- Foods allowed in phenylketonuria
- Foods banned in phenylketonuria
- Amount of phenylalanine allowed by age
- Sample menu
- Example menu for a 3-year-old child with phenylketonuria:
In the diet for people with phenylketonuria it is very important to control the intake of phenylalanine, which is an amino acid that is present mainly in foods rich in protein, such as meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products. Thus, those who have phenylketonuria should have regular blood tests to assess the amount of phenylalanine in the blood and, together with the doctor, calculate the amount of phenylalanine that they can ingest during the day.
Since it is necessary to avoid most foods rich in protein, phenylketonurics should also make use of protein supplements without phenylalanine, since proteins are extremely important nutrients in the body, which cannot be eliminated completely.
In addition, in the absence of phenylalanine intake, the body needs higher doses of tyrosine, which is another amino acid that becomes essential for development in the absence of phenylalanine. For this reason, it is usually necessary to supplement with tyrosine in addition to the diet. Check that other precautions are important in the treatment of phenylketonuria.
Foods allowed in phenylketonuria
Foods that are allowed for people with phenylketonuria are:
- Fruits: apple, pear, melon, grape, acerola, lemon, jaboticaba, currant; Some flours: starch, cassava; Sweets: sugar, fruit jellies, honey, sago, cream cheese; Fats: vegetable oils, vegetable creams without milk and derivatives; Others: candies, lollipops, soft drinks, fruit popsicles without milk, coffee, teas, vegetable gelatin made with seaweed, mustard, pepper.
There are also other foods that are allowed for phenylketonurics, but that must be controlled. These foods are:
- Vegetables in general, such as spinach, chard, tomato, pumpkin, yams, potatoes, sweet potatoes, okra, beets, cauliflower, carrots, chayote. Others: rice noodles, eggs, rice, coconut water.
In addition, there are special versions of the ingredients with less amount of phenylalanine, such as rice, wheat flour or pasta, for example.
Although dietary restrictions are great for phenylketonurics, there are many industrialized products that do not have phenylalanine in their composition or are poor in this amino acid. However, in all cases it is very important to read on the product packaging if it contains phenylalanine.
See a more complete list of allowed foods and amounts of phenylalanine.
Foods banned in phenylketonuria
Foods banned in phenylketonuria are those rich in phenylalanine, which are mainly protein-rich foods, such as:
- Animal foods: meat, fish, seafood, milk and meat products, eggs, and meat products such as sausage, sausage, bacon, ham. Vegetable foods: wheat, chickpeas, beans, peas, lentils, soy and soy products, chestnuts, nuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, pine nuts; Sweeteners with aspartame or foods that contain this sweetener; Products that have prohibited foods as an ingredient, such as cakes, cookies and bread.
As the diet of phenylketonurics is low in protein, these people should take special supplements of amino acids that do not contain phenylalanine to ensure proper growth and functioning of the body.
Amount of phenylalanine allowed by age
The amount of phenylalanine that can be eaten every day varies according to age and weight, and the feeding of phenylketonurics should be done in a way that does not exceed the permitted phenylalanine values. The list below shows the permitted values of this amino acid according to the age group:
- Between 0 and 6 months: 20 to 70 mg / kg per day; Between 7 months and 1 year: 15 to 50 mg / kg per day; From 1 to 4 years of age: 15 to 40 mg / kg per day; From 4 at 7 years of age: 15 to 35 mg / kg per day; from 7 onwards: 15 to 30 mg / kg per day.
If the person with phenylketonuria ingests phenylalanine only in the permitted amounts, their motor and cognitive development will not be compromised. To learn more see: Understand better what Phenylketonuria is and how it is treated.
Sample menu
The diet menu for phenylketonuria must be personalized and prepared by a nutritionist, as it must take into account the person's age, the amount of phenylalanine allowed and the results of blood tests.
Example menu for a 3-year-old child with phenylketonuria:
Tolerance: 300 mg of phenylalanine per day
| Menu | Amount of phenylalanine |
| Breakfast | |
| 300 ml of specific formula | 60 mg |
| 3 tablespoons of cereal | 15 mg |
| 60 g canned peach | 9 mg |
| Lunch | |
| 230 ml of specific formula | 46 mg |
| Half a slice of low-protein bread | 7 mg |
| A teaspoon of jam | 0 |
| 40 g of cooked carrot | 13 mg |
| 25 g of pickled apricots | 6 mg |
| Snack | |
| 4 slices of peeled apple | 4 mg |
| 10 cookies | 18 mg |
| Specific formula | 46 mg |
| Dinner | |
| Specific formula | 46 mg |
| Half a cup of low-protein pasta | 5 mg |
| 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce | 16 mg |
| 2 tablespoons of cooked green beans | 9 mg |
|
TOTAL |
300 mg |
It is also important for the person and their family members to check on the product labels whether or not the food has phenylalanine and what its content is, thus adjusting the amount of food that can be consumed.
