Fortunately, there are onion and garlic substitutes you can use when cooking for a low-FODMAP diet. This article looks at some of those substitutes, how to use them, and why you should avoid garlic and onions if you have IBS.
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Low and High FODMAP Foods
Why Is Garlic Bad for IBS?
People with IBS or other gastrointestinal issues are more sensitive to this process. For them, it can cause a buildup of gas, water, or both that can lead to pain, bloating, flatulence, or diarrhea.
What Other Foods Should You Avoid With IBS?In addition to garlic and onions, other foods you may want to avoid if you have IBS include:Fruits such as apples and cherriesMilkWheat productsVeggies such as cauliflower, beans, and asparagusSweetenersHoney
What Other Foods Should You Avoid With IBS?
In addition to garlic and onions, other foods you may want to avoid if you have IBS include:Fruits such as apples and cherriesMilkWheat productsVeggies such as cauliflower, beans, and asparagusSweetenersHoney
In addition to garlic and onions, other foods you may want to avoid if you have IBS include:
4 Benefits of Black Garlic
Using Garlic and Onions When Cooking
Often, garlic and onions are added at the very beginning of cooking to mellow their flavors before building a sauce, soup, or other complex dishes.
How to Replace Garlic and Onions When Cooking
Can you just leave the garlic and onions out of a recipe? Sometimes. You’ll usually get acceptable results—it’s not the same as leaving eggs out of a cake. However, most people would find some recipes unacceptably bland.
Consider adapting the recipe with a substitute rather than simply dropping onions or garlic if:
In these situations, the flavor of onion or garlic may be critical to a delicious dish. Most of the time, though, you can find a good substitute.
What Are Aromatics?Aromatics are foods that release strong flavors and aromas when cooked. They are added at the beginning of the dish and combined with oil or butter to form the dish’s base.
What Are Aromatics?
Aromatics are foods that release strong flavors and aromas when cooked. They are added at the beginning of the dish and combined with oil or butter to form the dish’s base.
What Are Good Garlic Substitutes?
No unrelated vegetable has quite the same taste as garlic, but some aromatics that may be good options for cooking include:
While most onions are high in FODMAPs, chives or the green part of spring onions are not and can be used as replacements for regular onion.
Substitute Herbs and Spices
Garlic chives, an herb with a garlicky flavor, are an obvious substitute, but here are other herbs and spices you may find useful:
Garlic or Onion Powders and Salts
Garlic powder and garlic salt are made from dehydrated, finely ground garlic. Onion powder and salt, likewise, are made from onions.
Usually, garlic powder and onion powder can be used to give food flavor without irritating your stomach. Ask your healthcare provider before trying another form of a food that has caused painful symptoms in the past.
Infused Oil
Those avoiding garlic and onions due to FODMAPs can use garlic-infused oil as the fructans are not fat-soluble. You can buy infused oil or saute onions and garlic in oil and discard the solids before using it in your dish.
Note that making your own infused oil and storing it has a risk ofbotulism, so use it immediately; otherwise, you may want to buy commercially prepared infused oil for safety.
What Is a Low-FODMAP Diet?
FODMAPs are a group of carbohydrates in common foods believed to contribute to IBS symptoms. Like fermentable oligosaccharides, other types of carbs that make up the FODMAP acronym—disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols—are also not fully absorbed in the small intestine and can cause symptoms such as bloating and pain for people who are sensitive to them.
People who follow alow-FODMAP dieteliminate all FODMAP foods for a period to relieve symptoms. Then they slowly reintroduce each FODMAP food back into their diet so they can determine which food is contributing to their symptoms.
Summary
If garlic or onions contribute to IBS symptoms or you are following a FODMAP diet to determine if they do, you will likely want to cut these alliums from your diet. Fortunately, there are a number of substitutes that can give the same effect, from other aromatics such as fennel and bell peppers to herbs and spices like ginger and horseradish. Oil infused with garlic and garlic powder are also possible substitutes.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.El-Salhy M, Hatlebakk JG, Hausken T.Diet in irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Interaction with gut microbiota and gut hormones.Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1824. doi:10.3390/nu11081824International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.The low FODMAP diet approach.American Chemical Society.Fermentable foods: Trouble in your diet.Iacovou M, Tan V, Muir JG, Gibson PR.The low FODMAP diet and its application in East and Southeast Asia.J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2015;21(4):459-470. doi:10.5056/jnm15111U.S. Department of Agriculture.Can you get botulism from garlic oil?.Varjú P, Farkas N, Hegyi P, et al.Low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diet improves symptoms in adults suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) compared to standard IBS diet: A meta-analysis of clinical studies.PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0182942. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0182942
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.El-Salhy M, Hatlebakk JG, Hausken T.Diet in irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Interaction with gut microbiota and gut hormones.Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1824. doi:10.3390/nu11081824International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.The low FODMAP diet approach.American Chemical Society.Fermentable foods: Trouble in your diet.Iacovou M, Tan V, Muir JG, Gibson PR.The low FODMAP diet and its application in East and Southeast Asia.J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2015;21(4):459-470. doi:10.5056/jnm15111U.S. Department of Agriculture.Can you get botulism from garlic oil?.Varjú P, Farkas N, Hegyi P, et al.Low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diet improves symptoms in adults suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) compared to standard IBS diet: A meta-analysis of clinical studies.PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0182942. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0182942
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
El-Salhy M, Hatlebakk JG, Hausken T.Diet in irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Interaction with gut microbiota and gut hormones.Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1824. doi:10.3390/nu11081824International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.The low FODMAP diet approach.American Chemical Society.Fermentable foods: Trouble in your diet.Iacovou M, Tan V, Muir JG, Gibson PR.The low FODMAP diet and its application in East and Southeast Asia.J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2015;21(4):459-470. doi:10.5056/jnm15111U.S. Department of Agriculture.Can you get botulism from garlic oil?.Varjú P, Farkas N, Hegyi P, et al.Low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diet improves symptoms in adults suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) compared to standard IBS diet: A meta-analysis of clinical studies.PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0182942. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0182942
El-Salhy M, Hatlebakk JG, Hausken T.Diet in irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Interaction with gut microbiota and gut hormones.Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1824. doi:10.3390/nu11081824
International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.The low FODMAP diet approach.
American Chemical Society.Fermentable foods: Trouble in your diet.
Iacovou M, Tan V, Muir JG, Gibson PR.The low FODMAP diet and its application in East and Southeast Asia.J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2015;21(4):459-470. doi:10.5056/jnm15111
U.S. Department of Agriculture.Can you get botulism from garlic oil?.
Varjú P, Farkas N, Hegyi P, et al.Low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diet improves symptoms in adults suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) compared to standard IBS diet: A meta-analysis of clinical studies.PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0182942. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0182942
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