136 Easy & Delicious Gout-Friendly Recipes

Easy and delicious gout-friendly recipes rely on low-purine ingredients to keep your daily purine intake moderate. For reference, in Japan the recommended daily purine intake is less than 400 mg (Kaneko et al., Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 2014). These recipes favor vegetables, starches, low-fat dairy and whole fruit, and leave out organ meats, processed meats and small oily fish such as sardines and anchovies.

Gout is an inflammatory arthritis caused by sodium urate crystals depositing in the joints. It is more common in men, and in women mostly after menopause. Eating for gout does not mean giving up the pleasure of food: the recipe examples and the sample day below show it.

Why adapting your diet is essential in managing gout

Diet influences serum uric acid (the level of uric acid in the blood). Purines, compounds naturally present in animal and plant cells, are converted into uric acid by the body, a step that involves the enzyme xanthine oxidase. When uric acid rises above its solubility threshold in the blood, crystals can form and deposit in the joints, causing painful attacks.

A large study followed 47,150 men for 12 years: those who ate the most meat had a 41% higher risk of gout, and those who ate the most seafood a 51% higher risk, compared with those who ate the least. Conversely, the highest dairy consumers had a 44% lower risk. Purine-rich vegetables and total protein intake were not associated with a higher risk (Choi et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 2004). These are observed associations that guide what goes on the plate.

The European EULAR recommendations combine patient education and a non-drug approach (diet, lifestyle) with treatment, and recommend considering urate-lowering therapy from the first presentation of gout, with a serum uric acid target below 6 mg/dL (360 µmol/L) (Richette et al., Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2017). Diet supports treatment; it does not replace it.

To learn more about dietary adaptation during an attack, consult our complete guide on what to eat during an acute gout attack.

The nutritional principles common to gout-friendly recipes

Gout-friendly recipes follow a few simple principles: favor low-purine foods, keep meat and fish portions moderate, drink regularly, and limit alcohol and sugary drinks.

Foods to favor

The values in this article come from the Gout-Cha! food database (mg of purines per 100 g).

• Fresh and cooked vegetables (zucchini, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes): less than 20 mg of purines per 100 g
• Whole fresh fruit in usual portions (strawberries, citrus): about 6 to 11 mg of purines per 100 g. In men, fructose-rich fruits such as apples and oranges were linked to a higher risk of gout: avoid large amounts and juice (Choi and Curhan, BMJ, 2008)
• Low-fat dairy (yogurt, fromage blanc, skim milk): about 8 to 9 mg of purines per 100 g
• Eggs: 5 mg of purines per 100 g
• Starches (bread, potatoes, cooked rice): about 14 to 21 mg of purines per 100 g
• Vegetable oils (olive, canola): for cooking and dressing

Foods to limit or exclude

• Organ meats (liver, kidneys, brain): about 230 to 560 mg of purines per 100 g
• Red meats (beef, lamb, pork): about 110 to 150 mg of purines per 100 g
• Small oily fish (sardines, anchovies, herring): about 190 to 240 mg of purines per 100 g
• Beer, spirits and sugary sodas: linked to a higher risk of developing gout in men (Choi et al., Lancet, 2004; Choi and Curhan, BMJ, 2008). In people who already have gout, all alcoholic drinks, wine included, are linked to more flares (Neogi et al., 2014)
• Processed meats (prosciutto, rillettes, chorizo, sausages): about 125 to 170 mg of purines per 100 g

Source: the Gout-Cha! food database.

The 5 most effective categories of anti-gout recipes

Gout-friendly recipes fall into five main categories: light starters, main courses based on vegetables and starches, main courses based on lean proteins, fruit-based desserts and drinks.

Light starters and composed salads

Recommended starters combine raw vegetables, fresh cheeses and aromatic herbs. Example recipes: cucumber salad with fromage blanc and mint (cucumber and fromage blanc are both under 10 mg of purines per 100 g), cherry tomato gazpacho (about 5 mg per 100 g of cherry tomatoes), zucchini velouté with coconut milk.

Vegetarian main courses and roasted vegetables

Vegetarian dishes form the foundation of the anti-gout diet. Cooked legumes (lentils, chickpeas, white beans) contain about 80 to 85 mg of purines per 100 g, so a 150 g portion provides about 120 to 127 mg, similar to a portion of meat, to count in your day. Recipes include: Provençal vegetable tian, chickpea curry with coconut milk, potato gratin with fromage blanc, button mushroom risotto (about 32 to 38 mg of purines per 100 g of mushrooms, depending on cooking).

