Overview
About Snow peas
Snow peas, also called mangetout, are the flat edible-pod pea, and unlike shelled green peas their FODMAP story is a polyol one.
Their main trigger is mannitol, a sugar alcohol that grades high once you eat more than a few pods, alongside a moderate fructan load. If you searched whether snow peas are low FODMAP, the honest answer is portion-dependent: around five pods is low FODMAP, but a generous stir-fry serving crosses into moderate mannitol and can bloat a polyol-sensitive gut. This makes them behave differently from green peas, whose issue is GOS rather than polyols, so the amount you tolerate of one does not predict the other.
Sensitivities
How Snow peas scores
Watch for
What trips people up
- High in mannitol, a polyol (sugar alcohol) that draws water into the gut and causes bloating and loose stools above a small serving
- Portion is everything: roughly five pods is low FODMAP, while a full stir-fry handful becomes moderate in mannitol plus some GOS
- A different trigger from shelled green peas, so tolerating one pea type does not mean you will tolerate the other
- Moderate salicylates, a minor consideration if you are salicylate sensitive
Diet fit
Where it fits
Swap ideas
More alternatives
FAQ
Common questions about Snow peas
Are snow peas low FODMAP?
In small portions, yes. Snow peas (mangetout) are low FODMAP up to about five pods. Beyond that they become moderate in mannitol and fructans, so a large stir-fry serving is more likely to trigger bloating in people who react to polyols.
What makes snow peas a FODMAP trigger?
Mannitol, a polyol or sugar alcohol. It is poorly absorbed in the small intestine, so at larger servings it draws water into the gut and ferments, producing bloating and loose stools. Snow peas also carry some GOS, which is why Monash counts them as a multi-FODMAP food at larger portions.
Are snow peas and green peas the same for FODMAPs?
No. Snow peas are a polyol (mannitol) trigger, while shelled green peas are driven by GOS and are high FODMAP in much smaller amounts. They are different foods with different thresholds, so tolerating snow peas tells you nothing about how you will handle green peas.
References
Read the background
Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.