This post was written by nutrition MS/DI student and intern Caitlin Berenson of Boston University and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and reviewed and edited by Jenna Volpe, RDN, LD, IFNCP, CLT.

If you’ve been diagnosed with fructose intolerance, eating foods high in fructose can trigger irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. It can be confusing to know which foods you can and can’t eat when these foods don’t sit well. The good news is that most foods can be eaten as long as you pay attention to the low-fructose serving size! 

Keep reading for an explanation of what fructose is, an extensive list of high and low-fructose foods and their serving sizes, and 12 simple, low-fructose snacks ideas. (As a bonus, download our free High and Low Fructose Foods List PDF!)

Disclaimer: This post and the featured food lists were created as general educational resources for people with fructose intolerance who are prescribed a low-fructose diet, and for caregivers, and healthcare professionals interested in learning more about fructose intolerance. This information should not replace medical and nutritional advice from your doctor and a registered dietitian.

What is Fructose? 

Fructose is a type of fermentable monosaccharide (aka a simple carbohydrate and one-unit sugar). As a fermentable monosaccharide, fructose is a type of FODMAP. 

• This acronym stands for “fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols” and refers to small, poorly-digested carbohydrate molecules that can ferment in your intestines, triggering unwanted gut symptoms in some people.

Fructose Intolerance, Explained

If you have a fructose intolerance (caused by fructose malabsorption), eating foods high fructose and other FODMAPs will trigger the following symptoms:

• Gas
• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea/vomiting
• Heartburn

In rare cases, fructose intolerance can be genetically inherited; this genetic variant causes a lack of Aldolase B, the enzyme that is required to properly break down fructose during digestion. 

On the other hand, most cases of fructose intolerance are acquired later in life due to an underlying issue compromising digestive function. For example, people with gut disorders such as IBS, celiac disease, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often develop an adult-onset fructose intolerance (developed later in life), often alongside other types of FODMAP intolerances in many cases.

While it’s important to identify and address the underlying root causes of an adult-onset, acquired fructose intolerance, a low-fructose diet (a nutritionally-balanced, varied diet made up of foods low in fructose, and excluding or limiting foods high in fructose) is the primary intervention for treating and managing symptoms of a fructose intolerance.

Low-Fructose Foods

If you’ve been prescribed a low-fructose diet for fructose intolerance, feel free to refer to the low-fructose foods and their serving sizes below as a guide. Keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive, but it’s a great reference guide.

• Click here for a free, downloadable High and Low Fructose Foods List PDF!

Disclaimer: these foods are all low in fructose, but may still contain other types of FODMAPs such as lactose, fructans, other oligosaccharides, or polyols (sugar alcohols). If you find you’re still experiencing IBS symptoms on a low-fructose diet, consult with your treatment team about exploring a phased low FODMAP elimination and reintroduction diet or ruling out other food-symptom triggers.

Fruits

According to Monash University, the following fruits contain __ grams or less of fructose per serving (1):

• Apricots (3 medium)
• Dried apricots (4 pieces)
• Avocado (½ medium)
• Ripe banana (1 medium)
• Dried banana chips (19 chips)
• Blackberries (6 berries)
• Blueberries (1 cup)
• Raspberries (⅓ cup)
• Strawberries (5 medium)
• Dried cranberries (2½ tablespoons)
• Raw cranberries (1⅔ cups)
• Goji berries (2 tablespoons)
• Cherries (21 medium, raw or 12 medium, frozen)
• Raw coconut (1 ⅓ cups)
• Shredded dried coconut (½ cup)
• Dates (7 ½ dates or 3 Medjool)
• Dragon fruit (1 medium)
• Guava (1 medium)
• Lemon
• Lime
• Kiwi fruit (2 small)
• Mandarin oranges (1 medium)
• Oranges (1 medium)
• Dried mango (4 pieces)
• Cantaloupe (1 cup)
• Honeydew (1 cup)
• White/yellow nectarines (½ medium)
• Papaya (1 cup)
• Passionfruit (5⅓ medium)
• White peaches (1 medium)
• Clingstone peaches (1 medium)
• Yellow peaches (¾ medium)
• Pineapple (1¾ cups)
• Dried pineapple (2 pieces)
• Plums (1 medium)
• Prunes (4 pieces)
• Pomegranate seeds (½ cup)

Veggies

You can eat most veggies with fructose intolerance as long as you follow the low-fructose serving size:

