Are Flax Seeds Low FODMAP?

Flax seeds are a great way to naturally add fibre to your diet. Adding fibre to your diet, especially when avoiding high FODMAP foods can be tough. So that begs the question, are flax seeds low or high FODMAP?

The Quick Answer

Flax seeds can be low FODMAP but, like a lot of seeds that are high in fibre, you do need to keep a close eye on your portion sizes you use to keep them low FODMAP. Getting fibre into a low FODMAP diet can be challenging so being able to eat flax seeds (or linseeds) is incredibly helpful.

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Everything You Need to Know About Flax Seeds

Now that you know you can enjoy flax seeds as part of your low FODMAP diet, it’s important that you know everything else you could possibly need to know about them. From portion sizes to how to use flax seeds, we’ve covered it all below for you to take a close look at.

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Recommended Flax Seeds Portion

Unfortunately, you do need to keep a close eye on your portion sizes. According to studies, anything under 1 tablespoon remains low FODMAP. However, some people recommend keeping it closer to 2 teaspoons. We would always advise erring on the side of caution so, when possible, limit your serving of flax seeds to 2 teaspoons a day to ensure the level of FODMAPs is kept to a minimum.

How to Use Flax Seeds

Adding fibre to a low FODMAP diet is not the easiest thing to do. Thankfully, flax seeds are packed with fibre. In fact, just 1 tablespoon can contain up to 3 grams of fibre. But the question is, how do you eat flax seeds when you don’t want to just eat a spoonful of them for the sake of it? Well here are some interesting options you can try:

Cereal Topping – Whether it’s porridge, cornflakes or granola, you can get a hit of fibre with a sprinkling of flax seeds over the top of your morning breakfast. It’s a great way to kick start the day.

Salad Topping – Flax seeds works best as a topping. This could be on salads, soups or even stews. You just need to add a sprinkling to the top of any dish, straight from the packet, to add fibre, nuttiness and texture.

Smoothie – In the same way, you can use chia seeds, flax seeds work equally well in smoothies or smoothie bowls. They’ll add a nutty flavour and give you that much-needed fibre that is often missing from a low FODMAP diet.

Smoothie Bowl with Flax Seeds

Are Linseeds Low FODMAP?

Although the name is completely different, linseeds are actually flax seeds with a different name. Everything we have discussed on this page regarding flax seeds and their FODMAP levels can be applied to linseeds. The only difference is the plant variety they can from.

Quick Summary

So, when answering are flax seeds low FODMAP, the answer isn’t simple – like a lot of foods, unfortunately. Instead, it comes down to your portion control. If you can keep the portion size to 2 teaspoons during a day then flax seeds will remain low FODMAP. Anything over 1 tablespoon will become high FODMAP.

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