Low-FODMAP Condiments and Sauces: The Complete Guide

Condiments and sauces are where the low-FODMAP diet gets sneaky. You can build a perfectly safe meal of grilled chicken, rice, and vegetables — then ruin it with a drizzle of teriyaki sauce loaded with garlic and onion. Understanding which condiments are safe, which need label-reading, and which should be avoided entirely gives you the confidence to flavor your food without fear.

This guide covers every major condiment category with specific brand recommendations and homemade alternatives. For a broader shopping overview, see the low-FODMAP grocery list.

Which Common Condiments Are Naturally Low FODMAP?

These condiments are safe at standard serving sizes without special versions:

Condiment	Serving Size	Notes
Soy sauce / tamari	2 tablespoons	Fermentation breaks down FODMAPs
Fish sauce	1 tablespoon	Pure fish extract, no FODMAPs
Plain yellow mustard	1 tablespoon	Just mustard seed, vinegar, turmeric
Dijon mustard	1 tablespoon	Check for honey in some brands
Plain mayonnaise	2 tablespoons	Eggs, oil, vinegar — all safe
Butter	Any amount	Almost pure fat, trace lactose
Olive oil	Any amount	Zero FODMAPs
Garlic-infused olive oil	Any amount	Fructans do not transfer to oil
Rice vinegar	2 tablespoons	Safe
Red wine vinegar	2 tablespoons	Safe
Balsamic vinegar	1 tablespoon	Moderate in larger amounts
Oyster sauce	1 tablespoon	Check for garlic in some brands
Worcestershire sauce	2 tablespoons	Small amounts safe, but contains some onion — check brand
Miso paste	Small amounts	Fermented soy, generally tolerated

What About Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, and Tomato-Based Sauces?

Tomato-based condiments require careful label-reading:

Ketchup is low FODMAP at about one tablespoon. Look for brands that use sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup and that do not add onion powder. Most basic ketchups are fine in small servings.

BBQ sauce is almost always problematic. The vast majority contain garlic, onion, honey, and high-fructose corn syrup — a quadruple FODMAP hit. Your options are Fody Foods BBQ sauce (specifically formulated low FODMAP) or making your own from ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne.

Pasta sauce (jarred) is one of the biggest traps in the condiment aisle. Nearly every commercial pasta sauce contains garlic and onion as primary ingredients. Safe alternatives:

• Fody Foods marinara sauce
• Casa de Sante pasta sauces
• Homemade: canned crushed tomatoes, garlic-infused olive oil, basil, salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Simmer 20 minutes. Better than most jarred sauces.

Salsa varies widely. Look for simple tomato salsas and check the ingredient list. Many contain onion and garlic. Alternatively, make pico de gallo with tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro, chives, salt, and a little jalapeño.

How Do You Navigate the Salad Dressing Aisle?

Store-bought dressings are a minefield. Here is the breakdown:

Usually unsafe:

• Ranch dressing (garlic, onion, buttermilk)
• Caesar dressing (garlic is a core ingredient)
• Thousand Island (onion, relish with garlic)
• Italian dressing (almost always contains garlic and onion)
• Honey mustard (honey is high FODMAP)
• Asian sesame dressing (garlic, onion, sometimes honey)

Usually safe:

• Plain oil and vinegar (verify no additions)
• Simple balsamic vinaigrette (one tablespoon balsamic, olive oil, salt)
• Fody Foods brand dressings

Make your own (30 seconds, always safe):

Basic vinaigrette: Three parts olive oil, one part red wine vinegar, one teaspoon Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Shake in a jar.

Lemon dressing: Olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dried oregano.

Asian-style dressing: Soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, grated ginger, and a pinch of sugar.

What About Hot Sauce?

Most basic hot sauces are low FODMAP because they contain just peppers, vinegar, and salt:

• Tabasco — safe (peppers, vinegar, salt)
• Frank’s RedHot — safe (aged cayenne red peppers, vinegar, salt, garlic powder) — contains a small amount of garlic, but the serving size is small enough to typically be tolerated
• Sriracha — problematic due to significant garlic content
• Cholula — check label; some varieties contain onion
• Crystal — safe (peppers, vinegar, salt)

If you love sriracha, Fody Foods makes a sriracha-style sauce without garlic or onion.

How Can You Make Low-FODMAP Pesto?

Traditional pesto contains garlic, which makes it high FODMAP. But pesto without garlic is easy to make and tastes remarkably close:

Low-FODMAP basil pesto: Blend two cups fresh basil, one-third cup pine nuts (or walnuts), one-half cup Parmesan cheese, one-half cup garlic-infused olive oil, two tablespoons lemon juice, and salt to taste. Process until your preferred consistency.

Variation: Kale and walnut pesto. Substitute kale for basil and walnuts for pine nuts. Add a little extra lemon juice to balance the kale’s bitterness.

Store pesto in the fridge for up to a week or freeze in ice cube trays for longer storage. Use it on pasta, as a sandwich spread, or as a drizzle over grilled proteins.

What Ingredient Traps Should You Watch For?

These are the most common hidden FODMAP ingredients in condiments and sauces:

• Onion powder / garlic powder — the most frequent culprits, found in an enormous range of products
• High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) — common in American ketchup, BBQ sauce, and dressings
• Honey — often added to mustards, dressings, and marinades
• Inulin / chicory root fiber — added for fiber content in “health” products
• Dehydrated onion / garlic flakes — same as the powdered versions
• Natural flavors — vague term that can sometimes include onion or garlic derivatives (usually safe, but impossible to verify)
• Fruit juice concentrates — apple and pear juice concentrates are high in fructose
• Cream — in cream-based sauces, the lactose content adds up

The general rule: if the ingredient list is short and you recognize everything on it, the condiment is probably fine. If it is long and includes items you cannot identify, proceed with caution or scan it with FODMAPSnap for a quick analysis.

What Are the Best Safe Condiment Brands?

These brands have built their reputations around FODMAP-friendly products:

Brand	Products	Notes
Fody Foods	Marinara, BBQ sauce, salsa, ketchup, dressings, hot sauce	Entire line is low FODMAP
Casa de Sante	Seasonings, sauces, spice mixes	Low-FODMAP certified
Kikkoman	Soy sauce, tamari	Naturally low FODMAP

For cooking at home, simply keeping garlic-infused olive oil, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, plain mayo, and a good balsamic vinegar in your pantry covers the vast majority of sauce and dressing needs.

For meal ideas using these condiments, explore the dinner guide, lunch ideas, and the FODMAP Food Guide for deeper ingredient breakdowns.

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This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a registered dietitian or gastroenterologist before making significant dietary changes. FODMAP thresholds are based on Monash University research and individual tolerances may vary.