Low-FODMAP Thai food
Rice and rice noodles give Thai food a safe foundation — the risk is the aromatic base of garlic, shallot, and onion in almost every sauce. Fish sauce and a splash of coconut milk are fine; curry pastes and oyster sauce are not. The most controllable order is plain grilled meat and steamed rice with sauces on the side.
Thai order card
phasediet.com/eating-out/thai✓ Order
- Steamed jasmine rice
- Plain grilled meats or fish
- Rice-noodle dishes cooked to order without garlic
~ Ask for a change
- Stir-fries
- Pad Thai
- Curries
✗ Skip
- Curries and tom yum / tom kha where the paste can't be removed
- Dishes thickened with oyster sauce
- Spring rolls with wheat wrappers and onion-heavy dishes
Say this
- “No garlic and no onion, please — I have a serious food intolerance. Can the kitchen cook it plain with fish sauce?”
- “Steamed jasmine rice with grilled chicken, no sauce.”
Checked July 2026 — menus and recipes change, so confirm with staff. From phasediet.com/eating-out/thai
What to order
These are the dependable low-FODMAP picks — and why each one is a safe bet.
Steamed jasmine rice
Plain rice is the safe base of any Thai meal.
Plain grilled meats or fish
Grilled and unsauced, they're the most controllable protein.
Rice-noodle dishes cooked to order without garlic
Rice noodles are safe; the sauce is the variable.
What to ask the kitchen to change
These can work — with one question or one small adjustment. Here’s exactly what to ask.
Stir-fries
Ask for it cooked without garlic and onion and no oyster sauce — rice or rice noodles plus a plain protein and safe veg (fish sauce for flavor) is often doable.
Pad Thai
Often made with garlic; ask for no garlic and go easy on the bean sprouts — but it's frequently unavoidable, so treat it as a maybe.
Curries
Thai curry pastes are built on garlic, shallot, and onion and can't be de-aromaticized. Ask, but assume most curries are high-risk.
What to skip
Not forever — most of these come back during reintroduction. During elimination, they’re the reliable triggers to leave off.
Curries and tom yum / tom kha where the paste can't be removed
Garlic, shallot, and onion.
Dishes thickened with oyster sauce
Onion and garlic.
Spring rolls with wheat wrappers and onion-heavy dishes
Wheat and onion.
The exact words to say
Specific beats vague every time. Most staff won’t know what “low FODMAP” means, but they can absolutely answer “is there onion or garlic in that?”
“No garlic and no onion, please — I have a serious food intolerance. Can the kitchen cook it plain with fish sauce?”
“Steamed jasmine rice with grilled chicken, no sauce.”
Good to know
- →Rice and rice noodles are your safe foundation; the aromatic base (garlic, shallot, onion) is the risk in nearly every sauce.
- →Fish sauce and a splash of coconut milk are fine; curry pastes and oyster sauce are not.
- →Plain grilled meat plus steamed rice, sauces on the side, is the most controllable order.
More cuisine guides
Or browse all eating-out guides.
This guide is for general information only and is not medical advice. Menus, recipes, and kitchen practices change and vary by location, and FODMAP tolerances differ from person to person — always confirm with staff and go by your own experience. New to the diet? Start with our guide to the low-FODMAP diet.