Refreshing low FODMAP drink options: Gut-Friendly Beverages

Low FODMAP diet

By Kirsten Jackson

You may be wondering what low FODMAP drinks there are that you can have on the low FODMAP diet (not just water!).

FODMAPs are short chain carbohydrates found in certain foods that are not completely digested or absorbed in the intestines, which ferment and produce gas as a result.

Thankfully, there are plenty of low FODMAP drink options to choose from, ranging from juices, soft drinks and hot drinks to teas, smoothies and alcohol.

Choosing a low FODMAP drink suitable to consume if you are on the low FODMAP diet can be challenging, as some ingredients are hidden, and exact quantities can sometimes be undisclosed.

However, this blog post will help to outline what drinks are low FODMAP that you can consume on a low FODMAP diet.

Which Soft Drinks are Low FODMAP Drinks?

Water

Water naturally contains no FODMAPs and is safe to drink on the low FODMAP diet.

It is essential for hydration; the recommendations are that you drink 35ml/kg/day (1).

Coconut Water

Pre-packaged coconut water and fresh coconut juice are a low FODMAP drink in a 100ml serving; however, you should avoid consuming higher servings due to sorbitol and fructan content (2).

Low FODMAP Fruit and Vegetable Juice

Many fruits contain certain levels of two types of FODMAPs: fructose and sorbitol.

When we make juice, it is a concentrated form of the vegetable or fruit and so it becomes high FODMAP.

However, there are still some forms of juice like lime juice which is low FODMAP and other juice which is allowed in certain quantities.

To learn more about low FODMAP juices, check out our blog post – Low FODMAP Fruit Juice.

Cordial

Cordial is a sweet, concentrated syrup made from fruits and botanicals and is most commonly diluted with other drinks such as water and sparkling drinks such as prosecco and champagne.

Orange cordial made with 25-50% real fruit juice is a low FODMAP drink when 16ml is diluted in 144ml water (2). You can check the contents of fruit juice by looking at the percentage on the food label.

You should avoid consuming portions higher than this due to containing moderate amounts of fructose (2).

Monash also tested a mixed fruit cordial with a rosehip base and found that it is low FODMAP when 25 ml is diluted in 250ml water (2).

Low FODMAP Fizzy Drinks

Fizzy drinks are a type of soft drink, and there are plenty of fizzy drinks that you can enjoy on the low

FODMAP diet, which include:

Sprite
Lemonade
Diet Coke
Pepsi Max
7 Up
IRN-BRU

It is important to note that some fizzy drinks with low calorie or diet alternatives often have sweeteners, some of which may be high FODMAP that can cause unwanted IBS symptoms.

Check out our blog post on sweeteners – Which Sweeteners Are Low FODMAP? – to learn more!

Are Celsius Drinks Low FODMAP?

Celsius drinks are energy drinks that are caffeinated with green coffee bean extract and sweetened with stevia, a low FODMAP sweetener.

Celsius drinks are low FODMAP as they do not contain significant amounts of high FODMAP ingredients that will trigger IBS symptoms.

Are Bai Drinks Low FODMAP?

Bai drinks are a low calorie, healthy alternative to sodas. They are infused with different fruit flavors.

Many Bai drinks contain fruit juice from concentrate from high FODMAP fruit. However, the concentration of fruit juice in bai drinks are not specified and therefore are possibly high FODMAP drinks.

Sparkling Ice Drinks

Sparkling ice drinks are flavored carbonated sparkling water drinks that use fruit and vegetables juices to give them their flavor.

You may find sparkling ice drinks may or may not be high FODMAP depending on whether the fruit juice from concentrate is made from high FODMAP fruit.

If you want to learn more about fruits, see our blog post on Low FODMAP Fruits.

Which Energy Drinks Are Low FODMAP?

Energy drinks are drinks that contain a stimulant, usually caffeine. They also often contain sugar, sweeteners and herbal extracts.

Monash has not tested any energy drinks for FODMAPs; however, an energy drink is likely to be low FODMAP if it contains low amounts of high FODMAP ingredients such as:

High fructose corn syrup
Molasses
Fructose
High FODMAP fruit juice

Low FODMAP energy drinks include:

However, caffeine may impact IBS by triggering symptoms, and your caffeine tolerance may need to be identified before consuming highly caffeinated drinks.

Which Hot Drinks Are Considered Low FODMAP Drinks?

Tea is a beverage consumed in many cultures and is prepared by soaking tea leaves in boiling water. Many tea options contain few or no FODMAPS, which you can enjoy on a low FODMAP diet.

However, sometimes tea is high FODMAP because the FODMAPs can leach out into the water. The FODMAP content of some teas also depends on their strength and how long they have been brewed for.

To find out more about the teas you can consume on the low FODMAP diet, check out our post – What Is The Best Tea For IBS

Iced Tea

Iced tea is also a low FODMAP drink option if it is homemade using naturally low FODMAP tea and other low FODMAP ingredients, such as sugar or maple syrup.

However, you should be cautious of the length of brewing when making homemade iced tea, as some strongly brewed tea can be high in FODMAPs.

Freed Beverages Iced Tea are Monash certified low FODMAP drinks (2).

