Dietitian-approved fructose intolerance food list

Are you looking for a fructose intolerance food list? You’ve come to the right place if you have fructose intolerance.

Starting on a low fructose diet when you have fructose intolerance can be challenging, as fructose is found in many foods.

In this article, we will cover the types of fructose intolerance and their symptoms and treatment. You can download our fructose intolerance food list for easy meal planning and shopping.

What is fructose?

Fructose is a monosaccharide, represented by the ‘M’ in FODMAP. It is a single sugar molecule that forms the basis of many carbohydrates that we eat.

It is naturally found in many fruits and vegetables, as well as sweeteners, sugar and honey. It is a common ingredient in many foods and drinks.

While most people absorb fructose well, people with IBS or fructose intolerance may find it to be a trigger for their symptoms.

What is fructose intolerance?

There are two different types of fructose intolerance, including (1):

• Fructose Malabsorption (also known as Dietary fructose intolerance)
• Hereditary fructose intolerance

What is fructose malabsorption?

In the Western hemisphere, around 40% of people are affected by fructose malabsorption (2). A study suggests that it affects approximately 22% of people with IBS (3).

People with this condition struggle to absorb or digest fructose properly. 

As the undigested fructose travels to the colon, it can draw water into the bowel leading to increased water content, which can result in more frequent bowel movements (4).

Fructose can also become a food source for the gut bacteria residing in the colon. The gut bacteria ferment fructose to produce short-chain fatty acids and gasses (5).

The combination of excessive water and gasses can cause symptoms, including (6): 

• Abdominal pain
• Bloating
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Gas

Since everyone’s tolerance level for fructose can vary, it is essential to assess your tolerance levels.

If you think you have fructose malabsorption, it is essential to speak to your doctor. It can be diagnosed by a fructose hydrogen breath test or a fructose elimination diet with a dietitian (7).

Is fructose intolerance hereditary?

Yes, this is called hereditary fructose intolerance. It is a genetic condition and a more severe form of fructose intolerance that develops in infants from birth (8). 

Symptoms usually develop soon after babies have formula containing fructose or begin eating solid foods. These symptoms can include (9): 

• Failure to thrive
• Hypoglycaemia (low sugar levels)
• Jaundice (yellow skin or eyes)
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Unlike fructose malabsorption, hereditary fructose intolerance can even lead to life-threatening complications such as liver or kidney failure (10). 

Genetic testing can confirm a diagnosis of hereditary fructose intolerance. It is important for people with this condition to work with a dietitian to avoid fructose in their diet altogether.

What to do if you have fructose intolerance?

Treating fructose malabsorption involves adopting a low fructose diet. Reducing fructose intake often provides symptom relief without entirely eliminating it from the diet.

Symptoms typically improve within about 2 to 4 weeks of reducing fructose intake (11). You can then gradually reintroduce foods to determine how much fructose you can tolerate.

However, people with hereditary fructose intolerance must completely remove fructose from their diet. 

When restricting food sources in your diet, it is essential to seek guidance from a dietitian to ensure you are meeting all your nutritional requirements.

Does a low FODMAP diet help fructose intolerance?

Yes, it will. The low FODMAP diet does limit fructose, but it also restricts many other fermentable carbohydrates.

People with fructose intolerance will only need to reduce fructose in their diet so the low FODMAP diet will be much more restrictive than the fructose intolerance diet.

The FODMAP diet is typically recommended as a short-term intervention to identify and manage trigger foods for IBS.

What foods can you eat if you are fructose intolerant?

We created a printable fructose intolerance food list organized into categories so you will know which foods to enjoy and which to limit.

You’ll be pleased to know that many protein food sources are naturally fructose-free. Here’s a list of foods you can enjoy without worrying about fructose (12):

• Eggs (You can read more about: ‘Are eggs low FODMAP’)
• Fish and seafood*
• Plain, unprocessed meats, e.g., beef, pork, chicken and turkey *
• Deli meats and processed meats *
• Nuts (not cashews and pistachios) (You can read more about: ‘Which nuts can you have on the low FODMAP diet?’)
• Pure (distilled) vinegar (not balsamic vinegar, you can read more about:’Is balsamic vinegar low FODMAP’)
• Tofu (firm) (You can read more about: ‘Is tofu low FODMAP? An in-depth explanation and recipes included’)

*Always check the ingredients list if marinated, seasoned, or breaded, as it may contain fructose. 

Fresh meat, fish and seafood are fructose free in their natural forms. However, you should avoid breaded, battered, and marinated types of meat and fish.

Low fructose fruits

Since all fruits contain some fructose, low fructose fruits should still be limited to 1 to 2 servings per day (a serving size is 1 small piece or ½ cups) (13).

