First of all, if you are new to my blog… hello and welcome!  I realize that many people are curious about the food list associated with this digestive disorder, which is perfectly understandable since… well, let’s face it….

A Fructose Malabsorber’s diet is completely and undeniably backwards from everything we’ve been told our entire lives about food.

If you are reading this blog you, or someone you love may be suffering from Fructose Malabsorption, which is getting properly diagnosed more and more with each passing day.  As a friend and ally, I will not lie and say that this road is easy.  No dietary restriction is simple, but there is a complete unlearning that is required in order to live a Fructose-Aware lifestyle.  It is very difficult to summarize the ins and outs of FM to friends, family and restaurant waiters, but it is even harder for them to wrap their heads around the idea… though they definitely try, and it is certainly appreciated.

After many months of trial, error, sickness, happiness and some unexpected victories, I still find new things to eat all of the time, and easier ways to navigate this crazy universe!

THERE IS HOPE!  And I am always here to discuss recipes, techniques, and anything involving a Fructose Free lifestyle.

Email me anytime at HappyFructoseFree@Gmail.com 🙂

I am going to give you my secrets to success living with Fructose Malabsorption, but note (HUGE NOTE) that every one has a different tolerance.  These are my happy foods (which, I’m excited to say now include dairy, gluten, soy, eggs and nuts).  Because this list is unique to me and ever-changing…

Please Be Cautious when trying out any new ingredient or product,

and ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS check the ingredients.  This convenience requires a continuous watchful eye on absolutely every label.  Nothing is safe until you can see the ingredients yourself.

Now that we have all that intense stuff out of the way… here we go!  (HFCS = High Fructose Corn Syrup)

Grocery Store Items I Live On:

Cereals, like Special K Original which is made with rice, has tons of vitamins and minerals (which we desperately need), and not a lot of sugar.  There are some brands of Crisp Rice Cereal (not Malt-O-Meal since it has HFCS) that are totally awesome too!

Rice Crispy Treats, anyone?  ABSOLUTELY YES!  Jet Puffed marshmallows only use sugar and corn syrup, to sweeten and I literally leaped into the air when I realized this since I am a total marshmallow addict 🙂  But this sugar tally adds up quickly so, unless you want to get sick, portion control is key… trust me.

You want some peanut butter in those treats?  How about Skippy Natural Peanut Butter which has only four simple ingredients and is something I cannot live without.  It is affordable and completely perfect.  Yup… perfection in PB form.

Nut butters not your thing?  How about chocolate?  Yes, I am one of the millions of people who love chocolate, and boy do I have a BUNCH of treats for your fructose-conscious sweet tooth!  

Did I mention… ENJOY IN MODERATION!

I am amazed that the Enjoy Life Brand Chocolate Chips are among an outrageously small list of foods that made it through my entire dietary needs evolution.  They are amazing whether you live a gluten, dairy, soy, nut, egg free life or not.  They are tad pricey since they hang out in the organic food section, but they are yummy and deserve a fair deal of credit into why I am even here today to give you this information.

There are several occasions where I have eaten too many mini chocolate chips and gotten sick, but those little chocolate chips probably saved my life.  However, I’m finding dark chocolates tend to be safer than milk chocolates, and now that Reese’s has Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Minis I am definitely happy.

These might not be dark chocolate, but Nutty Bars (yes, you read correctly) are amazing for Fructose Malabsorbers to have an indulgent treat.  Why, you ask?  Dextrose!  Dextrose is what helps our bodies digest fructose and is the precise reason why we can eat table sugar (in moderation).

Sucrose = 1 Fructose : 1 Glucose/Dextrose, so…

DEXTROSE IS YOUR NEW FRIEND – Here is where I got mine in bulk 🙂

Wanna know what else has a lot of dextrose?  Try these portable candy staples… Smarties & Sweet Tarts!  That includes the Mini Chewy Sweet Tarts that they sell at the movie theaters, so when the smell of freshly popped popcorn wafts into your nose you can BE STRONG.  Say no, because you will be bubbly later for sure.  Opt for the sweet tarts, and even if you eat the whole bag… not moderation… you won’t be nearly as sick as if you ate that darn good smelling popcorn.

Pardon my tangent… I wasn’t done with Chocolate.

Want a chocolate sauce?  Nesquik!  Hello?  Yes, there is a chocolate syrup without HFCS that is readily available at all grocery stores, is affordable and Fat Free to boot!  It doesn’t even need corn syrup it is so SWEET (like, awesome)!  Since Trader Joe’s chains are expanding, it bares noting they also have a yummy HFCS-Free chocolate sauce cutely called “Midnite Moo.”  Check your local natural foods store and you may just find your own version of Midnite Moo 🙂  Any of the other brands like Hershey’s are crazy contaminated with HFCS, so steer clear and dive into the safe choices next time you crave chocolate milk.

Speaking of chocolate milk, I LOVE chocolate milk.  Even if you cannot have dairy I am trilled to tell you about Silk Pure Almond Dark Chocolate Milk.  Holy cow, it is a dessert on it’s own.  Even those folks who are afraid of dairy alternatives (like my husband) agree that chocolate almond milk stuff is super delicious!  In fact, I’m out… I need to go to the store right now!  Chocolate emergency!

On my way out the door, I could grab one of my best to-go chocolate treats and eat in the car… would you like a Ferrero Rochier or Lindt’s Lindor Truffle?  These may be a health-nut’s nightmare, but they are only 2 Weight Watchers + Points each so one chocolatey piece can soothe your chocolate craving and leave you feeling completely satisfied.

You’d be silly to think I was out of chocolate yet… I’ve got three more!

1.)  Chocolate cake!  Many boxed cakes in many flavors are surprisingly safe, and even a gluten free option like King Aurthur Brand is safe to enjoy in moderation and is soooo moist you don’t miss the wheat.  I still buy it even though I can have wheat cakes now.  That’s how good it is 🙂   Commercially made frosting is where it gets tricky, but as with everything….

ALWAYS CHECK THE INGREDIENTS!

2.)  Ice Cream Sandwiches from Almond Dream Lil’Dreamers are chocolate cookies and vanilla ice cream in mini-form (which is great for sugar portion-control).  Yes, these sandwiches are dairy-free, but they are another specialty isle staple that remains in my house long after I got lactose back in my life.  Normally, ice cream sandwiches are VERY VERY DANGEROUS, but this is one brand that doesn’t use HFCS and is totally worth tracking down.

HFCS IS VERY COMMON IN THE FREEZER SECTION – ALWAYS EXERCISE CAUTION

3.)  Jello Instant Chocolate Pudding!  And ALL Jello Puddings 🙂  I love the Sugar-Free varieties, and I cook with them all the time.  Morning oatmeal need a chocolatey kick?  Use a teaspoon or-so of instant chocolate pudding and cook in some instant coffee granules, then you’ve got mocha oatmeal.  Yum!  I also use Instant Sugar-Free Vanilla Pudding in my fat free half-and-half to make my own liquid coffee creamer.

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MORE TO COME! 🙂  As always, you can find me at HappyFructoseFree@Gmail.com.