Tomato (sun-dried)
Vegetables · Nightshades
Four pieces yes, a dozen no. Sun-dried tomatoes are rated green at 4 pieces (15 g) and red at 12 pieces (45 g), and the whole story is water. Drying takes the water out and leaves the sugars where they were, so three times the pieces is three times the load: 0.3 g of excess fructose, double the 0.15 g high threshold.
Last updated 4 September 2026Serving sizes for tomato (sun-dried)
4 pieces (15 g) is rated green. 12 pieces (45 g) is rated red.
Tested serving sizes
| Serving | Amount | Main FODMAP | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 pieces | 15 g | Fructose 0.1 g | |
| 12 pieces | 45 g | Fructose 0.3 g |
Breakdown for 15 g
Is tomato (sun-dried) low FODMAP?
Excess fructose tips this rating, not fructans. At the small serve the numbers are 0.1 g of fructose and 0.08 g of fructans, both modest. Triple the pieces and they scale straight up to 0.3 g and 0.24 g, at which point the fructose has cleared the 0.15 g high line while the fructans are still only in the moderate band. Nothing is added during drying and nothing is concentrated except by subtraction, since taking the water out of a tomato leaves everything else in a smaller package. That is why these are measured in pieces rather than handfuls.
Tomato (sun-dried) and IBS: what to know
Twelve pieces sounds like a lot until you see them on a plate, where they amount to a small pile. They rarely arrive alone, either: an antipasto board, a jar of marinated vegetables, a deli pasta salad and a pizza can each contribute a scattering, and nobody counts squares of tomato the way they would count whole ones. Because the red point is only three times the green one, the gap between a comfortable serve and a high one is narrow enough to cross by helping yourself twice. When you are testing tolerance, count four onto the plate and put the jar back in the fridge.
Gut-friendly ways to eat tomato (sun-dried)
Chopped small they go much further than they look, and four pieces sliced into ribbons will season a whole bowl of pasta or a tray of roast vegetables, which is a better use of the serve than eating them whole. The oil in the jar is not the issue, since olive oil carries no FODMAPs at all, but look at what else is suspended in it, because garlic cloves and mixed antipasto vegetables come out on the fork with the tomato. For the same salty depth without the fruit sugars, olives and parmesan are both rated green.
Frequently asked questions
How many sun-dried tomatoes can I eat with IBS?
Four pieces is the green amount and twelve is rated red, so the practical answer is four, with the middle ground untested. If you want them more than occasionally, chop them through a dish rather than eating them from the jar, because an open jar on the bench is how four becomes twelve without any decision being made.
Are sun-dried tomatoes in oil low FODMAP?
The oil carries nothing, so an oil-packed piece and a dry piece are rated the same by weight. The marinade is what varies: garlic, onion and other antipasto vegetables often share the jar, and they are eaten alongside the tomato rather than left behind. Dry-packed pieces rehydrated in hot water give you full control of what ends up on the plate.
Why are sun-dried tomatoes higher FODMAP than fresh ones?
Because you are eating far more tomato per mouthful. One small fresh tomato weighs 75 g and is mostly water, and it is rated green. Drying removes that water, so 45 g of dried pieces represents a great deal more fruit than the same weight of fresh would. The sugars stay put while the weight falls away, and the rating follows the sugars.
Are sun-dried tomatoes OK on pizza or in pasta?
Yes, if you count them before they go on. Four pieces spread across a pizza or stirred through pasta for two works out as a small amount each, and sharing the dish is what keeps it there. The rest of the recipe decides more than the tomato does, since a jarred sauce or a garlic-heavy base can push the plate over on its own while your four pieces stay well inside the green serve.
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