Low FODMAP Nuts: The Complete Guide

Kelsey Moore

6 min readMay 15, 2023

Are you a nut lover but need to follow a low FODMAP diet?

Good news! There are many low FODMAP nuts; keep reading in to learn more!

Benefits of Low FODMAP Nuts

Low FODMAP nuts are a source of a wide variety of nutrients. Specifically, most low FODMAP nuts are sources of:

Unsaturated fats
Protein
Fibre
Magnesium
Manganese
Vitamin E

These nutrients may play a role reducing the risk of:

Heart Disease
Lowering Cholesterol
Type 2 Diabetes
Reducing Inflammation
Cancer

Now that you know what nutrients are in low FODMAP nuts and what health benefits they provide, let’s dive into which nuts are low FODMAP.

Low FODMAP Nuts

1. Almonds

Almonds are a versatile nut and an easy way to get healthy fats in your diet.

If you’re consuming almonds regularly, the price can creep up. Thus, we recommend buying almonds in bulk or large quantities, like from Costco, to help keep costs down!

But beware, 20 almonds is considered a high FODMAP serving as it’s high in Galacto-oligosccahardies (GOS — a FODMAP!) so keep it to 10 almonds or less per serving.

2. Pine Nuts

Pine nuts are pretty pricey, so we recommend limiting these to keep costs down! However, if you consume pine nuts, keep it to 1 tablespoon or less per serving to keep it low FODMAP.

Macadamia nuts and activated cashews taste similar to pine nuts and are a lower-cost swap for pine nuts. Further, both of thes nuts work particularly well in homemade pestos!

3. Activated Cashews

Wait, aren’t cashews high in FODMAPS? Technically, yes. But, good news, there is a way to consume cashews that makes them a low FODMAP nut! Activated cashews.

What are activated cashews? Simple. Activated cashews are cashews that are soaked in salt water and then dehydrated. This process allows the leaching of some oligos.

To try yourself, place some cashews in a bowl, fill with lightly salted water until they are covered and let soak for 4–12 hours. Next, drain and rinse the cashews and finally dehydrate them in a dehydrator (115 °C) 12–24 hours.

Ok, you may be thinking this sounds like a lot of work. Honestly, it can take a bit of time. So, we recommend making them in large batches to save time down the road.

Further, if you are just starting the low-FODMAP diet, save this cashew hack for later once you’ve gotten comfortable with the diet and have found your food triggers.

4. Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts are a decedent low FODMAP nut. In addition, their buttery texture makes them ideally suited for nut butter spreads or sprinkled on a salad for extra crunch.

However, macadamia nuts are expensive, so use sparingly or opt for peanuts or sunflower seeds instead for a lower-cost option!

5. Peanuts

When it comes to low FODMAP nuts, peanuts are your friend. Moreover, peanuts are low FODMAP and cost-effective at 28 g, about 32 nuts per serving.

Here are four ways to include peanuts in low-FODMAP snacks:

2 tbsp. Natural peanut butter with rice crackers
3 peanut butter stuff dates (mas 2 tbsp. Natural peanut butter)
2 tbsp. Natural peanut butter, 65 g strawberries, ½ firm banana, ½ cup lactose-free milk blended into a smoothie
Lactose-free yogurt with 1–2 tbsp. Natural peanut butter

6. Brazil Nuts

Did you know brazil nuts are an excellent source of selenium? For example, 1 serving (28 grams) contains roughly ten times the daily requirements for selenium! But what is selenium essential for, and is too much a bad thing?

Selenium is crucial for producing hormones for our thyroid and for the building blocks of DNA. However, too much selenium can be toxic (1). Thus, stick with one brail nut or less daily and no more than four per day.

Further, Brazil nuts are relatively large, so one chopped up into your oatmeal a few times per week should help you meet your selenium needs.

7. Pecans

Pecans are an excellent low-FODMAP nut as they are high in copper. Further, copper is essential for the immune system, red blood cells and nerve function (2).

Try pairing it with a small serving of dark chocolate (20 grams is low FODMAP) or on top of your morning lactose-free yogurt!

8. Walnuts

Omega 3’s may help reduce gut inflammation by balancing the good and bad bacteria, and combatting inflammation is crucial for those with IBS (3). Further, walnuts are a good source of omega 3’s and are low in FODMAPs!

To keep it low-FODMAP, stick to 30 grams (10 walnut halves) per serving.

How can you get walnuts in your diet more regularly? Try this tasty California Walnut Butter recipe!

High FODMAP Nuts

High FODMAP nuts must be avoided or limited on a low FODMAP diet as they can cause tummy troubles for some. Here is a list of high-FODMAP nuts:

Pistachios
Cashews

Remember, some nuts, like almonds, can be high FODMAP if consumed in high amounts. Therefore, always follow the recommended low FODMAP serving size to ensure you eat low FODMAP.

Shopping for Low FODMAP nuts

Nuts can be expensive! So, when shopping for low FODMAP nuts, we recommend shopping in the bulk section (as long as you don’t have any allergies!) or purchasing in large quantities.

Further, as nuts can be costly, you can opt for seeds as seeds often contain similar nutrients to nuts and have a similar flavour profile.

However, not all seeds are low FODMAP (and cost-effective!) Here is a list of low FODMAP seeds:

Sunflower seeds (2 tsp. Or 6 grams) — low cost!
Pumpkin seeds (2 tbsp. Or 23 grams)
Sesame seeds (1 tbsp. Or 11 grams)
Hemp seeds (2 tbsp. Or 20 grams)
Chia seeds ( 2 tbsp. Or 24 grams)

Recipes with Low FODMAP Nuts

Are you looking to include more low-FODMAP nuts in your diet? Here are five low-FODMAP recipes using nuts!

The Bottom Line

Most nuts are low FODMAP and chock-full of essential nutrients. However, serving size matters! Avoid cashews and pistachios as they are high in FODMAPs, even in small servings.

When shopping for low FODMAP nuts, peanuts are your cheapest option, and swapping nuts for seeds like sunflower seeds can also help you save on your grocery bill.

Want to learn more about FODMAPs? Check out this article on Low FODMAP Diets!