There is no one single “best” food or diet for gout.
It’s all about avoiding foods that trigger gout attacks and raise uric acid levels and concentrating on eating foods which are healthy and in some cases help reduce the risk of gout.
Vegetables
Yes, you knew it was coming.
Eating vegetables is one of the best ways to avoid a gout attack and stay healthy in general.
Try to aim for half of your plate to be vegetables.
One of the best ways to make including vegetables in your meals is to buy the individual frozen vege bags from Watties and a couple of other brands.
Simply grab a bag (which is usually 2 servings), pop it in the microwave for 3 minutes and dump them on your plate. Easy peasy with no cooking skill required!
Limit potatoes and high starch vegetables such as peas.
White Meat
White meat such as chicken or turkey and fish such as snapper and gurnard are a good way to keep protein levels up without spiking uric acid levels.
Some fish and seafood should be avoided however, so make sure you read our recommendations on the following pages:
Red Meat
Red Meat can be eaten if you’re trying to control your gout, however some red meats should be avoided.
Always eat red meat in moderation by following our recommendations here: Gout and Meat
Eggs
Eggs are high in protein but also very low in purines which means they are a great food to eat when you’re trying to get your gout under control.
Nuts
Nuts are a great source of nutrition and are very low in purines. Almonds, cashews, pistachios are all great to snack on and are very unlikely to cause any gout issues.
Fruit
Eat fruits which are high in Vitamin-C such as cherries, oranges, lemons, kiwifruit, tangerines, mandarins and papaya.
Fruits are a great source of potassium which is also beneficial to gout sufferers.
However, it’s important to moderate fruit consumption due to the high sugar content. Read why on the link below:
Read more about Gout and Fruit
Water
Water is your friend!
It’s hard to drink too much water, especially when you’re trying to flush your system of excess uric acid.
My general rule of thumb is to drink as much water as you can (2-3 glasses per hour) until your urine is clear. Then you can go back to 1 glass of water per hour to maintain clear urine throughout the day.
Cherries
There is some evidence to suggest eating cherries can reduce your risk of a gout attack.
Cherries can be eaten as a fruit or you can purchase cherry extract as a supplement or drink concentrate.