low fodmap low carb fauxtato salad in a clear bowl next to a bowl of chopped chives and a blue and white towel

If you're trying to limit or eliminate your potato intake but love potato salad, this Low FODMAP Keto Faux Potato Salad or "Fauxtato" Salad is a must try! Using low FODMAP, low carb hearts of palm in place of potatoes, this "fauxtato" salad is both low FODMAP and blood sugar-friendly and still has the creamy, tangy flavors of a classic potato salad. A low FODMAP low carb side dish ideal for summer picnics, barbecues, and potlucks, this faux potato salad is also Keto, low carb, Paleo, Whole30, and dairy-free. If you're looking for a "regular" low FODMAP potato salad recipe, try my Low FODMAP Instant Pot Potato Salad. If you prefer Low FODMAP German potato salad, try my Low FODMAP Instant Pot German Potato Salad.

Why Low FODMAP Faux Potato Salad? Aren't potatoes low FODMAP?

White potatoes are indeed low FODMAP. However, as a hypoglycemic, white potatoes raise my blood sugar to unhealthy levels and cause it to rapidly crash down. While many of my older recipes feature white potatoes as an ingredient, now that I know I'm hypoglycemic, I limit my intake of potatoes and other foods high in simple carbohydrates that will lead to these huge fluctuations in blood sugar. Eating Keto helps me avoid foods that are high in carbs in general, helping me to keep my blood sugar more stable.

But I do love potato salad.

When summer rolls around, I naturally gravitate to my favorite low FODMAP summer side salads. Potato salad is one of them. Eating Keto this summer put me at a loss for what to do for potato salad. I began researching Keto-friendly potato salads, and I came across a plethora of "fauxtato salad" recipes that typically use cauliflower as a substitute for potatoes. Unfortunately, cauliflower is high in FODMAPs, so I had to find another potato substitute that is both low in FODMAPs and carbs.

Meet hearts of palm.

overhead shot of low fodmap keto faux potato salad in a clear bowl with a spoon in front of a blue and white towel and a bowl of chopped chives

What are hearts of palm?

Hearts of palm are the core, or heart, of certain palm plants. You may have seen them when getting salad at the salad bar. They are eaten as a vegetable in salads and are packed full of nutrients, such as fiber, protein (rare for a vegetable), potassium, phosphorous, and other minerals. They are low in fat, carbohydrates, and in FODMAPs.

Are hearts of palm low FODMAP?

As mentioned, hearts of palm are low FODMAP. According to Monash University's low FODMAP Diet App, canned hearts of palm only contain trace amounts of FODMAPs and can be eaten freely. Hurray!

Where can I get hearts of palm?

Canned hearts of palm are available at most grocery stores in the canned vegetables aisle. Locally in BC, I find hearts of palm at Real Canadian Superstore, Walmart, and some health food stores.

Why did I choose hearts of palm as a potato substitute?

When it comes to potato substitutes that are low FODMAP AND low carb / Keto, the options are minimal. Hearts of palm are well suited as a potato substitute as they are:

Low FODMAP
Low carb
Lend themselves well to salads as they are already a salad ingredient
Are easy to source
Are white in color like a potato
Can be made the right size for potato salad
Are already being used as a potato and pasta substitute, such as in Palmini products, which are ingenious

Due to these reasons you will most likely be seeing hearts of palm used as a potato or pasta substitute in many of my future low FODMAP, low carb recipes. Subscribe to be notified as soon as these recipes hit the blog!

What do hearts of palm taste like?

Canned hearts of palm have a mild flavor similar to an artichoke heart. In potato salad, the flavor of hearts of palm comes through. Therefore, this low FODMAP Keto fauxtato salad does not taste exactly the same as regular low FODMAP potato salad, nor is the texture the same.

The nice thing about canned hearts of palm is that they're tender and delicate enough not to require cooking prior to being added to fauxtato salad. They are still strong enough to maintain their shape when being stirred into the salad. When sliced, they can fall apart as they have layers, but they're still well suited for fauxtato salad.

close up overhead shot of low fodmap keto fauxtato salad with hearts of palm fauxtatoes

Necessary Equipment

The equipment I use to make this Low FODMAP Keto Fauxtato Salad includes:

Large mixing bowl
Small mixing bowl
Chopping board and knife
Whisk
Measuring spoons and cups

Low FODMAP Keto Faux Potato "Fauxtato" Salad: Ingredients, FODMAP Information & Success Tips

Produce & Eggs

Hearts of Palm (the "Fauxtatos")

To start, I prepare the produce, starting with the star ingredient, canned hearts of palm. Canned hearts of palm only contain trace amounts of FODMAPs and can be eaten freely according to Monash University's Low FODMAP Diet App (upon which all of the following FODMAP information is based).

