Is Aquafaba Low FODMAP? - A Little Bit Yummy (2024)

FAQs

Is Aquafaba Low FODMAP? - A Little Bit Yummy? ›

Aquafaba is most likely high FODMAP so we suggest avoiding it for a few weeks while you see if the low FODMAP diet works for you.

Traditionally, hummus often includes some of the cooking liquid from the boiled chickpeas. This is better known as aquafaba. Whilst it helps to give an airy, creamy finish to the hummus it's incredibly high in FODMAPs and should be avoided during the elimination phase.

Consider the flavor.

There's no way around it — aquafaba can taste like beans.

Saponins: they have a bitter, soapy quality that helps aquafaba whip up and get foamy. While saponins have some positive benefits, they can be very difficult to digest, leading to digestive upset (especially for those with existing digestive issues) and may even lead to leaky gut.

High FODMAP foods that you should avoid include:

Galactans: Legumes, such as beans (including baked beans), lentils, chickpeas, and soybeans. Polyols: Sugar alcohols and fruits that have pits or seeds, such as apples, apricots, avocados, cherries, figs, peaches, pears, or plums.

Limitations of aquafaba

An easy way to see the problem is to compare how aquafaba would behave when fried like an egg. Unlike egg whites that become solid and flexible, aquafaba would simply evaporate. Many traditional cake recipes call for egg whites to be folded into the batter to create a light texture.

Aquafaba Drawbacks

Saponins, the part of aquafaba that is responsible for the egg white-like texture and foaming, are a toxic steroid derivatives that disrupt red blood cells. They may even contribute to development of leaky gut by damaging the gut wall.

Aquafaba is generally tolerated even by people who have digestive issues with beans, although it's best to start by experimenting with small amounts. For example if you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome and don't tolerate legumes well, it's possible that the water from those vegetables might also cause problems.

This sensory foam is so easy to make and is a great taste safe alternative to shaving cream so perfect for little ones.

While aquafaba contains few calories, it does not add significant nutrition. Aquafaba is composed of protein, starches and vegetable gum, but does not contain the same nutritional value as a legume or an egg yolk.

What foods are surprisingly low in FODMAP? ›

Peanuts, tempeh, quinoa, canned lentils, and edamame are all low fodmap substitutes for chickpeas. Be sure to check the amounts you plan to eat, as low-fodmap foods can become moderate or high-fodmap depending on the amount you are eating.

What about lectins, phytates/phytic acid, phytohemagglutinin, gas, etc? Aquafaba by definition is made from beans that have been heat treated > 100C, and chickpeas have the least amount of lectins and phytates. If you're worried, use canned or home cooked chickpeas and avoid the other beans.

Aquafaba is the viscous water in which legumes (usually chickpeas aka garbanzo beans) have been soaked. In food and beverages, aquafaba can be used as a vegan substitute for egg whites. Allergy Concerns: Some people are allergic to chickpeas/garbanzo beans as part of a legume allergy that includes peanuts and beans.

Chickpeas are generally a high FODMAP food due to their galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) content. However, if you eat ¼ cup or less of canned chickpeas that have been rinsed and drained, they are actually low FODMAP. This is because FODMAPs are water-soluble and leach out of the chickpeas into the brine of the can.