Sweet peas (the flowering plant) are not edible and should never be eaten, so they don’t have a FODMAP rating at all. If you’re searching for FODMAP information, you’re likely thinking of green peas, sugar snap peas, or snow peas, which are the common edible varieties. These vary widely in their FODMAP content, and some are safer choices than others for people following a low FODMAP diet.
Sweet Peas Are Not Edible Peas
Ornamental sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) are a garden flower grown for their fragrance and color. They produce seed pods that look similar to edible pea pods, which causes confusion. The seeds are potentially toxic. While a small accidental taste won’t cause poisoning, eating large quantities over weeks to months can lead to a serious paralytic syndrome with symptoms including muscle paralysis, breathing difficulty, and convulsions. These are a completely different plant from the peas you buy at the grocery store.
The edible peas most people eat belong to different species entirely. Green peas, sugar snap peas, and snow peas are the three main types you’ll find in stores, and each one has a different FODMAP profile.
FODMAP Levels in Edible Pea Varieties
The main FODMAPs in peas are GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides), a type of short-chain carbohydrate that can ferment in the gut and trigger bloating, gas, and other IBS symptoms. How much GOS a pea contains depends on the variety and serving size.
Snow peas are the most IBS-friendly option. A serving of about 5 pods is considered low FODMAP. Beyond that amount, GOS levels climb into territory that may cause symptoms.
Sugar snap peas are a different story. They’re listed as a high FODMAP food, meaning even moderate portions contain enough GOS to potentially trigger symptoms during the elimination phase. If you’re in the restriction stage of a low FODMAP diet, sugar snap peas are best avoided.
Green peas (the round ones you’d find frozen or canned) also contain significant GOS, but preparation method matters. Canned green peas that have been drained and rinsed contain less GOS than freshly cooked ones, because the oligosaccharides dissolve in water and leach out during processing. Boiling peas and then draining the cooking water has a similar effect.
Why Canning and Rinsing Helps
GOS is water-soluble. When legumes sit in canning liquid or boiling water, a portion of their FODMAP content dissolves out of the food and into the surrounding liquid. Draining and rinsing removes that liquid, and with it, some of the FODMAPs. This is true across many legumes, not just peas. Canned lentils and chickpeas, for example, also test lower in FODMAPs than their dried-and-home-cooked equivalents when properly rinsed.
If you want to include green peas in your diet during the low FODMAP elimination phase, canned and rinsed is your best bet. Stick to small portions and pay attention to how your body responds.
Watch for FODMAP Stacking
Even when you eat a safe serving of snow peas, you need to consider what else is on your plate. FODMAP stacking happens when you combine multiple low FODMAP foods in one sitting, and the total FODMAP load adds up enough to cause symptoms. Research shows that consuming multiple types of FODMAPs together (for example, fructose from one food plus GOS from peas) triggers symptoms more than any single FODMAP type alone.
The good news is that Monash University, which developed the low FODMAP diet, set their “green light” serving sizes conservatively. Combining several green-rated foods in one meal is generally safe. For example, having a green-light serving of snow peas alongside other green-rated foods in the same meal shouldn’t push you over the threshold.
Where people run into trouble is grazing or eating meals too close together. Spacing meals and snacks 2 to 3 hours apart helps prevent FODMAPs from accumulating in your gut before the previous dose has moved through. If you’re hungry between meals, naturally low FODMAP foods like eggs, meat, fish, rice, or carrots are safe options that won’t add to your FODMAP load.
Quick Guide to Choosing Peas
- Snow peas: Low FODMAP at 5 pods per sitting. The safest pea option.
- Sugar snap peas: High FODMAP. Avoid during the elimination phase.
- Green peas (canned, rinsed): Lower in FODMAPs than fresh or frozen. Keep portions small.
- Green peas (fresh or frozen): Higher in GOS. Use cautiously and in small amounts.
During the reintroduction phase of the diet, you can test sugar snap peas and larger portions of green peas to find your personal tolerance level. Many people with IBS find they can handle moderate amounts of higher-FODMAP foods once they’ve identified their specific triggers.