Yellow Split Pea

Why yellow split pea is rated high

Yellow split peas are high FODMAP, and the reason is GOS, the carbohydrate that runs through peas, beans and lentils. The rating is estimated from what they are made of rather than from a measured serving, so the ladder is described in words rather than weights. Even a "Small serving" reads MODERATE, by a "Moderate serving" it is HIGH, and it stays HIGH at a "Large serving". There is no rung where split peas come in low, so the honest answer is that this is a high FODMAP food whose smallest step is still one to count, not a free spoonful.

What changes your risk

• Serving size The climb is steep: "Small serving" is MODERATE, while "Moderate serving" and "Large serving" are both HIGH. A dal or soup where split peas are the main ingredient sits at the high end almost by default.
• The cooking liquid GOS dissolves in water, so some of it moves out of the peas into the pot. Boiling them in plenty of water and pouring that water away removes some GOS. In a soup or dal the liquid stays in the bowl, so the GOS stays with it, and long simmering or blending does not break it down.
• Canned, drained and rinsed If you find split peas sold already cooked in a can or pouch, tip them into a sieve, discard the liquid and rinse under cold running water. Canned legumes treated this way consistently run lower than the same legume boiled from dried, though the rating on this page still applies to split peas as a food.
• Stacking with other legumes GOS adds up across a meal. Split pea soup alongside hummus, a chickpea salad, lentils or baked beans piles GOS on GOS before the split peas even reach their higher rungs.
• Onion and garlic in the pot Split pea soup and dal are usually started with onion and garlic and simmered in a stock that contains them, which adds their own FODMAP load on top of the GOS. Garlic-infused oil and the green tops of spring onions keep that extra load out.

Swaps

Because the issue is GOS, another legume at an ordinary serving is not the fix: chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans and baked beans carry the same problem. For the thick, golden, spoonable role split peas play in soup and dal, a purée of carrot and potato with turmeric and cumin gets close in colour and body, and rice or quinoa cooked soft in a homemade stock made without onion or garlic fills the comforting base. For the protein a pea soup brings, firm tofu, eggs or plain chicken work well, and pumpkin seeds scattered on top add crunch.

How to lower the load

If you still want split peas in a dish, make them a supporting ingredient rather than the base, and keep in mind that even a "Small serving" sits at MODERATE. Cook dried split peas in plenty of water until just tender, then drain them in a sieve and discard the water before adding them to the dish, rather than letting them simmer down into their own liquid. Build the flavour with garlic-infused oil, cumin, ginger, asafoetida and the green tops of spring onions instead of onion and garlic. When ordering dal or pea soup out, ask whether it is made with yellow split peas, since they are usually the main ingredient and the pot is almost always started with onion and garlic.

Common questions

are yellow split peas low fodmap

No. Yellow split peas are rated high FODMAP overall because of their GOS. Even a "Small serving" reads MODERATE, and a "Moderate serving" is HIGH.

how much yellow split pea can i eat on low fodmap

There is no low rung on the ladder. The smallest step, "Small serving", is already MODERATE, and "Moderate serving" and "Large serving" are HIGH, so split peas are not low FODMAP at any serving described here.

does draining split peas reduce gos

It helps. GOS is water-soluble, so boiling split peas in plenty of water and pouring the water away, or draining and rinsing canned ones, removes some of it. Cooking itself does not destroy GOS, and in a soup where the liquid stays, the GOS stays too.

what can i use instead of split peas in dal

A purée of potato and carrot with turmeric and cumin gives a similar golden, thick base, and firm tofu or eggs add protein. Lentils or chickpeas are not low FODMAP swaps at ordinary servings, because they carry the same GOS.