GutWise

Dairy and alternatives

Is Cow's milk Low FODMAP?

High FODMAP

Avoid during elimination. Save for a structured reintroduction challenge.

Safe serving

No safe serving during elimination

FODMAP group responsible

  • Lactose — Disaccharides. Milk sugar. Reduced or absent in aged cheese and lactose-free dairy.

Why

The FODMAP in dairy is lactose, so the rule throughout this category is simply: the less lactose, the safer. Ordinary cow, goat and sheep milk are all high. Note that lactose intolerance and IBS are different conditions that frequently coexist.

What to use instead

  • Lactose-free milk

    Real dairy with the lactose already broken down. Behaves identically in cooking.

  • Almond milk

    Low FODMAP at 250 ml.

This entry is compiled from published Monash-aligned guidance rather than our own laboratory testing, and thresholds are revised as new data arrives. For the elimination phase the Monash app is the authority. See the full food list for how the categories fit together, orcheck another food.

Free download

Low-FODMAP Elimination Phase Starter Kit

A 14-page PDF: the full safe-foods list, a two-week meal plan, a printable symptom tracker and a shopping checklist you can take to the store.

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