Diets for fructose-intolerant children

Fructose intolerance is one of the most common food intolerances. If your child has been diagnosed by a doctor with this condition, the following guide will provide you with useful information to help you plan your child's meals with more preparation.

Fructose intolerance in children can occur in two ways:

• Problems in the intestine: This happens due to a lack in the organism of the specific intestinal transporter for fructose. Colloquially this condition is known as fructose intolerance, when in fact it should be called fructose malabsorption. It is estimated that approximately 1/3 of the population suffers from it, and the most common symptoms are: nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, flatulence, etc.

• Enzymatic problem: The second case refers to the absence of a hepatic enzyme called aldolase B responsible for metabolizing fructose and is generally acquired by parental inheritance. If the child ingests foods containing fructose, the consequences are more acute than in the first case, as severe hypoglycemia, abdominal pain, difficulty sleeping, vomiting, loss of appetite, kidney and liver disease can be triggered.

Weekly menu for children with fructose intolerance

In the two cases mentioned above, a strict diet should be followed, excluding from meals any product that may contain fructose. This applies to certain vegetables and fruits, as in the case of the latter: apples, pears, plums, cherries and peaches. However, there is a great variety of these foods that can replace the above mentioned to prepare delicious and balanced dishes for your child.

In the following guide, we will show you an example of a weekly menu suitable for children with fructose intolerance.

Monday

• Breakfast: Fruit smoothie with oat milk. Toast of soy bread with olive oil.

• Mid-morning: Natural yogurt and a portion of dried fruits and nuts.

• Lunch: Lentils stewed with rice. Tomato salad, avocado and fresh cheese.
• Snack: Flavored yogurt and a portion of nuts.

• Dinner: Baked stuffed mussels with roasted zucchini. Vegetable salad.

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Fruit smoothie with oat milk. Toast of soy bread with tomato.

• Mid-morning: Natural yogurt and fruit ration.

• Lunch: Ham steak and vegetable salad.

• Snack: Bowl of oat milk with nuts.

• Dinner: Baked salmon with avocado sauce.

Wednesday

• Breakfast: Banana and nuts smoothie with oat milk. Toast of soy bread with avocado.

• Mid-morning: Yogurt with fruit ration.

• Lunch: Potato omelet and vegetable salad. Serving of fruit.

• Snack: Yogurt with a serving of nuts.

• Dinner: Grilled sea bass and sautéed vegetables.

Thursday

• Breakfast: Fruit smoothie with oat milk and scrambled eggs.

• Mid morning: Fruit salad.

• Lunch: Turkey breast with garlic and parsley quinoa. Vegetable salad.

• Snack: Yogurt with a serving of nuts.

• Dinner: Grilled swordfish and tomato salad with avocado and fresh cheese.

Friday

Breakfast: Cashew milkshake with oat milk. Natural omelet.