WHAT IS THE CRANBERRY FODMAP CONTENT LIKE?

Low FODMAP diet

By Kirsten Jackson

You may be wondering, what is the cranberry FODMAP content like? Cranberries and cranberry products are low FODMAP in specific serving sizes.

Cranberries can be a delicious accompaniment to meals and snacks.

This article will explain how to incorporate cranberries into the low FODMAP diet. Be sure to check out the recipes at the end.

We will also discuss the FODMAP content of cranberry juice and cranberry sauce.

WHAT IS THE CRANBERRY FODMAP CONTENT IN FRESH AND FROZEN CRANBERRIES?

Fresh and frozen cranberries are low FODMAP in small ½ cup servings, so you can enjoy them on the low FODMAP diet if you are mindful about portion sizes (1).

It is important to always refer to the Monash University FODMAP Diet App.

WHAT ARE CRANBERRIES?

Cranberries are a fruit. They are small, round, bright red berries grown on evergreen (2). They are known for their tart flavor and often in cooking and baking.

If you are interested in low FODMAP fruits ‌check out our previous post on this.

DRIED CRANBERRIES FODMAP CONTENT

Dried cranberries are low FODMAP in a smaller 13g portion size compared to fresh cranberries.

In larger 26g servings they contain moderate levels of fructans.

Therefore, you might prefer to use them as a topping for salads or breakfast cereals to help you stick to the low FODMAP portion size.

Fructans are a type of FODMAP that can be responsible for gut symptoms.

To learn more about fructans, see our previous post: Fructans – Are You Intolerant to Them?

CRANBERRY JUICE FODMAP CONTENT

A glass (200ml) of cranberry juice has a low FODMAP content, according to the Monash App (1).

For more information on juices and recommendations of low FODMAP juice brands, see our previous article on low FODMAP fruit juice.

It is important to look out for high FODMAP ingredients that may be added to cranberry juice, such as other fruit juices or concentrates and sugar alcohols.

Sugar alcohols end in ‘-ol’ and include:

Sorbitol
Mannitol
Maltitol
Xylitol.

Sugar alcohols are often used as sweeteners. For more information on sweeteners, check out our post: Which Sweeteners Are Low FODMAP? Dietitian Advice For IBS

CRANBERRY SAUCE

Cranberry sauce has not been officially tested by Monash University. However, from earlier in the article we know fresh cranberries are considered low in FODMAPs at 50g.

The FODMAP content will vary depending on if dried or fresh cranberries were used as the low FODMAP portion of these differ (1).

Similar to juice, it is important to look out for high FODMAP ingredients in cranberry sauce, such as high fructose corn syrup (3).

If you would prefer to make your own cranberry sauce, there is a great recipe at the end of this article.

For suggestions on how to have a low FODMAP Thanksgiving, check out our previous article.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CRANBERRIES?

Cranberries are a source of antioxidants which can help to prevent the development of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases (4).

They contain the antioxidant vitamin C. Vitamin C has many functions such as:

maintaining immune health
wound healing
aiding iron absorption
maintaining skin, bones, and cartilage (5).

Cranberries have been shown to have an antibacterial effect and in the form of juice, concentrated powders and tablets they may be useful to prevent urinary tract infections (4).

LOW FODMAP CRANBERRY RECIPES

Here are some tasty recipes which you can try:

SUMMARY

While cranberries are not considered a low FODMAP fruit, due to their content of fructans, they can still be enjoyed on the low FODMAP diet.

It is important to stick to the 50g serving size for fresh or frozen cranberries and the 13g serving size for dried cranberries.

For cranberry products such as juice and cranberry sauce, it is important to read ingredient lists to avoid any high FODMAP ingredients that may have been added.

Given that cranberry sauce has not been tested you might prefer to make your own.

If you are unsure how to incorporate cranberries into your diet while following the low FODMAP serving size restrictions, check out the recipes linked above.

Article written by Manisha Kaur (Student Dietitian), reviewed by Kirsten Jackson, Consultant Dietitian BSc Hons, RD, PG Cert

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