Wondering, “is mustard low FODMAP?” I was about to take a bite of my hotdog when this question popped up in my head. The answer to, “Is mustard low FODMAP” is yes but it depends.
Like a lot of foods on the IBS low FODMAP diet, mustard comes with some fine print. There are a few different types of commercial mustards like dijon, regular yellow mustard and fancy whole grain mustard. All of which are low FODMAP in small serving sizes UNLESS they contain high FODMAP ingredients.
To identify those and walk out of here with some mustardy recipes, stick around while we go through these topics:
First things first, what is mustard and how is it made?
What Is Mustard Made From?
The yellow condiment we all know and love (or hate) is made from a plant. The mustard plant has yellow flowers and is part of the Brassicaceae family.
Mustard seeds are a spice used in lots of South and Southeast Asian dishes like this low FODMAP slow cooker lamb curry.
Those mustard seeds are grinded with water, vinegar and other ingredients to create yellow mustard. In theory, mustard is low FODMAP because water is not a problem, most if not all vinegar is low FODMAP but what about those other ingredients used?
Is Vinegar Low FODMAP? All About Vinegar
Is Mustard Low FODMAP?
Condiments can be tricky on the IBS low FODMAP diet because of ingredients like garlic, onion, high fructose corn syrup and all those other pesky high FODMAP ingredients used in commercial goods.
Monash University has tested several types of mustard and they are low FODMAP in small amounts. Even with regular yellow mustard, the app states, “read ingredient labels carefully and limit intake if onion, garlic or other high fodmap ingredients are added.”
All information below is based on Monash University’s low FODMAP App.
Yellow Mustard (American)
Is mustard low FODMAP? Yes, mustard is low FODMAP at 1 tablespoon or 11 grams. Just make sure there’s no onion or garlic powder in it. Sometimes this can be labeled as “spices” in the ingredients list.
My favorite way to use mustard is actually covering a whole roast for low FODMAP roast chicken. It’s my French mother in law’s recipe and it transforms a regular holiday chicken to another level.
Mustard, Mild (European)*
The app listed mild yellow mustard low FODMAP at 30 grams or 2 tablespoons.
*The low FODMAP App had mustard, mild with a German flag next to it. I didn’t think much of it until I remembered trying European (Dutch) mustard and realizing how different it was from the regular American Heinz mustard I had growing up.
Mustard Seeds
Mustard seeds FODMAP serving size is 2 grams or 1 teaspoon. That may not seem like a lot but it’s actually plenty because mustard seeds are used sparingly in Indian curries.
I recently put up a slow cooker lamb curry recipe using mustard seeds:
Slow Cooker Lamb Shoulder Curry
Mustard Dijon
Is dijon mustard low FODMAP? Yes, dijon mustard is low FODMAP at 1 tablespoon or 23 grams. Dijon mustard is sharp French mustard that is tolerated by most individuals with IBS.
Larger serves ¾ cup, 230 grams or 8.1 ounces contains moderate fructans and GOS.
Mustard (Whole Grain)
Is whole grain mustard low FODMAP? Yes! Whole grain mustard is low FODMAP at 1 tablespoon or 20 grams. This ingredient contains trace amounts of FODMAP but was issued an “eat according to appetite” label on the app.
Mustard Greens
Are mustard greens low FODMAP? Unfortunately, mustard greens have not been tested by Monash yet. The Spoonful App states they are likely low FODMAP at 1 serving.
Mustard greens aren’t from the same plant as mustard seeds. They are a leafy green of a type of mustard plant. For some reason, mustard greens are often confused with collard greens.
Collard greens on the other hand have been tested and are low FODMAP at 1 serve (1 cup, 36 grams or 1.3 ounces).
Frequently Asked Questions About Mustard
Now that we’ve answered the question, “is mustard low FODMAP,” how about we check out some of the other frequently asked questions when it comes to this yellow condiment?
What Brand Of Mustard Is Low FODMAP?
Any mustard made without garlic and onion is low FODMAP. According to the FODMAP app, yellow mustard is low FODMAP at 1 tablespoon or 11 grams. Mild mustard is low FODMAP at 2 tablespoons or 30 grams.
Is Honey Mustard Low FODMAP?
Honey has a small low FODMAP serving of 1 teaspoon. Higher amounts have an excess of fructose. Swap out honey for maple syrup instead!
They’re about the same in terms of sweetness and will make eating low FODMAP much more flexible. Make your own low FODMAP maple mustard dressing or buy a FODMAP certified product:
Is Heinz Yellow Mustard Low FODMAP?
Heinz is the brand that comes to mind when I think of condiments but is it low FODMAP? The ingredients in Heinz yellow mustard are: Distilled White Vinegar, Mustard Seed, Water, Salt, Turmeric, Natural Flavor, Spices.
There’s no allergen information unavailable on the site but their secret blend of spices is unknown. Sometimes “spices” in ingredient labels can contain garlic or onion powder.
