lentils

[annemarie]

Hi, 
Is there a limit to the amount lentils a person with HFI can consume daily? My son has a difficult time expressing how foods affect him. He seems to like them. I was wondering if it has limits like potatoes do. 

[tummyache]

Annemarie, how is your son doing with the lentils? I was surprised to find out how little fructose they had, so decided to give them a try along with chickpeas/garbonzos, which are also low fructose. I am finding that I can eat them OK if I don't go hog-wild: a cup of homemade lentil soup is good, plain hummus stuffed celery, or hummus on crackers or bread are a treat. Nice to have some new foods to add to my diet!

[ukbill]

Hummus is great! I have it on hot fresh bread or toast, not every day but I get through a small pot a week.

Its not the fructose that gets you with lentils it's the digestible fibre releasing all that sucrose in your gut..

A small amount of red lentils seems fine (they are de-hulled so lower in fibre) Lentil Dhal curry is just wonderful but very "gassy" if you get my drift? Well stand upwind then!

Chickpeas that have been canned (boiled soft in tins) or dried then rehydrated and cooked in plenty of water are far safer than lentils in my experience.

I occasionally have a chickpea salad (tinned chickpeas, tin of Salmon or Tuna, chopped watercress, splash of Kikkoman Soy sauce splash of lemon juice.) Mash Salmon or Tuna and mix all ingredients together job done. Eat with Hot fresh bread, Toast or boiled rice.

If you want to get adventurous try adding chopped capers (if you like them) and maybe a small splash of hot chili sauce (one with no added sugar) Chopped boiled egg can be added if you like.. just throw in whatever you fancy really and give it a try.

Enjoy!

Keep smiling

[tummyache]

Thanks ukbill! Your recipe for chickpeas + salmon or tuna sounds delicious. I will try it with the capers + a little hot sauce too. I have to be careful, though, of any tinned fish/meat and be sure there are no phosphates included. I have really gotten sensitive over the years to phosphates in everything. Can't help but wonder if it has something to do with FI or one of the near-by similar pathways because they all involve phosphates in one way or the other. Wish I understood the biochemistry better than I do. Does anyone else have a problem with phosphates?

[ukbill]

Not me but I do have really bad problems with Veg oils and Nut oils. Soy oil and protein is really nasty giving very HFI type symptoms.

Tinned fish in the UK used to be packed in Soy oil.. some still is.

I stick to canned in water (spring or plain salted) or Sunflower or Olive oils. Although you have to be careful with Olive oils.

They are usually "extended" or watered down with hazelnut oil or other cheap nut oils or even Soy oil. 100% pure Olive oil is VERY expensive and costs about £10 a litre, any price under that expect it to be "extended".

Yet another case of the food companies screwing us over.. 100% pure Glucose powder legally = 60% glucose and 40% "other sugars" what a con!

Capers certainly spark up the tastebuds a bit as dose hot chili sauce!

Smoked Salmon omelet with chopped capers is really good too!

[anne marie]

My son had to stop the red lentils and brown lentils too! I think he was eating too much. He was eating a 1/2 cup almost daily. It really disrupted his sleep. As soon as we removed it, he slept better. I am afraid to try them again at this time, even in a less frequent amount. I didn't know that chick peas were a possibility. Thanks for the info. I used to batter his chicken in chickpea flour but stopped because I thought it was unsafe. Do you think chickpea flour is ok?

[rysmom14]

Anne Marie,

Im not sure about the Chick pea flour, but I bread my sons chicken using his safe crackers. I put them in a bag and roll them with a rolling pin, then I add some parmesan cheese, parsley and basil. It makes a little "shake n bake" bag.

[ukbill]

The main reason the lentils might be causing problems is the fiber from the lentils.
Digestible fiber is digested in the intestines into sucrose sugar.. which is not good.