Plant-Based Meat Purine Ranking: Lowest to Highest

Lowest Purine Plant-Based Meat

Highest Purine Plant-Based Meat

#8vegetarian tender 'shrimp'0.1 mg

#7‘frankfurter', meatless32.0 mg

#6vegetarian 'meatloaf' or patties42.1 mg

#5‘sausage', meatless45.9 mg

#4veggie burgers or soyburgers, unprepared65.5 mg

#3‘bacon', meatless74.4 mg

#2‘chicken', meatless77.0 mg

#1luncheon slices, meatless97.8 mg

Category Average: 54.4 mg/100g

The average across 8 Plant-Based Meat foods with lab-measured data. Foods below this average are better-than-typical choices within this category.

How to Use This Ranking

The purine ranking is sorted from lowest to highest. Rank #1 is the lowest-purine food in the category. Foods in the top half (above median) should be consumed with more awareness of portion and frequency. The difference between adjacent ranks varies: in some categories, rank #5 and #10 might be only 10 mg apart; in others, the gap can be 100+ mg. Always check the actual milligram value, not just the position. Rankings do not account for fructose or alcohol — use individual food pages for a complete risk assessment.

ACR 2020 Guideline Context

The American College of Rheumatology recommends that gout patients focus on purine awareness rather than complete food group elimination. Within any category, there is a wide purine range. The goal is to shift toward lower-purine choices within categories you already eat, rather than eliminating entire food groups. This ranking helps you identify which specific items to prioritize and which to limit.

Japanese guidelines recommend under 400 mg of total dietary purines per day. Using this ranking, you can estimate how much of budget each food uses per typical serving.

How This Comparison Is Built

Every food in this comparison has been evaluated using a three-factor risk engine that independently assesses purine content, fructose level, and alcohol presence. Purine values come from two primary references — the USDA+ODS-NIH PURINE DATABASE Release 2 (March 2025) and Kaneko et al. (Biol Pharm Bull 37(5):709-721, 2014, PMID: 24553148). Fructose data is sourced from USDA SR28 Food Composition Tables. The verdict system follows ACR 2020 guideline thresholds: Safe (purine <50 mg, fructose <2g, no alcohol), Moderate (purine 50-150 mg or fructose 2-5g), Avoid (purine >150 mg, fructose >5g, or alcohol present). Data quality is labeled T1 (lab-measured), T2 (measured + consensus), or T3 (category estimate) on each food's detail page.

This comparison is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Individual tolerance to purines and fructose varies. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized dietary guidance. Last reviewed: 2026-09-03.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is plant-based meat good for gout?

Most plant-based meats are low-to-moderate in purines because they are built from soy, pea, or wheat protein rather than animal tissue. Among 8 plant-based meat items with measured values, the lowest include vegetarian tender 'shrimp' at 0.1 mg/100g. They are generally a safe swap for red meat, though sodium and saturated fat vary by brand.

Which plant-based meat is lowest in purines?

The lowest-purine options in our database include vegetarian tender 'shrimp' at 0.1 mg/100g and ‘frankfurter', meatless at 32.0 mg/100g. Soy- and pea-protein burgers typically measure low; check the label for sodium and added oils, since those matter more than purines for most people with gout.

Are meatless burgers safe for gout?

Generally yes. A meatless burger is usually lower in purines than a beef burger and avoids the red-meat signal that tracks with higher gout risk. In our data the plant-based options cluster well below 97.8 mg/100g, and many sit close to 0.1 mg/100g. Treat them as a sensible protein rotation rather than a daily free pass.

Plant-Based Meat Ranked by Purine Content