Low-Fructose Foods

Fructose is a natural sugar found in all fruit as well as some sweet-tasting vegetables and a few other foods such as honey. Fructose takes a little longer to digest compared to other natural dietary sugars such as glucose or sucrose, so it has less impact on insulin and blood-sugar levels. However, some people don’t metabolize fructose well and develop intolerances or sensitivities to it. Understanding which foods are low in fructose is necessary for reducing it in your diet.

Issues with Fructose

Fructose intolerance is the inability to break down and absorb fructose efficiently. It is a common problem in people with irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal disorders. High-fructose corn syrup, which is commonly found in baked goods, desserts, syrups, processed foods and sweetened beverages, is the most concentrated source of fructose and should be completely avoided on a low-fructose diet. You cannot eliminate all fructose from your diet, but try to reduce your intake to help with intolerance issues or weight loss. Common symptoms of fructose intolerance are similar to lactose intolerance and include bloating, abdominal pain, flatulence, diarrhea, fatigue and headaches.


Fructose is often referred to as fruit sugar because it’s so prevalent in fruit. However, some types of fruit have considerably less fructose than others. For people who are extremely sensitive to fructose, completely eliminating all fruit from their diet is the only option, but most others with sensitivities can tolerate small amounts at a time, especially if they eat it with other food. Examples of low-fructose fruit include apricots, cantaloupes, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, plums, nectarines, oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes and sour cherries. Apples, pears and mangoes are especially high in fructose.


Most fresh vegetables contain only trace amounts of fructose and are appropriate for low-fructose diets. In general, veggies that don’t taste sweet -- such as peppers, broccoli, spinach, celery and cucumbers -- are good low-fructose options. Cooking your vegetables is even better because it destroys some of the free fructose and other sugars. Veggies that are significantly higher in fructose include carrots, sweet peas, sweet potatoes, corn and tomatoes -- although tomatoes are actually classified as a citrus fruit.

Fructose-Free Foods

Some foods naturally contain no fructose such as meat, poultry, fish, unsweetened dairy products, eggs and most beans. However, be cautious of sweet sauces, dressings and condiments commonly added to these foods because they likely contain high-fructose corn syrup. Some whole-grain breads are low in fructose or contain none at all, but many other types of bread do, so read the labels carefully. Sweeteners that are low in fructose include turbinado sugar -- a common type of raw sugar with higher molasses content -- cane sugar, real maple syrup and most sugar substitutes such as aspartame.