Let’s talk about green beans, FODMAPs, and their bad rap in the IBS diet. Are green beans FODMAP-friendly? Yes, green beans low FODMAP but much like a lot of foods on the low FODMAP list, they require portion control.
Before we get into green beans, FODMAPs and more, let’s have a look at a few topics we’ll be covering in today’s green beans FODMAP guide:
We meant it when we said green beans, FODMAPs, and more. Without further adieu, we’re going to get this green beans FODMAP journey started with the star of the show: Are green beans low FODMAP?
Green Beans FODMAP
Simply put, green beans are low FODMAP but in moderation. Monash University (the creators of the low FODMAP IBS diet) recommend 15 green beans or 75 grams. Green beans contain moderate amounts of FODMAPs at a serving size of 25 green beans or 125 grams. So, yes, green beans are technically low FODMAP but like everything else, moderation is key!
Note: Cooking green beans will shrink them. Measure out 75 grams of green beans after they’re cooked to make sure you aren’t surpassing the recommended serving size (or to see if you can sneak in a few more beans).
Now that we’ve gotten their FODMAPs covered, let’s tackle another issue. Green beans, string beans, french beans, haricot verts, what’s the difference?
Green Beans or String Beans
The green beans vs string beans is a debate that can be solved by looking at the history of this low FODMAP veg. Green beans and string beans are in fact the same thing.
Modern farming has given us seedless grapes, watermelons, and bananas, among many other minor nuisances that come with eating fruit and veggies. Green beans are also known as string beans because there was a time when they actually had “strings”. These strings had to be removed before eaten because they were tough, chewy, and well, stringy.
Imagine taking a bite of your green bean casserole and having a piece of inedible floss-like string in your bite. Not very pleasant. The green beans we have today have been bred to be somewhat string free but the name string bean has still stuck around.
Not only do green beans go by string beans but they’ve also got other names like snap beans, broad beans, french beans, or haricot verts. But not all green beans are green and sometimes they’re even confused with green peas!
Before we get into the different names and variations of green and not so green beans, let’s first tackle the bean vs legume debate. If green beans are low FODMAP, are green peas low FODMAP too?
What About Green Peas FODMAP?
Green peas are not green beans but the peas do grow in a type of green bean. One quick search of green peas FODMAP monash and you’ll find that green peas have a serving size of 15 grams.
Green peas come from the Pisum sativum plant or more commonly known as the garden pea. It looks like a snow pea (it isn’t a snow pea) but plumper. We’ll get into this issue a little later.*
Why do they have a different serving size if they come from a genus of green beans? Technically, all beans are legumes but not all legumes are beans. Green beans produce beans and peas in their pods and are in the legume family. But lentils are also a legume.
Although they’re a great source of fibre, beans and legumes are considered high FODMAP foods and should be eaten according to the recommended serving size. So, all beans are legumes but not all legumes are beans but does that mean all beans are low FODMAP?
In the next section, we’re going to look at the different types of green beans and their FODMAPs.
Are All Beans Low FODMAP?
Low FODMAP beans on a low FODMAP diet sounds like a ruse. Beans have a bad rap for making normal people without IBS gloat up and get gassy. Generally, legumes and beans are high FODMAP but that doesn’t mean you have to wipe them out of your diet. Today we’ll be focusing less on beans as legumes and more on beans as in the vegetable. Here are some safe FODMAP-friendly green beans:
- Green beans
- Long beans
- Flat beans (snow peas)
Green Beans
We’ve already established that green beans FODMAPs are low. This section is to let you know that French beans, string beans, and haricot verts also fall under the green bean category. Non-green beans like wax beans that are yellow or purple also fall under this category.
Also known as green beans are these guys:
They are the dried variation and can be used in sweet and savory dishes.
Long Beans
Long beans are also known as yardlong beans because of how long they are. They taste like green beans but they have a chewier and crunchier texture compared to green beans. Like green beans, they are also low FODMAP but need to be eaten in moderation. Monash recommends a one cup portion and not more. Yardlong beans are high FODMAP at 3 cups.
Flat Beans
Flat beans also go by Italian green beans, Romano beans and snow peas. They are flat and wide with little beans inside. Peas come from a species of flat beans or snow peas but snow peas themselves.
Sugar snaps look like flat beans but they have larger beans inside. They are a cross between garden peas and sugar snaps. Sugar snap peas are low FODMAP at 14 grams (about 4 pods).
Garden peas or pisum sativum are where green peas come from and they look like plump flat beans but they’re not!
That was a lot of pea talk. We’re going to get back on track with the topic at hand and circle back to green beans. Yes, fresh green beans FODMAP-safe at 75 grams but what about canned green beans?
Are Canned Green Beans Low FODMAP?
Fresh green bean FODMAP, check! But are canned green beans low FODMAP? Canned foods are great because they last long and they’re budget friendly and if you’ve been on the low FODMAP IBS diet long enough, you’ll notice that some canned produce are low FODMAP when the fresh product isn’t or have a different serving size.
Canned green beans follow the same principle and serving size as fresh green beans but make sure they’re in regular brine without any added onion or garlic. Choose canned green beans with carrots or any other low FODMAP vegetable and make sure there aren’t any added seasonings that fall in the high FODMAP category.
Now that we’ve answered questions like is green beans for ibs okay? And covered everything we could possibly imagine about green beans and FODMAPs. What on earth are you supposed to serve them with or how do you even cook green beans?
How To Cook Green Beans
Enough about beans, FODMAPs and what not, let’s get into the real reason why we’re all here: FOOD. More importantly, tasty low FODMAP green bean recipes. Green beans FODMAP levels at 75 grams per serving makes for a good side or a team player in a dish. But how do you cook green beans?
Here are a few options:
- Roast
- Pan-fry
- Boil and season
There are plenty of ways to cook and serve green beans but we’ll stick to the basics for today. They’re ready to cook after they’ve been washed and the ends have been removed.
Roast
Toss your green beans in an array of herbs, spices, and a bit of olive oil and roast them in the oven for a delicious accompaniment to any meal. Our recommendation is to roast them for 10 minutes at 180c or 356f to retain that nice crunch. But if you like them a little softer, keep them in the oven for an extra 5-10 minutes.
Pan-fry
Another quick and easy way to cook green beans is to quickly pan-fry or stir-fry them in a hot pan on high heat for 3-5 minutes. Green beans are a great addition to fried rice, vegetable stir fries, and meat dishes!
Boil and Season
The easiest way to get vibrant green beans? Blanch or boil them in a pot of hot water for 3-5 minutes and toss them in a lovely butter sauce. Our low FODMAP vegetarian pumpkin, whipped feta, and garlic oil green beans has been one of our go to vegetarian low FODMAP dishes and our favorite way to serve green beans. It’s a roasted spiced pumpkin with garlic buttered beans, on a bed of whipped feta, cranberries, and pine nuts.
Well, that’s all for today folks. As promised, green beans FODMAP: everything you need to know and more. Give our low FODMAP pumpkin and green bean dish a try and if you already have, let us know what you thought!
If we missed anything, feel free to let us know in the comments below. How do you use green beans? Are they a staple food in your kitchen? We particularly love them slathered in tomato sambal.
More about FODMAP foods here:
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