Luckily, certain fruits and vegetables have lower fructose content, making them suitable choices for those with fructose malabsorption, such as:

• Avocado (You can read more about: ‘Are avocados low FODMAP’)
• Bananas (firm) (You can read more about: ‘Bananas FODMAP content’)
• Blackberries
• Cantaloupe (You can read more about: ‘A dietitian’s guide to low FODMAP cantaloupe | recipes included’)
• Clementines, tangelos, mandarin oranges and oranges
• Coconut (You can read more about: ‘Is coconut low FODMAP’)
• Cranberries
• Grapes (You can read more about: ‘Are grapes low FODMAP? (All varieties included)’)
• Kiwi
• Lemon and lime
• Papaya 
• Pineapple (You can read more about: ‘Is pineapple FODMAP friendly? (Includes safe portions + recipes)’)
• Raspberries (You can read more about: ‘Are raspberries low FODMAP? Ultimate guide to raspberry FODMAP content’)
• Rhubarb
• Strawberries *You can read more about: ‘Are strawberries low FODMAP or high FODMAP?’)

You can also find a detailed guide about low FODMAP fruits here: ‘Low FODMAP fruit guide (includes safe list and 10 recipes)’.

Low fructose vegetables 

• Alfalfa sprouts
• Arugula or rocket (You can read more about: ‘Is arugula low FODMAP? A dietitian explains – recipes included!’)
• Bamboo shoots
• Bean sprouts
• Bell peppers (all types) (You can read more about: ‘Are bell peppers low FODMAP? (Safe portions + recipes)’)
• Broccoli (up to ½ cup) (You can read more about: ‘Is broccoli low FODMAP? (Safe portions included)’)
• Bok Choy
• Carrots (You can read more about: ‘Are carrots low FODMAP?’)
• Cabbage (You can read more about: ‘Is cabbage low FODMAP?’)
• Corn
• Celery (You can read more about: ‘Is celery low FODMAP’)
• Chives
• Chili pepper
• Collard greens
• Cucumber (You can read more about: ‘Are cucumbers FODMAP safe?’)
• Eggplant (You can read more about: ‘Does eggplant contain FODMAPs?’)
• Fennel
• Ginger (You can read more about: ‘Ginger FODMAPs: How to incorporate ginger in a low FODMAP diet’)
• Green beans (You can read more about: ‘Green beans FODMAP content’)
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Olives (You can read more about: ‘What is the olive FODMAP content?’)
• Parsnip
• Radish
• Rutabaga
• Scallions or spring onions (green part only) 
• Spinach (You can read more about: ‘Is spinach low FODMAP? Ultimate guide’)
• Seaweed
• Summer squash
• Sweet potato (You can read more about: ‘Is sweet potato low FODMAP?(Includes 16 safe recipes)’)
• Turnips 
• Tomato (You can read more about: ‘Are tomatoes low FODMAP? Includes different products’)
• Water chestnuts
• Zucchini or courgettes 

You can also find a full list of low FODMAP vegetables here.

Low fructose grains and starches

• Wheat-free grains and flours, e.g., amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, corn meal, millet, oat, rice, quinoa, sorghum, tapioca and teff (You can read more about: ‘Low FODMAP grains list (high FODMAP list + recipes)’)
• Bread, e.g., cornbread, gluten-free bread, sourdough bread (You can read more about: ‘Low FODMAP bread’)
• Cereal, e.g., corn, rice, or oat based cereals (You can read more about: ’Low FODMAP cereals’)
• Pasta, e.g., gluten-free, rice, corn, quinoa pasta (You can read more about: ‘Low FODMAP pasta guide: including 35 recipes’)
• Rice (You can read more about: ‘Is rice low FODMAP?’)
• Crackers, e.g., made from corn or rice, gluten-free, tortilla chips (You can read more about: ‘8 low FODMAP crackers (+Suitable brand list + 6 recipes)’)

Low fructose dairy products

• Plain, unsweetened dairy products, e.g., milk, yogurt and cheese (You can read more about: ‘low FODMAP milk options’, ‘Can you buy low FODMAP yogurt?’, and ‘Low FODMAP cheese and high FODMAP cheese’)

Be mindful that milk alternatives may contain fructose, like high fructose corn syrup or honey. 

You should always check the ingredients list of food products to ensure they are made with low fructose ingredients and sweeteners.

Low fructose sweeteners

• Brown rice syrup
• Brown sugar
• Cane sugar and syrup
• Confectioner’s sugar
• Corn syrup (not high fructose) (You can read more about: ‘Is corn syrup low FODMAP? (Includes common brands)’)
• Corn syrup solids
• Dextrin
• Dextrose (You can read more about: ‘Is dextrose low FODMAP? Dietitian’s answer’)
• Glucose and glucose syrups
• Lactose
• Maltose
• Pure maple syrup (You can read more about: ‘Is maple syrup low FODMAP?’)
• Raw sugar
• Sucrose (table sugar)
• Stevia (You can read more about: ‘The stevia IBS link: comprehensive guide’)

You can also find a detailed guide about low FODMAP sweeteners here: ‘Which sweeteners are low FODMAP? Dietitian advice for IBS’

Plenty of alcoholic and soft drinks are low fructose, so you don’t have to miss out on your favorites. Some of our favorite options are:

• Water, carbonated water
• Soda and other sweetened beverages made with cane sugar
• Sports drinks made with glucose
• Coffee and tea
• Spirits, e.g., gin, vodka, whiskey, tequila (up to 1 ounce) (You can read more about: ‘Can you drink alcohol on the low FODMAP diet?’)
• White or red wine (up to 4-6 ounces)
• Beer (up to 12 ounces)

What foods are high in fructose?

