Most store-bought teriyaki sauce is not low FODMAP. The typical recipe includes garlic, onion, honey, or golden syrup, all of which are high FODMAP ingredients that can trigger symptoms in people with IBS. However, you can find certified low FODMAP alternatives or make your own version at home with simple swaps.
Why Most Teriyaki Sauce Is High FODMAP
A standard teriyaki sauce combines soy sauce, a sweetener, garlic, and sometimes onion. The garlic and onion are the biggest problems. Both contain fructans, a type of fermentable carbohydrate that draws water into the small intestine and feeds gut bacteria in ways that produce gas, bloating, and pain. Even small amounts of garlic can be enough to trigger symptoms in sensitive individuals.
The sweetener matters too. Many commercial brands use honey, golden syrup, or high fructose corn syrup. Honey is high in excess fructose, which is poorly absorbed when it outpaces glucose in the gut. Golden syrup is similarly problematic. High fructose corn syrup has the same fructose imbalance. Monash University, the leading FODMAP research group, specifically flags golden syrup and garlic as the ingredients that make store-bought teriyaki sauces high FODMAP.
Soy Sauce Itself Is Generally Fine
One common worry is the wheat in regular soy sauce. Traditional soy sauce is brewed with wheat, which might seem like a red flag since wheat contains fructans. But the fermentation process breaks down those carbohydrates, and the amount of wheat-derived residue in a typical serving is minimal. Monash University states that soy sauce containing gluten “should be well tolerated on a low FODMAP diet.” The fructans are largely gone by the time fermentation is complete.
This is an important distinction: gluten and FODMAPs are not the same thing. Gluten is a protein, and it only needs to be avoided if you have celiac disease. FODMAPs are carbohydrates. So even though soy sauce contains trace gluten, it doesn’t contain meaningful FODMAPs. If you do have celiac disease in addition to IBS, tamari (a wheat-free soy sauce) is a safe swap.
What to Look for on the Label
If you’re scanning bottles at the store, check the ingredient list for these common high FODMAP additions:
- Garlic or garlic powder: High in fructans at any amount typically used in sauces.
- Onion or onion powder: Also high in fructans.
- Honey: High in excess fructose.
- High fructose corn syrup: High in excess fructose.
- Golden syrup or agave: Both have unfavorable fructose-to-glucose ratios.
A teriyaki sauce sweetened with plain white sugar or maple syrup (in moderate amounts) and free of garlic and onion is a much safer bet. Sugar is equal parts fructose and glucose, so it’s absorbed well and considered low FODMAP in normal serving sizes.
Certified Low FODMAP Brands
A small number of brands have developed teriyaki sauces specifically for the low FODMAP market. Bay’s Kitchen makes a Teriyaki Stir-In Sauce that carries FODMAP Friendly certification. It uses soy sauce, sake, and ginger as its flavor base, skipping garlic and onion entirely. It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
Certified products have been lab-tested to confirm that a standard serving falls below FODMAP thresholds. This takes the guesswork out of label reading. Availability varies by country, so check specialty grocery stores or online retailers if your local shop doesn’t carry them. The FODMAP Friendly and Monash University apps both maintain searchable databases of certified products.
Making Your Own Low FODMAP Version
Homemade teriyaki sauce is one of the easiest FODMAP-friendly swaps you can make. The core flavor profile, salty, sweet, and savory, doesn’t actually depend on garlic or onion. A basic version needs just soy sauce, a safe sweetener, rice wine vinegar or mirin, sesame oil, and fresh ginger.
For that garlic flavor without the fructans, use garlic-infused oil. Fructans dissolve in water but not in fat, so when garlic cloves are steeped in oil and then removed, the flavor compounds transfer while the FODMAPs stay behind. You can buy garlic-infused oil or make it yourself. Similarly, the green tops of spring onions (scallions) are low FODMAP, even though the white bulb portion is not. Slicing the dark green parts into your sauce gives you a mild onion flavor without the digestive consequences.
A simple ratio to start with: combine equal parts soy sauce and a low FODMAP sweetener like brown sugar or maple syrup, add a splash of rice vinegar, a teaspoon of grated ginger, and a drizzle of garlic-infused oil. Simmer it for a few minutes to thicken. This keeps well in the fridge for about a week and works for stir-fries, marinades, or glazing meat.
Serving Size Still Matters
Even with a safe recipe or certified product, portion size plays a role. The low FODMAP diet isn’t about zero FODMAPs. It’s about keeping your total intake below the threshold that triggers your symptoms. A tablespoon or two of a well-made teriyaki sauce is unlikely to cause trouble, but drowning a dish in any condiment increases your risk of stacking small FODMAP amounts into a problematic total. This is especially true if the rest of your meal contains other moderate FODMAP foods. Spread your FODMAP “budget” across the whole plate rather than concentrating it in the sauce.