While canned hearts of palm can come in a variety of ways - whole, sliced, noodled (is that a word?), etc. - we want to use whole hearts of palm so we can slice them to the perfect size similar to what they would be were they potatoes in potato salad. To do this, I first chop them in half lengthwise, being mindful to handle them gently.

process shot of chopping canned hearts of palm in half lengthwise on a cutting board with a knife

Then, I chop the hearts of palm horizontally into ½-inch pieces.

process shot of chopping hearts of palm into ½-inch pieces horizontally on a white cutting board with a chopping knife

As hearts of palm have layers, some of them may fall apart at some point during this process, but that's okay.

Once chopped, I add the hearts of palm and the following produce ingredients to a large bowl.

process shot of chopped hearts of palm in a large glass bowl on a brown wooden background

Scallions

To add oniony flavor without the FODMAPs, I add the chopped dark green parts of scallions (a.k.a. green onions), which are FODMAP-free.

Red bell pepper

As we must limit the amount of celery due to FODMAPs which is a traditional potato salad ingredient, to deliver similar crunch and texture, I add red bell pepper. While previously listed as FODMAP-free, Monash University's recent tests show red bell pepper as containing the FODMAP fructose and low FODMAP in quantities of up to ⅓ cup or 43 grams per serving. As we are adding just ½ cup across 10 servings, this is well below the tolerable amount per serving.

Celery

While high in the FODMAP mannitol, celery can still be eaten in small quantities on a low FODMAP diet in the amounts of up to about a ¼ of a medium stalk or 10 grams per serving per Monash University. We're adding 1 medium stalk across 10 servings.

Hard Boiled Eggs

Eggs are a traditional potato salad ingredient. I add three of them to this salad as they add more bulk without the carbs or FODMAPs. I don't include the cooking of them in the process of this recipe; the recipe assumes you already have them on hand. Currently, I don't have a recipe for hard boiled eggs on my site but love to cook them in my 6-quart Instant Pot using the 5-5-5 method.

Once cooled, I chop the eggs and add them to the large bowl containing the remaining chopped produce.

process shot of low fodmap keto fauxtato salad ingredients including chopped hearts of palm, scallions, red bell pepper, celery, and hard boiled eggs in a glass bowl

Using a large spoon, I gently stir the ingredients to combine.

Dressing

To make the low FODMAP Keto Fauxtato Salad dressing, I whisk together the following dressing ingredients together in a small bowl:

process shot of whisking together low fodmap keto faux potato salad dressing in a small bowl

Avocado oil mayo

To make my low FODMAP fauxtato salad creamy like classic potato salad, I add dairy-free avocado oil mayo, but essentially any mayo can be used. Although avocados are high in FODMAPs, avocado oil and all oils in general are FODMAP-free as they do not contain carbohydrates. The Keto diet focuses primarily on eating healthy fats, such as avocado oil, so avocado oil mayo also works well for Keto.

Yellow Mustard

A traditional potato salad ingredient, Monash University's Low FODMAP Diet App lists yellow mustard as low FODMAP in servings of up to 1 tablespoon or 11 grams per serving. However, you want to make sure the mustard you use does not contain garlic, onion and other high FODMAP ingredients.

Seasonings

To season the fauxtato salad, I add salt, ground black pepper, and chopped fresh dill to the dressing, all of which are low FODMAP.

White Wine Vinegar

Lastly, I add white wine vinegar to the dressing. I prefer white wine vinegar over others as its acidity is more subtle. You could potentially substitute regular white vinegar but do so to taste as the hearts of palm and other ingredients add acidity to the salad already. You don't want to make the salad too acidic by adding too much white vinegar, which has a stronger acidic flavor than white wine vinegar.

White wine vinegar hasn't yet been tested for FODMAPs but is generally thought to be. We're adding very small amount (1 teaspoon) across 10 servings.

a spoon holding up low fodmap keto faux potato salad over a bowl of fauxtato salad on a wooden background

What can I eat this Low FODMAP Keto Faux Potato Salad with?

Eat this low FODMAP Keto summer side salad alongside these low FODMAP and Keto-friendly summer main dishes:

Store

This low FODMAP Keto Fauxtato Salad is best when served within 1-2 days of making but should stay good covered in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Gently stir before reserving.