Gout Diet: What to Eat & Avoid

A complete guide to eating with gout — 662 foods analyzed, with purine data from USDA and Japan Gout Society.

How the Gout Diet Works

Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in your blood. Uric acid forms when your body breaks down purines — compounds found in many foods. A gout diet focuses on three things: (1) limiting high-purine foods, (2) avoiding alcohol, especially beer, and (3) reducing fructose from sugary drinks and processed foods. The goal is to keep uric acid levels below 6 mg/dL.

The Arthritis Foundation, Mayo Clinic, and Cleveland Clinic all recommend a Mediterranean-style or DASH diet for gout — emphasizing vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins while limiting red meat, organ meats, shellfish, alcohol, and added sugars.

Foods You Can Eat Freely (343 Safe Foods)

These foods have low purine and safe fructose levels — suitable for daily consumption with gout.

FoodCategoryVerdict
Egg WhiteDairy & EggsSafe
Egg YolkDairy & EggsSafe
Milk 2%Dairy & EggsSafe
Yogurt PlainDairy & EggsSafe
Yogurt NonfatDairy & EggsSafe
Cheese AmericanDairy & EggsSafe
Cheese CottageDairy & EggsSafe
Cheese Monterey JackDairy & EggsSafe
Cheese ProvoloneDairy & EggsSafe
White BreadGrainsSafe
Bread BaguetteGrainsSafe
White Rice (Cooked)GrainsSafe
Black BeansLegumesSafe
Kidney BeansLegumesSafe
Pinto BeansLegumesSafe
ChickpeasLegumesSafe
TofuLegumesSafe
PeanutsLegumesSafe
MushroomsVegetablesSafe
CauliflowerVegetablesSafe
Brussels SproutsVegetablesSafe
CabbageVegetablesSafe
Bok ChoyVegetablesSafe
CollardsVegetablesSafe
AsparagusVegetablesSafe
CarrotsVegetablesSafe
CornVegetablesSafe
CucumberVegetablesSafe
GarlicVegetablesSafe
GingerVegetablesSafe

View all 343 safe foods →

Foods to Avoid (124 High-Risk Foods)

These foods have high purine levels, high alcohol content, or high fructose — all known gout triggers. Limit or avoid these entirely.

FoodPurineVerdict
Anchovy Dried1109 mg/100gAvoid
Yeast Dried847.1 mg/100gAvoid
Shrimp Dried748.9 mg/100gAvoid
Shrimp Sakura Dried748.9 mg/100gAvoid
Sardine Dried746 mg/100gAvoid
Sardine Baby Dried746 mg/100gAvoid
Umami Broth Powder684.8 mg/100gAvoid
Seaweed Nori Dried591.5 mg/100gAvoid
Chicken Stock Powder508.9 mg/100gAvoid
Bonito Dried492.9 mg/100gAvoid
Whitebait Dried471.1 mg/100gAvoid
Pork Bacon (Cooked)428.8 mg/100gAvoid
Anchovy411 mg/100gAvoid
Sardine Canned399 mg/100gAvoid
Herring378 mg/100gAvoid
Herring Canned378 mg/100gAvoid
Sardine345 mg/100gAvoid
Pork Loin (Cooked)333.5 mg/100gAvoid
Anchovy Canned321 mg/100gAvoid
Sardine Half-Dried305.3 mg/100gAvoid
Anchovy Fresh303.9 mg/100gAvoid
Tofu Dried-Frozen292.3 mg/100gAvoid
Parsley289.3 mg/100gAvoid
Parsley Fresh289.3 mg/100gAvoid
Pork Liver (USDA)289 mg/100gAvoid

View all 124 foods to avoid →

Quick Diet Tips for Gout

Data sources: USDA FoodData Central / Japan Gout Society purine database (2025). Verdicts by V2 Engine.
How we determine food safety →
Disclaimer: This website provides dietary information only. It is not medical advice.