Recipes for Gout

Updated on February 25, 2013
A.L. asks from Austin, TX
5 answers

My husband has been having gout attacks in his ankle. Unfortunately, most of the stuff he likes to eat is on the "bad" list for gout sufferers. Shrimp. Salmon. Red meat. Turkey. Peanut butter is even on some lists. I'm going to have to revamp our typical menus a lot. Thank goodness, we eat a lot of chicken already, and I make a pretty good mac and cheese from scratch, so I've got that covered, but does anyone have any other ideas or recipes?

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Thanks! He doesn't have a prescription yet, but he has a follow-up doctor's visit coming - I'm hoping we can get this under control without needing meds for long-term.

I hadn't seen chicken on any of the lists at all, so thanks, Mrslavallie, for the heads-up on that. Tofu hadn't even been on my radar! I will definitely be googling recipes for that.

TF - He had some trauma to the ankle a few years ago, and there is family history, so this is not unexpected, unfortunately. Ironically, I already use cherry juice (pineapple, too - also an anti-inflammatory!) for other issues - I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me to have him drink it for gout! I'll look into the supplements, too - he might take to them a bit better. Thanks!

B - thanks for the link! There is so much conflicting information out there, it's hard to just google anything medical-related.

More Answers

L.L.

answers from Rochester on

"We eat a lot of chicken already." Fatty white meat, like chicken, can be really bad for gout, especially when eaten in excess. If your husband is suffering from acute attacks, you really need to eliminate most if not all meat from his diet for awhile. Probably also a good idea to skip out on the dairy for awhile, as most foods that contain cholesterol are high in purines as well.

A good substitute for meat would be tofu. Granted, maybe not the ideal replacement for MOST people, but it does help aid the kidneys in eliminating uric acid from the body. You can use it once or twice a week...we love it in chili and stir frys.

As far as vegetables go, MOST are okay...the things you want to avoid are asparagus, spinach, peas, etc. I think most of the veggies you want to avoid are dark green.

I do know what this is like, because I have kidney stones and have to be on a similar diet. Things I have to avoid include large quantities of meat (I quit eating sandwiches for lunch, because we usually have a meat for dinner, and for me, that was a big enough change), I cannot eat a lot of peanut butter, nuts, green peppers, or celery, and coffee is bad as well but I refuse to give it up! It's hard, because that list includes most of the foods I truly love.

I know it's hard to do meatless meals, but like I said, for your husband, tofu would be ideal. Experiment with it (we like the super firm). After he's improved a bit, you can introduce meat again, but in SMALL quantities. One 3-4 ounce serving a day is enough for anyone, and that's a thin piece of meat the size of your palm!

2 moms found this helpful

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

I have had 1 bad gout flare up, last year May and I thought I was going to die. Boy it hurts.

I understand gout is inherited. My dad has it and is on Rx drugs for it. I got my first run with it last May and WOW does it hurt. The Dr was baffled because I am not overweight at all, actually underweight, very petite, and in good physical shape. They told me it was inherited and I know that could be true because I am of Native American heritage and it does occur often with Native Americans.

I don't like to take any RX meds if I can help it so I went with this approach..... I was told to drink pure cherry juice, eat cherries, etc. I swear it has worked for me. If I feel a tingle, I step up the cherry. I eat bing cherries when I can find them fresh, I also eat the dried cherries when the good ones are out of season, I drink cranberry/cherry juice. The pure cherry juice is a little strong for me so I add it into my cranberry juice. I also take a supplement from the health food section of my grocery which is tart Cherry Ultra tablet Clinical strength. I eat about 2 of them a day unless I sense a flare up and I od on it!!

As far as my diet, I have not changed much but then I've never been a seafood lover. We do eat a lot of prime beef but I have learned the symptoms and have been able to knock it out quickly with no RX meds. I still enjoy my red wine as well.

So, I no recipes for you but maybe the cherry news could help your hubby.

Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.B.

answers from Boston on

Amanda, I assume that he's already cut out alcohol but of not, beer is a big trigger. One of my colleagues had a flare-up last week and blamed it on two weeks of a "steak and beer with clients" diet.

Also, I would research soy a bit before add tofu to his diet. Unfermented soy such as tofu is not healthy in general and soy and other legumes are a source of purine (granted all proteins are), which is what he should be avoiding. Most of the soy in the US is from genetically-modified sources and is linked to allergies, inflammation and other issues. Fermented soy such as tempeh and miso are still good options but the highly-processed soy used in a lot of our fake foods, and commercial tofu, is not something you necessarily want to add to your diet.

This article may be of interest to you. I post this with the caveat that many people discredit Dr. Mercola and say he's a quack. I disagree. If you're open to a more natural approach to treating this, this may be of interest to you and if not, then disregard. The gist of it is that to really control gout, you have to control sugars, particularly fructose (soda, fruit juice), which inhibits the body's process of excreting uric acid.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/0...

Hope he gets some relief soon!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.M.

answers from Seattle on

Drink lots of water! Watch salt intake. Turkey meatballs with brown rice and low sodium cream of mushroom soup is one of my favorite meals. Steamed veggies.

1 mom found this helpful
For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions