Low FODMAP Pizza Toppings

Mmm….pizza. It can be hard to resist a delicious piece of crispy crust, hot and bubbling cheese, and fresh toppings. Although for the person on a low FODMAP diet, it is not so easy to just grab a slice. Therefore, look below for tips on how to create your own pizza masterpiece without sacrificing your safety on the low FODMAP diet.

The Crust

Before we get started on toppings, it is important to locate a low FODMAP safe crust. The typical pizza slice is made from wheat flour, which is off limits on a low FODMAP diet plan. Therefore, seek out pizza restaurants or prepackaged brands that have a gluten-free certified crust recipe. It Is important to make sure no high FODMAP ingredients were added to the dough mixture like honey, milk, yogurt, or agave. For the most part, you should have no problem with this, but it is better to check and be safe than to be sorry later.

Keep the sauce simple

Stay clear of pesto sauce, garlic-infused marinara, or other chunky vegetable blends here since there is likely garlic and/or onion in such creations. Keep it simple with a basic marinara or tomato sauce. At restaurants, it may be wise to call ahead of time to ask about the sauce ingredients. Just tell them you have a food intolerance and want to check to be safe. Be sure to ask about any sweeteners added since some recipes for sauce may use honey to offset the acid in tomatoes. If you are making pizza at home, reach for safe sauce choices like Nellino’s or Rao’s.

Say Cheese

Luckily, this is an easy category for those on the low FODMAP diet. Outside of softer cheeses like ricotta and cream cheese, you are fairly safe. Mozzarella, parmesan, feta, swiss, or cheddar are all fair game here. Up to ½ cup mozzarella cheese and 2 ounces of cheddar is safe, so think of that as one large New York-style slice of pizza’s worth of cheese or two to three personal pizza-style slices worth.

Load up on toppings

Now for the fun part…toppings. Go crazy with veggies on your low FODMAP friendly pizza. Safe vegetable (and a few fruit) toppings include (Monash-certified low FODMAP safe servings are in parentheses):

• Bell pepper, any color (½ cup)
• Broccoli (1 cup)
• Red cabbage (1 cup)
• Chilli pepper (11 cm pepper)
• Kale (1 cup, chopped)
• Baby spinach (1 cup)
• Diced tomatoes (unlimited)
• Zucchini (½ cup chopped)
• Olives (15 small or ½ cup)
• Pineapple (1 cup chopped)

For protein toppings, stick to simple meats like grilled chicken, beef, turkey, or ham. However, if you are eating out, be sure to ask if the meat has been seasoned or soaked in a marinade since restaurants often use garlic and/or onion powder for such seasonings. Also, avoid pepperoni and sausage since seasonings for these types of meats often use garlic and/or onion.

Spice it up

Finally, let’s sprinkle on some extra herbs and spices to add a last bit of flavor to your pizza. Some already packaged pizza spice blends most likely contain garlic and/or onion powder. Therefore, look to these herbs and spices for your pizza flavoring needs. The fresh herbs listed are safe in up to 1 cup servings, and dried herbs and spices are safe in up to one teaspoon servings (low FODMAP spice blend may be consumed.:

• Dried oregano (1 teaspoon)
• Fresh basil, Thai basil, cilantro, or oregano
• Safe spice blends like this low FODMAP Tuscan Herb blend (can consume more liberally)
• Dried red pepper flakes
• Chilli powder
• Black pepper

Final Note

When you start craving pizza, be sure to be prepared with your list of safe toppings before starting your search or recipe. It may be helpful to have low FODMAP sauces and seasonings on hand and start searching for gluten-free pizza crust recipes, so you be ready when the craving arises. Also, be on the lookout for gluten-free pizza offerings when you eat out, so you can start taste testing for that perfectly prepared low FODMAP friendly pizza crust.

Written by Staci Gulbin, MS, RD a Board-certified dietitian.