Eating out · Asian-inspired grab-and-go
Low FODMAP at itsu
itsu is one of the friendlier UK grab-and-go chains for a low-FODMAP order — plain sushi, sashimi and rice do the heavy lifting, and the fridge is full of simple fish-and-rice combinations. The hazards are concentrated in the hot counter and the sauce layer: katsu curry, teriyaki glazes and broths are built on onion and garlic, while gyoza, bao and udon add a wheat load. Shop the fridge, control the drizzles, and it's a genuinely good option.
✅ Safest picks
Salmon or tuna sashimi and nigiri
Fish and seasoned rice contain essentially no FODMAPs — this is the single lowest-load meal on the high street, not just at itsu.
💬 Order it: Wasabi and pickled ginger are both fine. Use the soy sachet sparingly — a small splash is low despite containing wheat, because fermentation leaves little fructan behind.
Simple maki and hosomaki boxes (salmon, tuna, cucumber)
Rice, nori, cucumber and fish are all low-FODMAP — the plainer boxes in the fridge are exactly what a cautious order looks like.
💬 Order it: Pick boxes without a pre-applied creamy drizzle (the orange zigzag is usually sriracha mayo, which means garlic). Avocado pieces are fine in small numbers.
Edamame (salted)
Edamame is low-FODMAP at a normal side-pot portion — young soybeans are much lower in GOS than mature beans.
💬 Order it: Choose the plain salted pot; the chilli-garlic dressed version reintroduces the exact trigger you avoided everywhere else.
Miso soup
A standard bowl of miso with tofu and wakame is a low-FODMAP portion — fermented soybean paste is workable in soup quantities.
💬 Order it: The spring-onion garnish is mostly green tops, which are fine; leave any white slices in the bowl. Skip the versions with added noodles.
Seaweed thins
Crisped nori with oil and salt — a genuinely FODMAP-free snack from the shelf.
💬 Order it: Stick to the original; check flavoured snack variants (wasabi is fine, anything 'sweet chilli' usually means garlic).
Poke or rice bowl, stripped back
The base of rice, salmon or chicken and plain vegetables is solid — the load comes from pickled onion, edamame stacked with other extras, and the dressing.
💬 Order it: Ask for no pickled onion and the dressing on the side or off entirely; a squeeze of soy and some ginger does the job. Skip crispy onion toppers.
⚠️ Skip these
Teriyaki and sweet chilli glazed bowls
Glazes and sweet chilli sauces at this style of counter typically carry garlic, and the glaze soaks the whole bowl rather than sitting on the side.
Good to know
- •Shop the fridge, not the hot counter: cold sushi boxes have short, visible ingredient lists; the wok and broth menu is where onion and garlic hide.
- •itsu publishes full allergen and ingredient information online — scan any box for onion, garlic and honey in the dressing before you buy.
- •A small splash of soy sauce is workable despite the wheat on the label — the real wheat load at itsu is in the udon, gyoza and bao.
- •Avocado is a portion game: a couple of pieces in a roll is moderate; an avocado-stacked dragon roll is not.
- •Watch for pre-applied drizzles — the orange zigzag on many boxes is sriracha mayo (garlic). Pick undrizzled boxes or ask which bowls come sauce-free.
- •You don't need to eat plain: miso, ginger, wasabi, nori and sesame are all workable flavour, so build the meal around those instead of the glazes.
At a different restaurant? Photograph any menu and get every dish ranked in seconds.
Scan a menu — freeMenus and recipes change; scores reflect typical preparations and published FODMAP research. Informational only — not medical advice. Always confirm ingredients with restaurant staff.