Overview
About Turnip
Turnip is clean on histamine, gluten, lactose, nickel, lectins and nightshades, and it is not a FODMAP problem for most people.
The grade that matters is salicylate, which comes in moderate, so on a strict salicylate elimination turnip is a measure-and-test vegetable rather than a free one. Oxalate is the part most sources get wrong: the leafy tops carry the load that gave turnip its reputation, while the diced white root grades mild and does not need to come off a low oxalate plate.
Sensitivities
How Turnip scores
Watch for
What trips people up
- Moderate salicylate, the highest grade on this page, so turnip is a maybe rather than a yes during a strict salicylate elimination, though it is milder than radish or most herbs
- The white root grades mild for oxalate, roughly 20 mg per 100 g. It is the leafy tops that carry more, so log turnip greens as their own food rather than assuming the root inherits their reputation
- Histamine, tyramine, nickel, sulfite, glutamate, gluten, lactose and nightshade all grade clean, so if a turnip dish upsets you, look first at what it was cooked with
- Moderate on total FODMAPs while clean on fructans, GOS, fructose and polyols individually, so a normal serving is usually gut-friendly
Diet fit
Where it fits
Swap ideas
More alternatives
FAQ
Common questions about Turnip
Is turnip high in oxalate?
No. The white root grades mild, around 20 mg per 100 g, which keeps it on the plate for most people managing oxalate. The reputation comes from turnip greens, the leafy tops, which carry more and are a separate food in your log. If you are being strict, boiling the root and draining the water lowers soluble oxalate further.
Is turnip low FODMAP?
Turnip is clean on all four individual FODMAP groups, fructans, GOS, excess fructose and polyols, and only moderate on total FODMAP load. In practice a standard serving of cooked turnip suits most low FODMAP eaters, and it is a genuinely useful root vegetable when onion and garlic are off the table.
What can I use instead of turnip on a low salicylate diet?
Celeriac is the closest match. It roasts and mashes the same way and grades clean on salicylate and oxalate both. Cabbage keeps the brassica flavour and grades milder than turnip on salicylate, and chayote works well in stews and braises where you want a mild vegetable that holds its shape and grades milder than turnip on both.
References
Read the background
Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.