Main courses based on lean proteins

Chicken, turkey and eggs are the main sources of animal protein in this diet. A 100 g serving of cooked chicken breast provides about 110 to 129 mg of purines, roughly as much as beef: portion size is what keeps it within reasonable limits. Recommended recipes include: herb chicken breast en papillote, bell pepper and tomato omelette, cucumber carpaccio with poached eggs.

Hydration, an inseparable component of the anti-gout diet

Drinking enough, spread through the day, helps the kidneys clear uric acid and lowers the risk of urinary stones. If your doctor has asked you to limit fluids, follow that advice.

• Still or sparkling water: at every meal
• Cherries: in a study of 633 people with gout, eating cherries over a 2-day period was associated with a 35% lower risk of an attack (Zhang et al., Arthritis & Rheumatism, 2012)
• Unsweetened coffee: in a meta-analysis of 11 observational studies, coffee drinking was associated with a lower risk of gout, with no clear difference in uric acid levels (Zhang et al., BMJ Open, 2016)
• Sodas and fruit juice: in men, sugar-sweetened soft drinks, fructose, fruit juice and fructose-rich fruits were associated with a higher risk of gout (Choi and Curhan, BMJ, 2008)

To explore the role of coffee further, read our detailed article on coffee and gout: protection and scientific studies. For more on cherries, our article on cherry juice for gout: benefits and tips goes into the details.

Planning a week of balanced anti-gout menus

A balanced 7-day anti-gout menu provides energy suited to your needs, plenty of fruits and vegetables, a usual amount of protein (with kidney disease, your doctor will give you a target), little salt, and stays moderate in purines. These goals are compatible with a varied and flavorful diet.

Example of a typical anti-gout day:

1. Breakfast: 0% fromage blanc (180 g), oat flakes (50 g), fresh strawberries (100 g), unsweetened coffee
2. Lunch: lamb's lettuce (50 g) with walnuts (20 g), grilled herb chicken breast (100 g), basmati rice (150 g cooked), a pear (150 g)
3. Snack: plain 0% yogurt (125 g), kiwis (150 g)
4. Dinner: zucchini velouté (250 g of zucchini), 2-egg omelette (100 g) with bell peppers (50 g), whole wheat bread (50 g), an orange (150 g)

Calculated with our food database, this day provides about 295 mg of purines (excluding coffee, which is not in the database), about 123 mg of it from the chicken breast alone. To better understand the duration and management of attacks, consult our article on how long a gout attack lasts and on gout attack symptoms, causes and treatments.

For any question about your treatment or your uric acid target, talk to your doctor or rheumatologist.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many anti-gout recipes can be cooked with everyday ingredients?

Plenty: most everyday dishes can be adapted by building on vegetables, starches, eggs and dairy, with a moderate portion of meat or fish. The examples in this article (composed salads, veloutés, chickpea curry, chicken en papillote, omelettes) use common ingredients and need no advanced cooking technique.

Can you eat meat as part of an anti-gout diet?

Yes, in moderate portions. White meat (chicken, turkey) provides about 105 to 130 mg of purines per 100 g depending on the cut and cooking, roughly as much as red meat (about 110 to 150 mg): portion size is what matters most, for example 100 g per meal. Organ meats (liver, kidneys), at about 230 to 560 mg per 100 g, are best avoided.

Are legumes compatible with the anti-gout diet?

Yes, in reasonable portions. Cooked legumes (lentils, chickpeas, white beans) contain about 80 to 85 mg of purines per 100 g. In a large study of men, eating purine-rich vegetables was not associated with a higher risk of gout, unlike meat and seafood (Choi et al., NEJM, 2004). Legumes are a good source of plant protein, to count in your daily total.

What is the best anti-gout drink to incorporate into recipes?

Water remains the basic drink, spread through the day. Avoid sugary sodas and alcohol: in people with gout, wine, beer and liquor were each associated with a higher risk of a flare within 24 hours, possibly even at moderate amounts (Neogi et al., American Journal of Medicine, 2014).

Is the anti-gout diet sufficient to replace drug treatment?

No. The anti-gout diet does not replace treatment prescribed by a doctor. The EULAR recommendations place allopurinol as first-line urate-lowering therapy, with the dose adjusted to kidney function, and propose other options (including febuxostat) if the uric acid target is not reached (EULAR 2016). Diet is a complement. Any change in treatment should be discussed with your rheumatologist or primary care physician.