Shop-bought iced tea is likely to not be low FODMAP due to containing high FODMAP ingredients such as fructose and undisclosed amounts of fruit juice from concentrate.

Matcha

You can enjoy matcha on a low FODMAP diet, as it is a low FODMAP drink in a one-teaspoon serving (2). However, higher amounts do contain fructans and may trigger symptoms.

Coffee

Coffee is a low FODMAP drink because it contains no FODMAPs.

Monash tested a single and double espresso shot and found both to be low FODMAP (2).

Instant coffee is also a low FODMAP drink you can enjoy on a low FODMAP diet (2).

Caffeine can impact symptoms of IBS, so it is important to recognise your tolerance to caffeine (3, 4).

You may also find our post on coffee useful: How Does Coffee Affect IBS?

What Alcoholic Drinks Are Considered Low FODMAP Drinks?

Wine, beer and most liquors are good low FODMAP drink options (2).

However, there is some alcohol that cannot be consumed on a low FODMAP diet such as fortified and dessert wines and some spirits.

To learn more about alcohol and the low FODMAP diet, check out our blog post – Can You Drink Alcohol On The Low FODMAP Diet?

What Sports Drinks are Low FODMAP Drinks?

Fructose and high fructose corn syrup are sweeteners to look out for that are often added to sports drinks, which can make them high FODMAP.

Monash has tested Cerasport and Ceralyte hydration products and found the following products to be low FODMAP (2) :

Cerasport Hydration Powder Stick – Citrus Flavor
Cerasport Hydration Powder Pouch – Citrus Flavor
Cerasport EX1 Hydration Powder Stick – Pomegranate Acai Flavor
Ceralyte 70 Hydration Powder Sachet – Lemon Flavor
Ceralyte 70 Hydration Powder Stick – Lemon Flavor

Monash has not tested these sports drinks for FODMAPs, however they do contain low FODMAP ingredients:

CLIF Hydration – Lemon Lime-ade Flavor
Gatorade G2
Gatorade G Zero
Powerade Zero
Skratch Labs – Lemon + Lime, Orange, Strawberry Lemonade
Tailwind Endurance Fuel – Naked (Unflavored), Lemon, Mandarin, Orange, Berry
Tailwind Active Hydration – all flavors

Are Smoothies Low FODMAP Drinks?

Smoothies are low FODMAP drinks when they contain only low FODMAP ingredients.

Smoothies can be high FODMAP if they contain high FODMAP fruit, vegetables or other liquid ingredients, so making or buying smoothies with only low FODMAP ingredients is essential.

Consuming smoothies is a great way to add energy and nutrients to your diet, such as fiber, vitamins and minerals (5).

To learn more about low FODMAP smoothies, check out our post – Low FODMAP Smoothies – 25 Recipes.

What Milks Are Low FODMAP Drinks?

There are many low FODMAP milks that can be enjoyed on the low FODMAP diet, both dairy and alternative milks.

However, the FODMAPs found in different milk options can vary, ranging from the type of FODMAP to the certain quantities that can cause a milk to become high FODMAP.

To find out the best milk to consume, check out our post – Does Low FODMAP Milk Exist? – to learn more about low-FODMAP milks.

Drinking Powder

Drinking powders have to be combined with another liquid to form a drink.

Monash has found the following products to be low FODMAP (2):

Creamer
Drinking chocolate powder – 23%, 60%, 70%
Malted powder chocolate flavor

Protein Powder

Protein powder is made by extracting protein through the use of heat or enzymes to remove its water content and subsequently produce protein powder.

Monash has tested some protein powders and found them to be low FODMAP (2).

You can consume many different types of protein powder on a low FODMAP diet, including animal-based and vegan protein powders.

However, some FODMAPs still remain in protein powder and may also contain high FODMAP ingredients, such as sweeteners.

It is important to remember to mix protein powders with low FODMAP milk or other low FODMAP liquid liquids to keep it a low FODMAP drink.

If you would like to find out more about protein powder, check out our Low FODMAP Protein Powder blog post.

Summary

Many low FODMAP drink options are available to choose from and consume whilst on a low FODMAP diet.

It is important to check ingredient labels of drinks for high FODMAP ingredients or check the Monash app for Monash-certified low FODMAP drinks.

There are some drinks and ingredients that Monash has not officially tested. You you should take caution before you consume these products.

You can enjoy soft drinks on the low FODMAP diet. For example water, coconut water, and certain juices like orange, cranberry, lime, lemon, and tomato juice.

Many hot low FODMAP drinks are available, including many teas, coffee and matcha. However, some tea, including black and chai tea, is only low FODMAP when brewed weakly.

Alcohol that includes wine, beers, and some liquors are low FODMAP alcoholic drinks that can be consumed on the low FODMAP diet.

Milk considered low FODMAP drinks includes lactose-free cow’s milk, almond milk, rice milk, macadamia milk, quinoa milk, and cashew milk.

Some sports drinks and protein powders have been tested and found to be low in FODMAPs. However, you should check the ingredient label for high FODMAP ingredients present.

Smoothies are an excellent low FODMAP drink option if they contain only low FODMAP ingredients.

Written by Georgina Taylor, reviewed by Kirsten Jackson, Consultant Dietitian BSc Hons, RD, PG Cert

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