• Alfalfa (⅔ cup)
• Globe artichoke (½ medium)
• Green beans (35 beans)
• Beets (3¾ small)
• Green bell pepper (4 cups)
• Orange bell pepper (½ cup)
• Red bell pepper (½ cup) 
• Yellow bell pepper (½ cup)
• Bok choy (2 cups)
• Broccoli heads (¾ cup)
• Brussels sprouts (6 medium)
• Red cabbage (2 cups)
• Savoy cabbage (1⅔ cups)
• White cabbage (2½ cups)
• Purple cauliflower (¾ cup)
• White cauliflower (2 ½ cups)
• Celery (2 medium stalks)
• Collard greens (1 cup)
• Baby corn (1 cup)
• Corn (1⅓ cups)
• Cucumber (⅓ medium)
• Edamame (1¾ cups)
• Heart of palms (½ cup)
• Jicama (1⅓ cups)
• Kale (2 cups)
• Leeks (1 cup green leaves or ¾ cup white bulb)
• Butter lettuce (1¾ cups)
• Romaine lettuce (2 cups) 
• Iceberg lettuce (12¼ cups)
• Radicchio lettuce (6 cups)
• Arugula (2 cups)
• Button mushrooms (15 small)
• Maitake mushrooms (⅔ cup)
• Oyster mushrooms (1 cup)
• Portobello mushrooms (2 medium)
• Shiitake mushrooms (4 medium)
• Okra (9½ pods)
• Black/green olives (15 small)
• Shallots (2 medium)
• Red onion (½ medium)
• White onion (¾ medium)
• Scallions (¾ cup green tops or ⅓ cup white part)
• Green peas (½ cup)
• Snow peas (3 cups)
• Sugar snap peas (1¾ cups)
• Red potato
• White potato 
• Sweet potato (¾ cup)
• Acorn squash (⅔ cup)
• Butternut squash (⅓ cup)
• Delicata squash (⅔ cup)
• Kabocha squash (¾ cup)
• Pumpkin (⅔ cup)
• Spaghetti squash (½ cup)
• Yellow squash (⅔ cup)
• Zucchini (½ medium)
• Radish (4 medium)
• Red cabbage sauerkraut (¾ cup)
• White cabbage sauerkraut (½ cup)
• Baby spinach (3½ cups)
• Broccoli sprouts (⅔ cup)
• Swiss chard (1½ cups)
• Cherry tomatoes (5 medium)
• Tomato (½ medium)

Grains and starches (complex carbohydrates)

• English muffins (1⅔ muffins)
• White bread (2 slices)
• Pumpernickel bread (2 slices)
• Sourdough bread (2½ slices)
• Corn flakes (1 cup)
• Puffed rice cereal (1 cup)
• Muesli (½ cup)
• Pearl barley (1 cup, cooked)
• Farro (½ cup, cooked)
• Soba noodles (⅔ cup, cooked)
• Egg noodles (½ cup, cooked)
• Rolled oats (¾ cup, uncooked)
• Quick oats (½ cup, uncooked)
• Brown rice pasta (3¼ cups, cooked)
• Chickpea pasta (1⅓ cups, cooked)
• Wheat pasta (1 cup, cooked)
• Red lentil pasta (1 cup, cooked)
• Polenta (1 cup, cooked)
• White quinoa (1 cup, cooked)
• Red quinoa (2½ cups, cooked)
• Basmati/brown/white/jasmine rice (1 cup, cooked)
• Wild rice (2 cups, cooked)
• Hard corn taco shells (2 shells)
• Wheat tortillas (1½ tortillas)

Dairy

All plain dairy products are naturally free of fructose including (but not limited to):

• Butter
• Buttermilk 
• Blue cheese
• Brie cheese
• Camembert cheese
• Cheddar cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Plain cream cheese
• Feta cheese
• Goat cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Sour cream
• Kefir
• Milk
• Yogurt

Proteins

All plain animal-based proteins without any added sauces are naturally free of fructose including (but not limited to):

• Bacon
• Chicken
• Beef
• Eggs
• Fish
• Lamb
• Pork
• Shrimp
• Turkey

Vegetarian proteins: 

• Tempeh (1¼ cups)
• Firm or silken tofu (1 cup)

Legumes

• Black beans (1 cup)
• Cannellini beans (1 cup)
• Pinto beans (1 cup)
• Red kidney beans (1 cup)
• Chickpeas (1 cup)
• Lentils (1 cup)

