Sunflower Seeds on a FODMAP Diet
Sunflower seeds are an easy way to add flavour and texture to salads and the top of soups. And you now know that sunflower seeds are low FODMAP. But it doesn’t end there. Below we have explained everything you could need to know about sunflower seeds (along with some other popular seeds) including portion sizes and a few ideas for using sunflower seeds to make your meals a little more interesting.
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Recommended Sunflower Seeds Portion
Generally speaking, a 2tbsp serving of sunflower seeds is safe. According to Monash University, up to 50g of sunflower seeds keeps them low FODMAP. When you increase this by just 10g to 60g it becomes moderate in FODMAPs. Another 10g would see the FODMAP levels increase to high.
As with a lot of allowed food items, it is all about portion control so keep a close eye on your daily 50g allowance.
How to Use Sunflower Seeds
When following a low FODMAP diet, you need to take the little wins. Being able to eat sunflower seeds is a little win because they are so versatile and can be used to liven up a variety of dishes. Here are a few options you have when it comes to using sunflower seeds:
Sprinkle on Cakes – That’s right, you can decorate your cakes with a little sprinkling of sunflower seeds. Just sprinkle over your cakes for the last few minutes of baking to give them a crunchy, nutty flavour.
Add to Vegetables – Toasted sunflower seeds can take your buttered greens from being yet another boring bowl of vegetables to the standout star of your next dinner. Sunflower seeds work with a range of vegetables from spring greens and kale to carrots and broccoli. Don’t be shy!
Stir into Cereal – Rich in Vitamin E and plenty of antioxidants, sunflower seeds are a great addition to your morning bowl whether that’s your homemade low FODMAP granola or shop-bought gluten-free cornflakes.
Use them in Pesto – Pesto is traditionally made with pine nuts. Pine nuts are both expensive and can be high FODMAP if used excessively. So why not try making your next batch of pesto with sunflower seeds.
Mix into Salads – Salad can be a little on the boring side, especially if you find yourself eating it every day for lunch. Toast a handful of sunflower seeds and then stir into your salad to give it a nutty flavour and crunchy texture. It’ll instantly pimp up your low FODMAP salad.
Are Coriander Seeds Low FODMAP?
It’s good news! You can use coriander to add a subtle, lemony, sour note to your curries and stirfries and ground coriander and coriander seeds are low FODMAP. You only need to use a small amount to add a punch of flavour to your dishes so you don’t need to be worried about the portion size.
Are Onion Seeds Low FODMAP?
You should already know that onions must be avoided when following a low FODMAP diet. But could you use onion seeds to add a subtle onion flavour to your dishes? Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to this question. as you can imagine, clinical trials cannot be performed on every ingredient in the world. For this reason, we would recommend avoiding it when you are on the elimination stage of your FODMAP diet.
Are Fennel Seeds Low FODMAP?
We’ve actually written a dedicated article about fennel seeds which you should check out. Not only do we look at fennel seeds but fennel in many forms. You should also try out fennel seed spice rub on that page for adding bags of flavour to meat and vegetables. It just goes to show that low FODMAP does not mean bland and boring.
Quick Summary
Some good news then! Sunflower seeds, up to 50g, remain low FODMAP which gives you plenty of opportunities to add flavour and texture to a huge variety of dishes.
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