Are apples low FODMAP?
Two FODMAPs, not one
Most high FODMAP foods are high in a single group. Apple carries two: excess fructose (more fructose than glucose, which makes the fructose harder to absorb) and sorbitol, a polyol. That combination is why apple tends to produce symptoms readily, and why the low FODMAP threshold for it is so much smaller than for foods that are high in only one group.
Cooking does not remove it
Stewed apple, baked apple and apple in a crumble are all still high FODMAP — heat does not break down fructose or sorbitol. Peeling doesn't help either; the FODMAPs are in the flesh, not the skin.
Concentrated forms are worse than the whole fruit:
- Apple juice — the fibre is gone and the sugars are concentrated
- Dried apple — the water is gone, so the FODMAPs per mouthful are much higher
- Apple purée and apple sauce — typically several apples' worth in a small serve
- Apple juice concentrate — a very common sweetener in "no added sugar" snacks, bars and drinks
That last one catches people out regularly: a product marketed as having no added sugar is often sweetened with apple or pear juice concentrate instead, which is high FODMAP.
What to eat instead
Firm bananas, oranges, kiwifruit, and strawberries are reliable low FODMAP fruit at normal serving sizes. See our are bananas low FODMAP guide for the ripeness detail — bananas are the one fruit where the answer changes as they sit in the bowl — and our are oranges low FODMAP guide.
For the wider picture, see our low FODMAP food list guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a small serve of apple that is low FODMAP?
A very small amount — Monash puts it at roughly 20 grams, around a couple of thin slices. That is far less than a whole apple, so in practice most people treat apple as one to avoid during the elimination phase rather than one to portion carefully.
Are green apples lower FODMAP than red ones?
Slightly, but not enough to matter. Granny Smith apples are a little lower in excess fructose than sweeter red varieties, but both exceed the low FODMAP threshold well before a normal serving size.
Is apple juice low FODMAP?
No, and it is worse than the fruit. Juicing concentrates the fructose and removes the fibre, so a glass of apple juice delivers the FODMAPs of several apples at once. Dried apple is concentrated in the same way.