Is Sweetcorn Low FODMAP?

Sweetcorn is delicious as a side dish, on the cob, in a salad, sandwich or even on pizza! There are few veggies quite as versatile.

It is often assumed that sweetcorn is a high FODMAP food and has to be eliminated when following this style of diet and lifestyle. But, is this the case? Is sweetcorn low FODMAP or can you have a little as part of a healthy diet? 

Technically, sweetcorn is high in a FODMAP called sorbitol however there is good news. You may not have to eliminate it completely. In small serving sizes it is low enough in FODMAPs to eat.

Eating Sweetcorn on a FODMAP Diet

If you assumed or had heard that sweetcorn is high in FODMAP you wouldn’t be entirely wrong. It is a sweet vegetable, which is why we love it! But, with this sweetness often comes problems in the form of FODMAPs.

Sweetcorn does contain high levels of a FODMAP called sorbitol. This is the thing that makes it so sweet, but it also can cause digestive issues for those with sensitive digestive systems. 

Although, this doesn’t have to mean you need to eliminate sweetcorn completely. If you are careful you may be able to include a little into your diet once you are past any restriction phases of the diet and have moved on to reintroducing foods.

Recommended Sweetcorn Portion

If you are eating corn on the cob then you should only eat about half an ear as one portion. If you have fresh or frozen sweetcorn stick to amounts of 43 grams.

For sweetcorn from a tin then you can eat about 75 grams in one serving. Plenty to add a little interest to your diet. 

43 Grams of Fresh Sweetcorn is Low FODMAP. Opting for Tinned Sweetcorn Sees this Increase to 75 Grams

How to Use Sweetcorn

Sweetcorn is a versatile food and you can include it easily in lots of meals. Most won’t need to use a lot so you can stay within your FODMAP allowances and keep your diet low in FODMAPs. Here are some ideas for you to try.

Add Some Sweetcorn to Salads

You can pep up even the most boring of salads easily with a little sweetcorn. Make sure it is cooked and cooled before using. Then, when it comes to making your salad include all your favourite salad ingredients, such as cucumber and tomato, and then finish with a sprinkle of sweetcorn over the top. Delicious! 

Make Some Corn Fritters

Fritters make a delicious breakfast or lunch and you could try making some low FODMAP carrot and corn fritters. Grate some carrots and add a few peppers and your serving of sweetcorn.

Pop an egg and a dash of low FODMAP milk into a bowl and mix in your favourite herbs and spices. Then stir into the mixture. Pop this into a pan and fry on both sides until it is crispy on the outside and cooked through. 

Use Sweetcorn as a Delicious Side Dish

If you don’t want to do anything different then you don’t have to! You can just heat up a little portion of sweetcorn and eat it as a side dish alongside your favourite food. Or, mix some into a little tuna and pop it onto a jacket potato. The choice is yours!

Low FODMAP Sweetcorn Recipes

If you’re looking for delicious recipes containing sweetcorn that are low FODMAP then give these a go:

Other Sweetcorn-Related Products

Sweetcorn doesn’t just on the cob. You can also buy it in other forms but can you enjoy these when trying to avoid high FODMAP foods or not?

Is Tinned Sweetcorn Low FODMAP?

Tinned sweetcorn isn’t low in FODMAPs as such. It does contain them but because of the processing of the sweetcorn, it does tend to contain fewer FODMAPs than fresh sweetcorn.

This means you can have a little more of it! You can eat up to about 75 grams in a portion and for it to remain low FODMAP.

Is Baby Corn Low FODMAP?

Baby corn is low in FODMAPs! You should keep your portions small and be careful because they do contain some FODMAPs. The guidance for corn on the cob is about half an ear of corn so keep this in mind when portioning out your baby corn too.

Quick Summary

Sweetcorn isn’t technically low in FODMAPs and it doesn’t take too much before a portion can become very high in FODMAPs. This doesn’t mean you can’t eat some corn as part of your diet though!

As long as you are careful and eat within the recommended portion sizes you should be fine.

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