Low FODMAP Pasta Sauce Brands | FODMAP Friendly

We give you a list of low FODMAP pasta sauce brands and show you how to check the ingredients lists for high FODMAP ingredients.

If you are following the low FODMAP diet, it’s important to be weary of what brands of pasta sauces you are buying.

In this article, we explore the sneaky FODMAPs that can be found in regular pasta sauces. We’ve also compiled a comprehensive list of FODMAP Friendly pasta sauces so you can eat your next bolognese with confidence that it won’t trigger your IBS symptoms.

Onion & Garlic

They may make your pasta sauce fragrant, but they can also set off a lot of gastrointestinal symptoms for those who are sensitive to oligosaccharides! Watch out for pasta sauces that have garlic and onion in their ingredients list.

Tomatoes & Tomato Paste

Fresh tomatoes are generally known to be low in FODMAPs at a 75g serve. However, concentrating them into a pasta sauce in the form of tomato paste or tomato puree, can cause the product to be high in fructose! If you are sensitive to fructose, you are better off sticking to a FODMAP Friendly certified pasta sauce (below) to be sure that your pasta won’t trigger your fructose intolerance.

Herbs & Spices

Not all herbs and spices are high in FODMAPs, but the term “herbs” and/or “spices can be very vague. They can disguise high FODMAP ingredients like garlic or onion powder without stating what exactly is in the herbs and spices. So watch out for pasta sauces that have herbs and spices in the ingredient list.

Leek Or Spring Onion

Leek and spring onion can be low in FODMAPs, but they can also be high in FODMAPs. It depends on which part of the leek and spring onion has been added to the pasta sauce. The greens of both of these vegetables are considered low in FODMAPs, but the bulbs are high in fructans. So if a pasta sauce claims that they have leek or spring onion in the ingredients, but do not specify which part, proceed with caution. They may trigger your IBS symptoms if you are sensitive to oligosaccharides!

Vegetables

Some pasta sauces may just list “vegetables” or “dried vegetables” without stating which vegetables are actually in the product. Approach these sauces with caution if they do not state exactly what vegetables are used, you may unintentionally end up with a product full of dry garlic or other high FODMAP vegetables.

Natural Flavours

Unfortunately, the term natural flavours is also another vague term. According to the Food and Drug Association: “The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.” In the case where they are derived from high FODMAP fruits and vegetables, there may be a risk that the natural flavour will cause the product to be high in FODMAPs.

White Pasta Sauces

Most white pasta sauces have milk, cheese, cream cheese or cream as the first few ingredients. If you cannot tolerate lactose, it is best to avoid white pasta sauces. We hope to certify a FODMAP Friendly white pasta sauce in the future for fodmappers who love creamy pastas!

To be certain the pasta sauce you are using is low in FODMAPs, stick to buying our FODMAP Friendly certified pasta sauces.