Low FODMAP flour + high FODMAP flour list

Low FODMAP diet

By Kirsten Jackson

Low FODMAP flour can be a great way to enjoy baking if you have IBS.

This article will discuss which flours are high and low FODMAP, including links to low FODMAP flours you can buy. We will also share 26 delicious recipes using low FODMAP flours for you to try at home.

Does flour contain FODMAPs?

Yes, some flours contain the FODMAPs galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and fructans.

If you are following the low FODMAP diet or are sensitive to these FODMAPs, you can avoid high FODMAP flours.

According to Monash, the following flours are high FODMAP:

All wheat flour – this includes white, wholemeal, plain, and self-raising
Kamut flour
Einkorn flour
Emmer flour
Rye flour
Amaranth flour
Barley flour
Lupin flour
Coconut flour
Chestnut flour
Spelt flour

Which flours are low FODMAP?

In this section, we will discuss which flours have been tested as low FODMAP by Monash. We will also provide links to products and recipes.

Sorghum is a low FODMAP flour

Sorghum flour is made from milling sorghum grains. It is rich in fibre and micronutrients such as magnesium, iron, and B vitamins (1). It also contains different phenolic compounds which have antioxidant effects (2).

Sorghum flour can be used for making pancakes, muffins, or bread.

Here is a link to low FODMAP sourdough bread which you can make at home.

Low FODMAP sorghum flour products you can buy include:

Rice flour is a low FODMAP flour

There are two types of rice flour: white and brown, and both are low FODMAP.

Brown rice flour contains approximately 9-times more dietary fibre and micronutrients than white rice flour (3, 4). In brown rice flour, the bran remains in the product and provides fibre and micronutrients.

Rice flour can be an alternative to wheat flour, and you can use it in various ways. It can thicken stews, make a cake, or even noodles.

Here is a recipe for low FODMAP carrot cake that uses rice flour.

Low FODMAP rice flour products to buy include:

Buckwheat flour is a low FODMAP flour

Buckwheat is a source of dietary fibre, vitamins B, iron, magnesium, potassium, and others (5). It also contains different flavonoids; it is especially rich in rutin. Rutin has shown the ability to reduce serum cholesterol (6).

You can use buckwheat flour to make bread, but you will get the best results when combining different flours. You can also try to make some delicious cookies.

Recipes you can try using buckwheat flour:

Low FODMAP buckwheat flour you can buy:

Teff flour is a low FODMAP flour

Teff flour is an ancient cereal crop from Ethiopia and is rich in dietary fibre and iron (8).

It can be used to make flatbread, or you can mix it with other low FODMAP flours and make pancakes, bread, or waffles.

You could try to make this Chocolate teff loaf using Bob’s Red Mill teff flour.

Maize flour is a low FODMAP flour

Maize or corn flour is widely used for baking bread and sweets such as muffins and pancakes.

Try to bake some Cornbread muffins or Fody cornmeal blueberry pancakes.

The following maize flours can be used:

Millet flour is a low FODMAP flour

Millet flour contains micronutrients such as zinc, magnesium, and iron (9). You can include millet flour in sweet and savoury dishes, such as pizza dough or muffins.

You may like to try making this Millet bread or Low FODMAP pizza Margherita with zucchini crust.

Millet flour products include:

Quinoa flour is a low FODMAP flour

Quinoa flour is made from milling quinoa. You can use quinoa flour to enrich your dishes as it is high in protein, dietary fibre, and iron. 100 g of quinoa flour covers 39% of your daily needs for iron (10).

You can use quinoa flour for making bread or cookies , pancakes and muffins when combined with other low FODMAP flours.

Or, you can try and make these quinoa pancakes and orange quinoa loaf.

Low FODMAP quinoa flours include:

Green banana flour is a low FODMAP flour

Green banana flour is made from peeled, dried, and ground green bananas. The flour is rich in potassium and dietary fibre (11).

Green banana flour works the best in sweet recipes. You can try to make Green banana flour waffles.

Low FODMAP green banana flours to buy include:

Sieved spelt flour is a low FODMAP flour

Although spelt flour is high FODMAP, it is used to make low FODMAP spelt sourdough bread. This is due to the processing that results in reducing the FODMAPs.

Sieved spelt flour is low FODMAP in 100g, as per Monash. It has been put through a very fine sieve to remove the bran, reducing the FODMAP (GOS and fructan) content.

It can be used in savour and sweet dishes and can therefore be a great alternative to wheat flour. If you need some inspiration on using sieved spelt flour, you can try to make Low FODMAP spice cake.

Low FODMAP sieved spelt flour you can buy include:

Oat flour

Oat flour is made from ground oats and can be prepared at home. According to Monash, oat flour is suitbale up to 60 g only. However, larger amounts of oats and oat flour are high FODMAP due to oligosaccharides content.

Oat flour is a versatile ingredient. Oat flour works well in bread, cookies, pancakes, or cakes.

Try making this low FODMAP oat flour soda bread to experiment with oat flour.

Examples of low FODMAP oat flours include:

Cassava flour is a low FODMAP flour

Cassava flour is made from cassava root. It consists mainly of carbohydrates (12). Cassava flour can be used as a gluten-free substitute for wheat flour.

Cassava flour works well in bread and tortilla recipes. Try out Cassava flour tortillas and Cassava flour banana bread.

Suitable cassava flour brands are:

Added high FODMAP ingredients in flour

When choosing a flour, always check the ingredients to make sure there are no added ingredients that are high FODMAP.

Common high FODMAP added ingredients include:

Other added high FODMAP flour, such as in blends
Bran of high FODMAP cereals (e. g., wheat bran)
Soybeans or other beans
Chickpeas
Inulin

Is all gluten free flour low FODMAP??

Gluten is not a FODMAP and therefore does not necessarily mean that the flour will be low in FODMAPs. However, gluten-free foods are often low in the FODMAP fructans.

You can purchase flours from gluten-free brands that use a mixture of low flours, such as rice flour, potato, and tapioca starch.

Low FODMAP, gluten-free blends are tested by Monash include:

More recipes using low FODMAP flour

Five low FODMAP bread recipes

Making a low FODMAP bread can be challenging as low FODMAP flour does not usually contain gluten. Gluten adds elasticity to the dough and is responsible for the typical consistency of the bread (14).

Low FODMAP bread recipes you can try are:

Five low FODMAP sweet recipes

For sweet over savoury preferences, you can try these low FODMAP recipes instead.

We collected the following low FODMAP sweets recipes:

It is important to be aware of FODMAP stacking when baking with low FODMAP flours and other ingredients.

Summary

The low FODMAP diet can be overwhelming. When it comes to baking, IBS should not stop you from experimenting in the kitchen.

Teff, buckwheat, rice, maize, quinoa, oat, cassava and gluten-free blends are all examples of low FODMAP flours. These are great flours to make different types of low FODMAP bread or sweet snacks.

We hope you enjoy trying out the low FODMAP recipes linked!

Written by Barbara Lešnik, Student Dietitian, reviewed by Bethany Willson, Specialist Gastroenterology Dietitian and Kirsten Jackson, Consultant Dietitian BSc Hons, RD, PG Cert.

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