Nuts and seeds

• Almonds (25 nuts)
• Almond butter (1⅓ tablespoons)
• Brazil nuts (17 nuts)
  • Unrelated but important to know…Brazil nuts are extremely rich in selenium, so it’s not recommended to consume more than 1-2 of these nuts/day!
• Cashews (20 nuts)
• Cashew butter (1 tablespoon)
• Hazelnuts (30 nuts)
• Macadamia nuts (2⅔ cups)
• Peanuts (32 nuts) 
• Peanut butter (2 tablespoons)
• Pecans (3 cups)
• Pine nuts (2 tablespoons)
• Pistachios (37 nuts)
• Walnuts (18 nuts)
• Chia seeds (3 tablespoons)
• Hemp seeds (5 tablespoons)
• Flaxseeds (2 tablespoons)
• Pumpkin seeds (⅔ cup)
• Sunflower seeds (2 tablespoons)

Unsweetened milk alternatives

• Almond milk (1 cup)
• Oat milk (1 cup)
• Soy milk (1 cup)
• Rice milk (1 cup)
• Coconut milk (1 cup)

Sweeteners

• Coconut sugar (3 teaspoons)
• Real maple syrup (2½ tablespoons)
• Rice malt syrup (3⅔ teaspoons)
• Brown sugar (1 teaspoon)
• Powdered sugar (1 teaspoon)
• White or turbinado sugar (1 teaspoon)
• Agave syrup (1 teaspoon)

Snacks

• Corn tortilla chips (7 cups)
• Plain potato chips (1 small packet)
• Saltine crackers (31 crackers)
• Plain popcorn (7 cups)
• Pretzels (½ cup)
• Plain rice cakes (7 cakes)

Foods High in Fructose (Avoid) (1)

The following foods are considered high in fructose and should be avoided (or be mindful of your portion size) on a low-fructose or low FODMAP diet. 

Fruits

• Apples
• Figs
• Grapes
• Grapefruit
• Guava
• Fresh mango
• Watermelon
• Pears
• Raisins

Veggies

• Roma tomatoes (if more than ⅓ medium)
• Artichoke hearts (if more than ⅓ cup)
• Asparagus (if more than 3 spears)
• Broccoli stalks (if more than ⅓ cup)
• Garlic
• Carrot (if more than ½ medium)
• Dried nori seaweed (if more than 2 sheets)
• Parsnip (if more than 1 medium)
• Turnip (if more than 1 medium)

Sweeteners

• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey (if more than ½ teaspoon)
• Stevia powder (if more than ½ teaspoon)

Simple Low-Fructose Snack Ideas

• Plain Greek yogurt + ¼ cup blueberries + a handful of cashews
• Cottage cheese + 1 peach + 1 TBSP hemp seeds
• Cottage cheese + ½ cup sliced yellow bell pepper or ¼ cucumber, sliced
• Brie cheese + a handful of almonds + a couple olives
• 2 hard-boiled eggs + 1 oz cheddar + a handful of pistachios
• 1 rice cake + 1/2 avocado, mashed + 1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
• 1 English muffin + 2 TBSPs peanut butter + 1 banana, sliced + a sprinkle of chia seeds
• 1 English muffin + 1 to 2 TBSPs butter + a couple raspberries, mashed
• Trail mix: nuts of choice + 2 TBSPs dried cranberries + ½ cup popcorn or pretzels 
• 2 TBSPs hummus + ½ cup celery and/or pretzels
• 5 cherry tomatoes + 1 oz mozzarella 
• Chia seed pudding (made with milk of choice and 1 TBSP maple syrup) + ½ cup pineapple chunks

More Resources

• What’s the Best IBS Diet for You? (Expert Guidance)
• FODMAP Intolerance, De-Mystified
• ​​Low FODMAP Diet for Beginners: What’s It All About & Who Is It For? 
• Is Maple Syrup Low FODMAP? (Expert Guidance on Maple Syrup and IBS)  
• Gut Health Dietitian Advice About Low FODMAP Sweeteners 

Recap and Final Thoughts

Fructose is a fermentable monosaccharide (single-unit sugar) that can trigger IBS symptoms in some people with IBS or SIBO, or people who lack the enzyme, Aldolase B. A low-fructose diet can help reduce or prevent unwanted gut symptoms for people with a fructose intolerance. Make sure to still choose a variety of whole, nutrient-dense foods and keep your diet nutritionally-balanced.

Download the High and Low Fructose Foods List PDF to easily refer to low-fructose foods and their serving sizes when planning your meals/snacks!