When following a fructose intolerance diet, you will need to limit foods high in fructose. Some of these foods include:

High fructose fruits (14)

• Apples (You can read more about: ‘The ultimate apple FODMAP content guide – recipes included’)
• Banana (ripe) (You can read more about: ‘Bananas FODMAP content’)
• Canned fruits (packed in apple or pear juice or syrup)
• Cherries (You can read more about: ‘Are cherries low FODMAP? The low down from a dietitian’)
• Dried fruits 
• Figs 
• Grapefruit (You can read more about: ‘Is grapefruit low FODMAP?’)
• Guava
• Mango (You can read more about: ‘Mango FODMAP content explained’)
• Nectarine
• Pears (You can read more about: ‘Are pears low FODMAP? A comprehensive guide to pears’)
• Plum
• Pomegranate 
• Watermelon (You can read more about: ‘Is watermelon low FODMAP? A comprehensive guide’)

High fructose vegetables

• Artichokes 
• Asparagus (You can read more about: ‘Low FODMAP alternatives to asparagus’)
• Beetroot (You can read more about: ‘Is beetroot low FODMAP?’)
• Brussels sprouts (You can read more about: ‘Are brussel sprouts low FODMAP? 5 recipes included’)
• Garlic (You can read more about: ‘Garlic FODMAP content explained’)
• Leeks (You can read more about: ‘Are leeks low FODMAP? 15 recipes included’)
• Mushrooms (You can read more about: ‘Mushroom FODMAP content explained’)
• Onion (You can read more about: ‘Onion intolerance – are onions triggering your IBS?’)
• Savoy cabbage
• Scallions or spring onions (white part)
• Shallots (You can read more about: ‘Are shallots low FODMAP? + 9 low FODMAP substitutes’)
• Sugar snap peas (You can read more about: ‘Are peas low FODMAP? (Including 5 recipes)’)
• Tomato products, e.g., ketchup or paste (You can read more about: ‘Are tomatoes low FODMAP? Includes different products’)

High fructose grains and starches

• Bread and baked goods, cereals, and crackers made with white, wheat, and rye
• Flours, e.g., all-purpose, graham, rye, semolina, white, wheat (You can read more about: ‘Low FODMAP flour + High FODMAP flour list’)

High fructose dairy

• Flavored or sweetened milk, yogurts and ice creams (You can read more about: ‘Can you buy low FODMAP yogurt?’ and ‘Ice cream on the low FODMAP diet’)
• Coconut milk and cream (You can read more about: ‘Is coconut low FODMAP’ and ‘Coconut milk FODMAP content’)

High fructose sweeteners

• Agave nectar 
• Honey (You can read more about: ‘Honey – is it low FODMAP?’)
• Fructose 
• High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) 
• Molasses
• Fruit juice concentrates
• Sugar alcohols (also called polyols), e.g., erythritol, isomalt, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol (You can read more about: ‘What are polyols? A definite guide to their functions, types, and usage’)

Remember to watch out for these high fructose ingredients commonly added to products, such as:

• Breakfast cereals (You can read more about: ‘Low FODMAP cereals’)
• Desserts (You can read more about: ‘30 low FODMAP desserts (includes shop bought and recipes’)
• Jams and marmalades
• Savory sauces (You can read more about: ‘Low and high FODMAP sauce guide: Brand names + recipe guide’)
• Snack bars
• Sodas 
• Yogurts (You can read more about: ‘Can you buy low FODMAP yogurt?’)

So, when following a fructose intolerance diet, it is crucial to read ingredient labels carefully to avoid hidden high-fructose ingredients in foods, beverages, and supplements.

Remember to download our comprehensive fructose intolerance food list to take with you on your next shopping trip. 

This handy guide will help you quickly identify safe foods and avoid high-fructose items, making meal planning and grocery shopping a breeze.

Summary

You can download our fructose intolerance food list to help manage your fructose intolerance. Fructose malabsorption is a common condition treated with diet changes.

Fructose intolerance occurs when the body cannot properly digest fructose. It includes fructose malabsorption, which is common in people with IBS, and hereditary fructose intolerance.

The good news is that you can significantly reduce your fructose intolerance symptoms by lowering your fructose intake. 

By working with a dietitian, you can figure out how much fructose you can tolerate while ensuring a well-balanced diet that meets your nutritional needs.