4th of July Desserts...with little to no fructose!

Hi! Thanks for stopping by :)

We are going to a 4th of July family party. Usually someone would bring cupcakes for the kids, decked out in red,white & blue frosting and sprinkles. And of course a cake like the one below. 

This 4th, knowing Nate is fructose intolerant...we will still have our adorable desserts & bbq, just a fructose free (or very minimal) way.

So below is the simple Betty Crocker cute flag cake recipe. The box of cake is fine- even the berries are so low in fructose having a few wont make Nate sick. It's that can of frosting. Brownies can also be made fructose free- gotta love that cane sugar!

So I plan on making my home-made frosting- viola! Fructose free! 

Ready, set, celebrate! An all-American cake like this is all the reason you need for a get-together.

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• PREP TIME10 Min
• TOTAL TIME1 Hr 58 Min
• SERVINGS1
  2

 

1

box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix

Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

1

container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy or Whipped vanilla frosting

1/3

cup fresh blueberries

1

pint fresh strawberries

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Make and bake cake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• 2Frost with frosting. Arrange berries on frosted cake to make flag design. Serve immediately. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cake.

I will also bring Nate's hfcs free hamburger buns, steer him clear of tomatos and other fructose filled foods. Good luck on your fructose free 4th of July! 

A Fructose Free Barbecue!

Hello! I found this great article from '09 about bbq's. I admit they are an issue. YOu'd think- ok hotdogs, burgers, easy! But you need the right buns, no ketchup (or just a little) no tomato of course...I always bring Nathan a bag of his own stuff. Good luck on your bbq's!

Lauren Schaffer

Jacksonville Fructose-Free Food Examiner

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Celebrate your independence from fructose 

It's Independence Day again, and time for the annual neighborhood barbecue! This year take a closer look at those cookout dishes and you won't be hoping the fireworks cover the sounds of your flatulence.

Burgers and hot dogs are great choices for fructose-free living, but don't think you're being healthier by trying tofu burgers. Tofu is made from soy, and soy is a fructan - a carbohydrate that can break down into fructose.

Buns and breads can also be a problem area. Avoid whole wheat buns, even though they're advertised as being healthier and containing more whole grains and fiber which is good for you. Wheat is also a fructan, and can aggravate your fructose intolerance symptoms.

Watch your condiments too! Mustard is the safest condiment. Ketchup is the worst possible thing to eat for the fructose intolerant; not only does it contain high fructose corn syrup, but tomatoes have one of the highest fructose contents of the fruits and vegetables. So don't put tomatoes on your burger either, avoid the relish, lettuce, onions and other vegetable toppings too.

Mayonnaise is another condiment usually made with HFCS. Avoid pasta and potato salads, even if they're made with Miracle Whip instead. If you're a big potato salad fan, you should take charge of bringing it to the cookout. Check out this recipe for homemade mayonnaise that is fructose free.

Don't forget dessert! People fight over who gets to bring what and whose recipe is the best. Those of you with FM can enjoy most homemade desserts as long as you're sure that the cook didn't burn the first batch and substitute the store bought brand to pass off as a homemade recipe. Jell-O is the safest desert, don't eat the kinds with fruit pieces and watch the whipped cream, some varieties do contain HFCS, especially Cool Whip brand.

As always, if you're not sure - don't eat it. Often times your best bet is to make your favorites and bring them. Celebrate the independence of our nation and your independence from fructose. Happy Fourth of July!

 

Homemade Fructose Free Marshmallows

So thankful for friends and family that go above and beyond to help Nathan with this fructose intolerance eating! 

We love bonfires and smores- which of course contains marshmallows- with have hfcs. 

Nathan also likes rice crispie treats. I assumed his days of eating these were over until....

Grandma to the rescue!! After a few google researches on homemade marshmallows she came across this awesome recipe that uses cane sugar- not syrups or agave or anything fructose! 

Below is the link and here are a few pics. 

We plan on using cookie cutters, adding food coloring...they tasted great with a bit of chocolate too! My mom said they were fun to make too. Good luck!!!

 Looks like marshmallows aren't out after all :)   Here is the site: http://littleaustinite.com/2010/01/homemade-marshmallows-easier-than-expectedeva/

A giant homemade marshmallow!

Thank you Gramma!!! We love you!

So good and fructose free :)

It's hard to have a food allergy.

Hello! Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to post your own stories, questions or recipes!

Today was a great day for the Kupchik kids! We had lots of summer time fun. But I was reminded once again what an affect a food allergy can have on a person.

This afternoon we ran through the McDonald's drive thru on the way to a friends house.
Getting our fructose free chicken nuggets and a water of course. 


While in the car Nate mumbled something like "Not everyone can.." then "I can't..."


I said "Babe what are you talking about?" then paid and drove to the next window. Nate said, in his 8 year old macho way.."nothing Mom, nothing." I could tell he was a little bummed.


When we got to the next drive thru window I noticed the McDonald's worker's t- shirt. The shirt was covered with pictures of fruit- delicious, big, fructose fruit.


The shirt said something on it- I couldn't make it out...but Nate had. He noticed. 


And yes, if he ate the fruit on the shirt he would get sick, lose his appetite for the day and lose weight. Something he cannot afford to do.


