

Vegetable fat is Low FODMAP, a pure fat with virtually no carbohydrate to ferment.

Since vegetable fat is essentially all fat with negligible carbohydrate, it carries no FODMAPs and stays comfortable at any typical portion.

Use it freely for cooking or baking, and just keep an eye on added flavorings or blends that can bring other ingredients into the mix.

Why vegetable fat is rated low

Vegetable fat is low FODMAP. Whether it comes as a solid block for baking or frying or as a shortening, it is refined fat from plant oils with virtually no carbohydrate, and without carbohydrate there are no FODMAPs to ferment. The ladder puts Any typical portion at LOW. The rating is estimated from what the fat is made of rather than from a measured serving, and it covers plain vegetable fat only, not the pastry, batter or spread it ends up in.

What changes your risk

Flavoured or blended products Some vegetable fat spreads and blends add milk solids, buttermilk or flavourings. Those additions bring ingredients the plain fat does not have, so check the label rather than assuming.
What it is baked into Vegetable fat is a classic in pastry and biscuits, and the flour is usually the bigger question. Ordinary wheat pastry is not a low FODMAP swap just because the fat is.
What it fries Deep-fried foods cooked in vegetable fat pick up their FODMAP load from the coating and seasoning. Wheat batter, breadcrumbs and onion or garlic powder in a spice mix are the usual culprits.
Portion and meal total The rating covers Any typical portion. It does not make the fat unlimited, and it does nothing to lower the FODMAP load of the other foods in the dish.

What else works

Other plain fats fill the same role: butter and ghee for flavour, and canola, sunflower, rice bran or olive oil for frying and roasting. For savoury cooking, garlic-infused oil gives depth without the fructans, provided no garlic pieces are left in it. The lookalikes that are not the same thing are the finished products: bought pastry made with wheat flour, fried foods in wheat batter, and creamy spreads that are part fat and part milk or cream.

How to keep it low

Buy plain vegetable fat or shortening whose label lists only fats and oils, and keep blocks wrapped in the fridge so they do not pick up other smells. For low FODMAP baking, pair it with a gluten free flour blend for pastry and biscuits, and sweeten with table sugar, maple syrup or rice malt syrup rather than honey. When deep frying at home, coat foods in rice flour, cornflour or gluten free breadcrumbs, and season with salt, pepper, paprika or chives instead of onion or garlic powder.

Common questions

is vegetable fat low fodmap

Yes. Plain vegetable fat is low FODMAP at Any typical portion, because it is refined fat with virtually no carbohydrate. The rating is estimated from what it is made of.

is vegetable shortening low fodmap

Plain shortening is a vegetable fat and sits in the same low place. Check that the label lists only fats and oils, since blends with added milk solids or flavourings are a different product.

is pastry made with vegetable fat low fodmap

Not by default. The fat is low, but ordinary pastry is made with wheat flour, so it needs a gluten free flour to come down to low.

what can i use instead of vegetable fat in baking

Butter is a common swap and is low in lactose. For a dairy-free option, a plain neutral oil such as canola or sunflower works in many recipes.

Learn more

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

Vegetable Fat is an estimated rating: it is inferred from the food's ingredients and composition and cross-checked, not measured directly in the papers below. The low, moderate and high cutoffs are still those of Varney et al. (2017).

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.