Whether you’re avoiding fructose due to an intolerance or you’re simply watching sugar consumption, it’s all about choosing the perfect replacements!

Fructose — sugar naturally found in fruits, fruit juices, a few veggies, and honey — is generally considered to be a healthy option. How is sugar healthy, you may be wondering? Turns out that “natural” sugar that’s found wrapped in layers of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients — such as fiber and protein — is digested differently than those that are artificially made — think high-fructose corn syrup and agave syrup. In short, when you combine natural sugar with nutrients your body processes it slower and therefore, you avoid drastic blood sugar spikes, which have been linked to type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular issues.

Alright, so you’re on board with swapping out high-fructose foods for low-fructose foods, what should you choose? Turns out there are lots of yummy options including most berries, — strawberries, blueberries, blackberries — avocado, bananas, green beans, honeydew melon, and even peaches.

Here are a few low-fructose recipes to get you started!

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help you get healthy! And, don’t forget to check out our Whole Foods Archives!

1. Silky Strawberry Avocado Smoothie

Source: Silky Strawberry Avocado Smoothie

This Silky Strawberry Avocado Smoothie recipe by Nele Liivlaid combines a few low-fructose fruits — strawberries, avocado, lemon, and banana — to make a super healthy, super tasty smoothie treat. With a twist of mint, this smoothie adds a refreshing twist to your day!

2. Raw Peach and Vanilla No-Churn Ice Cream

Source: Raw Peach and Vanilla No-Churn Ice Cream

It may be a surprise that sweet peaches are actually on the lower end of the fructose spectrum, but luckily they are a great swap-out option! This Raw Peach and Vanilla No-Churn Ice Cream recipe by Christina Leopold combines the delightful sweetness of peaches with the flavors of coconut, orange, and vanilla to make a healthy, low-fructose dessert option. Make sure to opt-out or swap that maple syrup if you’re going low sugar!

3. Rhubarb and Blackberry Crumble

Source: Rhubarb and Blackberry Crumble

Berries, in general, are low on the glycemic index — the index that measures the impact of a food on your blood sugar — therefore these tasty morsels are a great option for low-fructose eaters! This Rhubarb and Blackberry Crumble recipe by Vicky Coates combines blackberries with naturally sweet, yet also low fructose rhubarb in a classic crumble! Swap out sweet syrups for healthy sweeteners such as allulose, monk fruit, or stevia1

4. Kale Honeydew Melon Smoothie

Source: Kale Honeydew Melon Smoothie

Honeydew melon is a wonderful sweet treat to add to your low fructose swap list! This Kale Honeydew Melon Smoothie recipe by Gunjan Dudani uses honeydew lemon and banana to balance out the cruciferous bitter palate of kale while also infusing an extra punch of nutrient-rich chia seeds.

5. Fruit-Sweetened Cardamom Blueberry Muffins

Source: Fruit-Sweetened Cardamom Blueberry Muffins

This Fruit-Sweetened Cardamom Blueberry Muffins recipe by Caroline Doucet is the perfect baked good without the crazy fructose high! Naturally sweetened with low-fructose banana and blueberries, these cardamom-spiced blueberries are a true delight.

6. Blueberry-Almond Dark Chocolate Bark

Source: Blueberry-Almond Dark Chocolate Bark

Berries are not only loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, but they’re also low in fructose! This Blueberry-Almond Dark Chocolate Bark recipe by Cathy Elton is the perfect way to enjoy a sweet treat without the infusion of fructose.

7. Roasted Carrot Curried Soup

Source: Roasted Carrot Curried Soup

Fructose can sneak its way into even the most unassuming recipes … like soup! Swap out store-bought brands with sneaky fructose with this Roasted Carrot Curried Soup recipe by Katie Koteen.

8. Chickpea Shakshouka with Avocados and Fresh Herbs

Source: Chickpea Shakshouka with Avocados and Fresh Herbs

Avocado is not only brimming with nutrients, but it’s also a great low-fructose filling ingredient option. This Chickpea Shakshouka with Avocados and Fresh Herbs recipe by Lisa Dawn Angerame is perfect for your next family dinner.

9. Tofu Green Bean Stir Fry

Source: Tofu Green Bean Stir Fry

Yes, some veggies have fructose! Therefore make sure to choose your veggies wisely. For instance, green beans are a versatile, low-fructose option to fill your plate. This Tofu Green Bean Stir Fry recipe by Raymund Macaalay layers in protein, healthy fats, and flavor!

10. Lemony Kale Chips

Source: Lemony Kale Chips

This Lemony Kale Chips recipe by Carlota Cassou is a great way to get low-fructose leafy greens in your diet! Swap out those potato chips with these healthy alternatives that are naturally sweetened with low-fructose lemon.

11. Tahini-Roasted Cauliflower With Lemony Herb Oil

Source: Tahini-Roasted Cauliflower With Lemony Herb Oil

It’s all about the spices in this low-fructose recipe! Take your cauliflower game to the next level with a slew of spices naturally enriched with low fructose lemon and savory tahini in this Tahini-Roasted Cauliflower With Lemony Herb Oil recipe by Maikki Vasala. 

12. Blueberry Lime Basil Oatmeal

Source: Blueberry Lime Basil Oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of the best ways to start your day. Jazz up your normal breakfast oatmeal with a bit of low fructose sweet ingredients such as in this Blueberry Lime Basil Oatmeal recipe by Lauren Smith.

13. Strawberry Chia Pudding with PB Oatmeal Bites

Source: Strawberry Chia Pudding with PB Oatmeal Bites

When it comes to choosing low-fructose recipes, feel free to take what you like and substitute what doesn’t work! This Strawberry Chia Pudding with PB Oatmeal Bites recipe by Lauren Smith has all the good ingredients — strawberries, chia seeds, peanut butter, and plant-based milk — yet it also asks for maple syrup, which is high fructose. Simply opt out completely or swap for a sweetener such as allulose or monk fruit!

14. Honeydew Banana Ice Cream

Source: Honeydew Banana Ice Cream

Who says you can’t enjoy a bit of ice cream on a low-sugar or low-fructose diet? This Honeydew Banana Ice Cream recipe by Anupama Paliwal creates a delicious vegan low-sugar creamy bowl with honeydew melon, banana, and lemon. Choose a suitable sweetener — such as allulose or monk fruit — and make sure to go easy on the toppings if you’re on a low-sugar kick!

15. Blackberry Kombucha Ice Pops

Source: Blackberry Kombucha Ice Pops

This Blackberry Kombucha Ice Pops recipe by Stacey Isaacs uses nutrient-dense beet powder that is naturally sweetened by low-fructose blackberries and gut-healthy kombucha!  

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Unfortunately, dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects. 

For those interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend purchasing one of our many plant-based cookbooks or downloading the Food Monster App which has thousands of delicious recipes making it the largest vegan recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take the initiative by standing up against fast fashion pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
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• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!