Overview
About Orzo
Orzo looks like a fat grain of rice or barley, but it is actually wheat pasta cut into tiny rice shapes, so it is high in gluten and high in fructans just like spaghetti.
People slip it into soups and salads assuming it is a light grain, which is exactly why it catches wheat-sensitive and FODMAP-sensitive eaters off guard.
Sensitivities
How Orzo scores
Watch for
What trips people up
- It is wheat pasta, not a grain, so it contains gluten despite the rice-like shape
- High in fructans, the FODMAP in wheat that drives bloating and cramping in a sensitive gut
- Hidden in soups, pilafs and grain bowls where you might not register that you are eating pasta
- Not compatible with an EoE elimination approach because it is a wheat product
Diet fit
Where it fits
Swap ideas
More alternatives
FAQ
Common questions about Orzo
Is orzo a rice or a pasta?
Orzo is pasta, not rice. It is made from wheat semolina and simply shaped to resemble a grain of rice or barley. That means it contains gluten and is high in fructans, so anyone avoiding wheat for coeliac disease, gluten sensitivity or FODMAP reasons should treat it exactly like spaghetti.
Is orzo low FODMAP?
No, orzo is high FODMAP. Because it is a wheat pasta it is high in fructans, the FODMAP that commonly causes bloating and gas. If you want the same look and bite, actual rice is a low-FODMAP, gluten-free stand-in in soups and salads.
References
Read the background
Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.