Are you a granola fan? Many of my clients start their day with granola and are crushed to learn that it may be contributing to some of their digestive issues. I help them review all their favorite foods for high FODMAP ingredients and now I can help you, too! Read below to see my complete guide to finding Low FODMAP granola and how to use it in your Low FODMAP diet.

New to the Low FODMAP diet? Start here with my Beginner’s Guide to the Low FODMAP Diet.

What is granola?

What is granola: rolled oats, nuts, seeds and sweetener. Sometimes it includes dried fruit like cranberries, raisins or dates. For the most part, it’s a healthy and possibly high fiber food that can be a regular part of your diet, even during your Low FODMAP elimination phase! First, we need to review the possible FODMAP groups you may encounter with granola and then we’ll dive into what specific ingredients to look out for. 

Potential FODMAPs in Granola

Fructans

Rolled oats are the main fructan that you’ll encounter, but some varieties contain some dried as well. Portion size will play a role in how much of the granola you can consume. 

Fructose

This is most commonly found in sweeteners like molasses and honey. Portion size matters though, so it’s important to see where in the ingredient list these sweeteners fall!

Sorbitol

This may be found in add-ins like coconut and some dried fruit. Again, portion size will play a role in whether that food contains a low FODMAP serving or high FODMAP serving. 

Ingredients to watch out for

As mentioned above, the portion size of many of these ingredients plays a role in whether a granola product is high or low FODMAP. I look at the recommended serving size of the granola and then scan the ingredient list to see what order everything falls in. Example: if the serving size says ⅔ cup and rolled oats is the first ingredient, I automatically know that’s too much as the Low FODMAP serving size of rolled oats is ½ cup. If a sweetener like honey or molasses has been added, I look for where it falls in the ingredient list. If it’s towards the bottom, it’s likely 1 tsp. You can also take a look at the nutrition label. For example: honey is 1 tsp, 7 grams. If there is 7 grams or less of added sugar per serving then you know it’s low FODMAP! This gets more tricky when multiple different types of sweeteners have been used or it’s a high sugar product. 

Sweeteners 

molasses (1 tsp), honey (1 tsp), coconut sugar (1 tsp), apple juice concentrate

Fiber

chicory root fiber, inulin

Grains

rolled oats (½ cup), puffed amaranth (¼ cup)

Dried fruit

Raisins (1 Tbsp), cranberries (2 Tbsp), 

Nuts

Pistachios and cashews are off limits, although Monash has tested activated cashews and they’re considered low at about 10 nuts. 

Grain-free granola

While very delicious (I’m looking at you, Purely Elizabeth Coconut Cashew!)The base of these is usually nuts and seeds. Just be mindful of the type of nut used along with what the serving size is. If the first few ingredients are cashews and coconut sugar, move along. 

How to include granola in your Low FODMAP Diet

1. Topping for yogurt
2. Topping for ice cream
3. Topping for smoothie bowls (check out my LoFo Smoothie Guide here)
4. Handful of granola as a snack.
5. Part of your breakfast

Low FODMAP Granola Brands

The only brand that has a full Low FODMAP granola line is 88 Acres. For all of the other brands listed, it really comes down to certain products under each brand that are considered Low FODMAP. Be sure to look at the nutrition label to find the serving size, which is usually somewhere between ¼-⅔ cup. Since we know oats are FODMAP friendly at ½ cup or less, be sure to keep YOUR serving size to ½ cup or less. 

• 88 Acres
  • Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Seed’Nola
  • Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Edge’Nola
  • Double Chocolate Mocha Seed’Nola
  • Cinnamon Maple Seed’Nola
• Early Bird
  • Farmhand’s Choice
  • Choc A Doodle Doo
  • Kiss My Oats
• Nature’s Path
  • Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter
  • Dark Chocolate and Red Berries
  • Love Crunch Dark Chocolate & Hazelnut Butter
• Safe & Fair
  • Banana Bread
  • Birthday Cake Granola
  • Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
  • Strawberry Shortcake
  • Key Lime Pie
• Nature Valley
  • Crunchy Oats and Honey (honey is ok at 1 tsp and is listed down towards the bottom of the ingredient list so this one is likely ok)
  • Crunchy Cinnamon
  • Crunchy Oats and Dark Chocolate

• Bear Naked Granola
  • Peanut Butter
  • Vanilla Almond
• One Degree Organics
  • Vanilla Chia Granola
  • Cinnamon Flax

Don’t see your favorite granola on this list? Review the ingredients and suggested portion sizes to see how FODMAP friendly it is. If it’s not, save it until after your Reintroduction Phase when you have more clarity on what your FODMAP intolerances are. 
Looking for more help navigating your Low FODMAP diet journey? Contact me to discuss scheduling a 1:1 consult here.