Heinz’s Yellow Mustard New York Deli Style contains: Water, MUSTARD SEEDS 16%, vinegar, malt vinegar, sugar, salt, honey, spices, aroma, thickener (xanthan gum), paprika extract.
Honey has a small low FODMAP serving and the spices are unspecified. I don’t think a small amount should cause any issues but please proceed with caution and eat according to your tolerances.
Are Ketchup And Mustard Low FODMAP?
We know that mustard is low FODMAP but ketchup can be tricky. According to Monash, ketchup thickened with high fructose corn syrup is low FODMAP at 13g which is about 1 sachet or packet of ketchup.
You can risk it with regular ketchup or buy a low FODMAP certified ketchup:
Speaking of mustard and ketchup, let’s go over some other low FODMAP condiments.
9 Other Low FODMAP Condiments
This section will give you a quick overview of some low FODMAP condiments you can enjoy on a low FODMAP diet.
Mayonnaise (Low Fat or Regular)
Mayonnaise is low FODMAP at 2 tablespoons. This condiment is made from mainly eggs, lemon juice or vinegar, vegetable oil and occasionally seasonings.
Like mustard, some products may contain garlic or onion powder listed as ‘natural flavors’ or ‘spices’. Check the ingredient list carefully and if you’re really worried: call or email the manufacturer to find out what ‘natural flavors’ or ‘spices’ are.
Try making these low FODMAP mayonnaise recipes:
2 Low FODMAP Potato Salad Recipes
Low FODMAP Chicken Salad With Grapes
2 Loaded Low FODMAP Baked Potato Skins
Ketchup
You can opt for low FODMAP certified ketchup by FODY or stick to the low FODMAP recommendation of 13 grams or 1 sachet or packet. This is for ketchups sweetened with high fructose corn syrup or sucrose (both high FODMAP ingredients).
BBQ Sauce
Monash University’s low FODMAP lusted generic BBQ sauce and FODY low FODMAP BBQ sauce as low FODMAP at 46 grams or 2 tablespoons.
But the generic BBQ listing includes a “limit intake if onion, garlic and other high FODMAP ingredients have been added.” We all know that BBQ sauce contains those two flavorings, so in this case: eat according to your tolerances.
Hot Sauce
Hot sauce should be low FODMAP if the ingredients are simply hot chiles, vinegar and salt. Some hot sauces may contain onions. The FODMAP app doesn’t have a hot sauce listing but three main options do come up:
- Sriracha chili sauce is low FODMAP at 5 grams or 1 tablespoon.
- Habanero Sauce (Red) has a low FODMAP serving size of 10 grams or 1 teaspoon.
- Habanero Sauce (Green) is low FODMAP at 8 grams or 1 teaspoon.
Both habanero sauces came with warnings to limit intakes. Some products tested contained small amounts of onions. Limit intake to small serves and be careful because each product has different amounts of onions.
- Red Habanero sauce: amounts larger than 20 grams or 0.7 ounces contain high amounts of fructans.
- Green Habanero sauce: contains capsaicin which triggers heartburn and abdominal pain in individuals with IBS.
Eat hot sauce according to your tolerances.
Cocktail Sauce
Shrimp in cocktail sauce is the only time I can think of cocktail sauce. It’s hard to find a low FODMAP one on the shelves but with a lot of other condiments, small intakes of this condiment should not trigger IBS symptoms.
You can make your own cocktail sauce at home with mayo, ketchup, and lemon juice or vinegar.
Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar has a low FODMAP serving of 1 tablespoon but larger serves of balsamic vinegar contain moderate levels of fructose. Read all about balsamic vinegar and balsamic glaze here.
Low FODMAP 3 Ingredient Balsamic Vinegar Dressing
Worcestershire Sauce
Hard to say, harder to spell but luckily this condiment is low FODMAP at 2 tablespoons.
Worcestershire sauce is usually made from fermenting malt vinegar, anchovies, molasses, tamarind, onion, garlic, and other seasonings. It does contain small amounts of onion and garlic but the fermentation may have lowered the FODMAP levels.
The ingredients of worcestershire sauce may vary in different countries so be careful and test your tolerances accordingly.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is low FODMAP at 2 tablespoons. This applies to regular light soy but did you know that there are more than one kind of soy sauce? Read up about soy sauce and FODMAPs here:
And did I mention it’s a myth that all soy products are high FODMAP. There are plenty of low FODMAP soy products, inducing tofu!
Which Soy Products Are Low FODMAP?
Chili Oil
Chili oil is a popular Asian condiment made by infusing hot oil with red chili flakes. There is no low FODMAP listing for regular chili oil but if you’re in Australia, Cobram Estate Chili Infused oil is listed on the app.
Chili oil is rather spicy and this can trigger IBS symptoms for some individuals, so please eat it sparingly and according to tolerances.
Not only did you find out the answer to, “is mustard low FODMAP” but we also covered 10 other popular condiments. I think the biggest take away from this article is that you can get away with a bit of mustard or ketchup on your burgers, hot dogs and fries.
Looking for low FODMAP recipes?
French Style Mustard Low FODMAP Roast Chicken
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