It is widely believed that gout only affects older people, but this is not true. Although uncommon, gout affects children and teenagers as well. If your child suffers from gout, you can ease the pain by ensuring that they are consuming the right and healthy foods. Since children love regular snacks, you must pay close attention and give them only healthy snacks for gout.

Here are some tips and suggestions that can help you provide children with healthy snacks for gout:

1. Junk food
If your child loves junk food, it is better to slowly cut it out from their diet. Junk food is known to trigger the symptoms of gout since most junk food is processed. You can speak to your child about lessening and eventually eliminating junk food for the best results. If your child is overweight, it is all the more better to inculcate healthy eating habits as soon as possible.

2. Nuts
You can feed them a handful of nuts daily or on a regular basis as healthy snacks for gout. You can give them different types of nuts each day and also write down what you are feeding your child so that you know what is working and what isn’t.

3. Fruits
You should feed your child fruits that are low in fructose like berries and strawberries, among others. Fruits make excellent snacks and are filling as well. It is best if they are given as is rather than fruit juices, which may contain fructose and no fiber.

4. Low-fat dairy
Another healthy snack option for gout is low-fat dairy products. You can feed your child cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt, or low-fat milk. If they prefer cereals as snacks, ensure that you opt for low-fat milk to ensure that the symptoms of gout are not triggered due to their eating habits.

5. Whole-grain foods
Whole-grain foods can also be given to children suffering from gout. An easy option is to give light and healthy crackers as snacks in-between meals. Else, you can give them whole-wheat bread with low-purine foods like peanut butter or other types of nut butter like almond butter. Popcorn can also be considered a healthy snack for children with gout.

6. Eggs
Eggs are an example of healthy snacks for gout. For evening snacks, you can boil an egg and give it to your child with salt. They can have an egg by itself or with a piece of toast or whole-wheat bread. Alternatively, you can make an omelet and pair it with bread for them.

Giving your child healthy snacks for gout is a step in the right direction to avoid triggers and flare-ups. It is a good idea to speak to your child’s pediatrician regarding their diet. If your child is overweight, obese, or has other health conditions, a pediatrician will be the best person to guide you to a meal and snack plan to help keep flare-ups minimal.