FODMAP food guide
Is honey low FODMAP?
FODMAP score
80
High FODMAP
No — Honey is high FODMAP and is a common trigger for IBS symptoms in typical servings.
FODMAPs present
Low-FODMAP serving
1 tsp (7 g)
Becomes high FODMAP at
1 tbsp (21 g) or more
High in excess fructose, and re-testing found fructans alongside it — one reason honey was retired as a pure fructose challenge food. Substitute maple syrup or rice malt syrup in a low-FODMAP diet.
Seen a different rating somewhere else?+
Usually it's a portion difference, not a disagreement. This page scores honey at a serving of 1 tsp (7 g); at 1 tbsp (21 g) or more it belongs in the high band. A source quoting the larger serve will call it high, and one quoting the smaller will call it low — the same food, measured at two different amounts.
Based on published FODMAP research and reviewed reference data. Informational only — not medical advice. Tolerance is individual; verify with a dietitian during the elimination phase.
How much is OK?
This food's verdict depends on the serving. The bands below show where the load builds, group by group.
Excess Fructose
The classic excess-fructose sweetener: its sugars run fructose-heavy, unlike maple syrup's glucose-balanced profile, which is why maple is the usual swap. Floral source shifts the ratio — some clover-style honeys tip over at just half a teaspoon — so treat any single-origin runny honey as the stricter case. A full tablespoon lands firmly in high territory.
Bands reflect published FODMAP research for typical preparations — individual tolerance varies, especially mid-reintroduction.
Go deeper
Related foods — gentlest first
Green scores are the real swaps; matching numbers are just relatives, not alternatives.