# Low-FODMAP food lists: why they disagree and how to use one safely > Why low-FODMAP food lists disagree, what portion thresholds mean, how to check a food in the official Monash app, and how to record what you actually ate. No food list is copied here. Canonical: https://lucernel.com/guides/low-fodmap-food-list-how-to-use Last updated: 2026-10-14 Type: Guide. Publisher: Lucernel. ## Short answer A low-FODMAP food list is a starting point, not a verdict, because the same food can be low in a small portion and high in a larger one. Lists disagree because foods are tested in specific portions, at specific times, and the lab data are updated. Check any food you are unsure about in the official Monash University FODMAP app, and write down what you actually ate. - **Choose this if:** Use the official Monash app or a dietitian trained in the diet as your reference, and treat other lists as hints. - **Choose the other option if:** Gutli does not replace that reference. It records your meals, portions and symptoms so you can see what your own body does. ## Side by side | | A printed food list | Gutli | | --- | --- | --- | | Shows portion-dependent ratings | Partly, only if the list includes portions | Partly, a low, moderate and high portion reference | | Tells you what you ate and when | No | Yes, meals with time, ingredients and grams | | Links meals to symptoms | No | Yes, on one timeline | | Guides elimination, reintroduction and maintenance | No | Yes, with phase transitions you control | | Gives a report for your clinician | No | Yes, PDF or CSV | | Replaces a dietitian or a diagnosis | No | No, it records and does not diagnose | ## What a food list can and cannot tell you FODMAPs are fermentable short-chain carbohydrates: oligosaccharides such as fructans and galacto-oligosaccharides, lactose, fructose and polyols. Monash University says they can trigger symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and that it is impossible to guess the FODMAP content of a food, because careful laboratory analysis is needed. A list copies the result of that analysis for certain foods and portions at one point in time. It cannot know your recipe, your brand, how ripe the fruit was or how much you served. This page does not reproduce a list. It explains how to read one. ## Portions decide the rating Monash’s app rates foods low, moderate or high in FODMAPs with a traffic light system. The rating belongs to a serving size. A food can be green at a small serving and amber or red at a larger one, so a list that says only “low” without a portion is incomplete. Quantity matters in the science too. The 2013 review by Shepherd, Lomer and Gibson notes that poorly absorbed short-chain carbohydrates have similar and additive effects in the gut, which is a reason to think about the whole meal and not one food. Count the portion, and count what else was on the plate. ## Why two lists disagree The likely reasons are plain. Lists may use different serving sizes, different cutoffs or data from different dates, and some copy older tables or mix sources. Laboratory results also differ a lot from food to food: a 2007 study by Muir and colleagues measured fructans in 60 vegetables and 43 fruits, and the vegetables highest in fructans, such as garlic, artichoke, shallots, leek bulb and onions, ranged from 1.2 to 17.4 grams per 100 grams. These are likely explanations, not a ruling on which list is right. When two sources differ, go to the one that shows the serving size, which the official app does. ## How to check a food in the official source Open the Monash University FODMAP Diet app and search the exact food, for example the form you will eat. Look at the serving size shown beside the rating. If your food is a packaged product, check its ingredient list for items you know are high, and ask a dietitian about the rest. If the food is not in the app, do not guess. Monash says no one can guess FODMAP content, so treat the food as unknown, try it in a small portion at a calm time, and write down what happens. - Search the exact food and the portion you will eat. - Read the rating for that portion, not for the food in general. - Note the date of your printed list if you compare it to the app. - Ask your dietitian when the app and your experience disagree. ## Who the diet is for, and how long it lasts Monash says the diet is intended for people with medically diagnosed IBS. Several conditions have similar symptoms, such as celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, endometriosis and bowel cancer, so do not self-diagnose. See a doctor first. Monash describes a period of high restriction lasting 2 to 6 weeks, then a more relaxed diet as foods are gradually reintroduced. It says symptoms improve in 3 out of 4 people and do not in 1 out of 4, and that the diet is best followed under the supervision of a qualified dietitian or healthcare professional. Gibson and Shepherd reached the same view in 2010: it needs expert delivery. ## Log what you actually ate A list tells you what a lab found. Your own log tells you what happened to you. Write down the food, the portion in grams or a measure, the time, and how you felt over the next hours. A pattern needs several entries, and one bad day with a stressful meeting proves little. During reintroduction, change one thing at a time and record the dose and response, so that you and your dietitian can see which group affects you. Disclosure: Gutli is made by Lucernel, the publisher of this article. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I get a printable low-FODMAP food list from this page? No. This page does not copy a list. It points to the official Monash app and explains how to use any list. ### Why does a food show as both low and high FODMAP? Because the rating depends on the portion. A small serving can be low and a larger one high, so look at the serving size. ### Is every vegetable on a list safe to eat on the diet? Not at any amount. Check the portion, and remember that servings of several foods can add up. ### Do I need to follow a low-FODMAP diet if I have bloating? Monash says the diet is for people with a medical diagnosis of IBS. See a doctor to find the cause first. ### Is Gutli available? See the official app page for current availability and pricing. ## Our pick: Gutli, for the part a list cannot do A list says what was tested. Gutli records what you ate and how you felt: meals with time, ingredients and grams, symptom and Bristol check-ins, and a low, moderate and high portion reference. It follows elimination, reintroduction and maintenance when you decide to move, and makes a PDF or CSV for your clinician. It records and shows patterns with their confidence, and does not diagnose. - Meals with portions and an optional photo - Symptoms and reintroduction on one timeline - Meals and symptoms stay on your iPhone, with an exported backup [See how Gutli works](https://lucernel.com/apps/gutli) ## Sources (checked 2026-10-01) - [Monash FODMAP: About FODMAPs and IBS](https://www.monashfodmap.com/about-fodmap-and-ibs/) - [Gibson & Shepherd (2010), Evidence-based dietary management of functional gastrointestinal symptoms: the FODMAP approach (PubMed)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20136989/) - [Muir et al. (2007), Fructan and free fructose content of common Australian vegetables and fruit (PubMed)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17625872/) - [Shepherd, Lomer & Gibson (2013), Short-chain carbohydrates and functional gastrointestinal disorders, Am J Gastroenterol (PubMed)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23588241/)