I’m on a low FODMAP diet… What low FODMAP chips can I enjoy for a snack?
Chips are a beloved snack food and luckily, there are several low FODMAP chips available! They come in many shapes, sizes, and flavors making the options endless. Plus, they’re very accessible!
Chips are most commonly consumed as a snack (my favorite road trip snack) but people are getting creative and using them as crusts for meats and even as binders in recipes.
Whether you like tortilla chips or the standard potato chip, there are many low FODMAP options throughout the elimination diet. You simply need to know what to look for!
What do you need to look for when choosing a chip?
When looking at different chip options, be sure to keep an eye out for ingredients that are high
FODMAP.
- “Natural flavors”. This is a vague ingredient that can consist of many different
unidentified spices. In this case, proceed with caution and watch for symptoms. - Garlic and onion powder
- Wheat and barley flour
- Buttermilk and sour cream
- Molasses
The good news is, most chips are corn and potato based, meaning they are naturally gluten free! It is rare you come across a wheat-based chip (besides pita chips), but wheat can be added into the ingredients in the form of a flavoring.
Below are some additional details above corn- versus potato-based chips and low FODMAP brands. Keep in mind, most chips are not Monash University tested, so I am basing it off of the ingredient label.
Corn Based Chips
Corn in its purest form (aka on the cob) is considered to be low FODMAP at a serving size of a half of a cob, per Monash University. Because corn-based chips are made from grounded corn flour, FODMAP content is going to naturally be lower. They are considered to be safe at a 50-gram serving size (almost 2 cups). Good news for our IBS friends!
Most tortilla chips are low FODMAP, so take your pick! Double check that the ingredients are corn, an oil, and salt.
Let’s talk through some brands:
Fritos Original Corn Chips
Tortilla chips
-
- Tostito’s Scoops and Regular
- Late July
- Xochitl
- Mission
- Mi Nina
- The sea salt and lime flavor of most chips should still be low FODMAP. Most corn tortilla chips are low fodmap in original flavor
Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Tortilla Chips
Pipcorn Sea Salt Dippers
Pop corners
-
- Sea Salt
- Sweet and Salty
Let’s move onto chips made from the highest consumed vegetable in the US, Potatoes!
Potato Based Chips
Now onto low FODMAP chips made from the highest consumed vegetable in the US: potatoes! When it comes to potato chips, the safest move is to stick with classic flavors. As the flavors get more elaborate, milk/buttermilk and onion/garlic tend to be listed ingredients. Unfortunately, the beloved BBQ flavor is off limits during the elimination phase due to garlic, onion, and molasses. Because chip flavors are not individually tested, we have to make an informed decision on what chips may be low FODMAP. Individual tolerance varies so be sure to monitor!
Here are some brands/flavors are low FODMAP:
Terra Chips
- Plantains chips
- Blues chips
- Sweet potato crinkled/regular
FODY Potato Chips
- Barbecue
- Pink Himalayan Salt
Lays
- Original Wavy Potato Chips
- Lays Classic
- Salt and Vinegar
- Poppable’s Sea Salt
- Limon
UTZ
- Original
- Grandma Utz Kettle Chips
- Kettle Classics Original
- Ripples Original
Kettle Brand (some may be tolerated as garlic/onion is further down the ingredients)
- Sea Salt
- Sea Salt and Vinegar
- Habanero Lime Crinkle Cut
Ruffles Original
Good Health Original Potato Chips
Cape Cod
- Original
- Salt and Vinegar
- Sweet and Spicy Jalapeno (monitor tolerance due to onion)
- Waves Sea Salt
Popchips
- Sea Salt
- Sea Salt and Vinegar
Sweet Potato Chip Brands
- Kirkland Signature Sweet Potato Chip
- Simply Nature Sweet Potato Chips
- Trader Joe’s Murasaki Sweet Potato Chips
- Terra Chips Sweet Potato
- One Potato Two Potato
As you’ll see, all of the original chip flavors mentioned above are low FODMAP, making them a safe choice. That’s because they are generally just potatoes, an oil, and salt!
If you are wondering about a brand you don’t see on here, ask your dietitian or stick with the original flavor!
As a certified LEAP therapist, Dietitian Kathleen can help you solve your digestive difficulties with cutting edge research and state of the art protocols. Co-author of Cooking with Food Sensitivities Survival Guide.