It's just a t-shirt....but when your'e a kid, when you can't have something, you are more aware of it.


Having a food allergy is tough. It's a fructose filled world...and my Nate can't have it. But luckily there are plenty of things he can have :)

Fructose and Soup? Yep...even soup has fructose!

This is Nate's favorite soup. Steak soup. Unfort. it is filled with fructose. From tomato paste to carrots...fructose. So now what?!! 

My mom (Grammy) was nice enough to make Nate some fructose free soup- okay maybe a little onion and carrot was thrown in but the fructose was kept to a minimum. 

So if you or your child is fructose intolerant gone are the days of canned soup. Make a big batch of homemade soup on sunday, freeze some and enjoy! Keeping fructose to a minimum of course :)

Candy, Candy everywhere!!!

Candy....it's every where. A goodie bag, parades, movies, friends houses, concession stands. When you can't have it you are more aware just how prevalent it is!

And I'm the Mom saying "No you can't have that." My kids aren't over weight, (Nate is under weight) and cavities aren't the issue. It's fructose!!

 It's crazy how many foods have fructose- especially candy. And when you're a kid that's a big deal.    

Yes, Nate has his own special fructose free candy (hershey bars, kit kats, tic-tacs, smarties, pixie sticks) 

It's all the other candy that he wants of course- the one's his friends are walking around the baseball fields eating- yeah it's not good for anyone, but especially my son.

I've read the articles as I'm sure you have too. Read the percentages of fructose- all that stuff, but what matters is this: DOES IT HAVE FRUCTOSE?  Then the answer is NO. It's just not worth it for Nate.

We have included fructose here and there but why test it with junk candy- I'd rather Nate have tomato or apple than to eat fructose filled candy. Good luck on your fructose free journey.

Corn Syrup and Fructose

Corn Syrup is Glucose and water. Usually produced from cornstarch. The problem is that in making the syrup, it may have either maltose and/or fructose added. L

Can Nate have corn syrup? is a question I get asked...

 Well, the media has been talking a lot about HFCS or High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Obviously that’s out.  As to regular corn syrup it depends on the brand and his personal tolerance.  However, corn syrup is what is called a "high load" product...in other words, it's a concentrated form of the sweetness naturally found in corn.

Our dietician recommends using it in small amounts with caution until you determine your personal tolerance.

So what is corn syrup made up of? 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 Corn syrup is a food syrup, which is made from the starch of maize and contains varying amounts of maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor.

Corn syrup is distinct from high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is created when corn syrup undergoes enzymatic processing, producing a sweeter compound that contains higher levels of fructose.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_syrup

When you're fructose intolerant you gotta read those labels and make note of what you're having!

fructose free cereal

So you or your child is fructose intolerant...whether you are in the midst of your 2 week fructose free diet or ready to reintroduce it, fructose will be on your mind when grocery shopping! 


It's so surprising how many items contain fructose. My son Nate likes to eat dry cereal in the morning (sure we do the waffle, sausage, toast, pancake thing too but this is his most requested)High fructose corn syrup is in soooo many cereals it's crazy! And if it's not then we have our honey cereals to watch out for.


I have found several lists all over the internet listing cereals that are supposed to be fructose free- only to read the label and find honey listed as ingredient 4! I think these sites are focused on hfcs and obesity...not fructose intolerance.


My advice is to read every label..go ahead...stand in the isle...while the other momma's just grab and go there you will find me...reading! And the good news is that after you do that once you'll know what you or your child can and can't have.

I'm choosing not to add a "list" but suggest good ole' fashion label reading! Right now Nate is having a bowl of Kix. Good luck on your fructose free cereal hunt! 

Parade Candy :(

Nathan enjoying a parade

Hi! So we've had a birthday party and went to a party since being diagnosed as fructose intolerant. But tonight is a parade!!! We love parades in Ohio. It's small town American at it's best! Nathan has already been told by a few buddies walking in it that a lot of candy is headed his way...a lot of fructose candy :(

We could walk in the parade for: baseball, soccer, councilman, sister's dance, football...but we've decided to sit by friends and enjoy it. The pics you see are from last year- the blue bags are out and 45 minutes later they are filled with tootse rolls, lolli pops- you name it. Lots of fructose.

Nathan and his sisters

So here's what I'm thinking: we bring some of our own candy like smarties he can have, and we give him a dime or quarter for the candy he can't. I'll also try to focus a lot more on the parade then candy! Wish us luck!!! 

From fireman to councilman candy is a major theme!

Love the bag pippers

Fructose Intolerant Vitamins Allowed

From our Cleveland Clinic Dietician:

Vitamins allowed for Fructose Intolerance:

Boost choc or vanilla

Flinstone gummies and sour gummies

One-A-Day ScoobyDoo gummies

Centrum Kid's chewable

Lactaid

Trader Joe's Gummi Vites

Lil Critter Immune C

Go Fish D Sear's children's Omega-3

It's so important to give fructose intolerant kids their daily vitamins :)

Reintroducing Fructose

Once you are deemed fructose intolerant (after the breath test) here is what Nate's doctors and dietician is having us do to reintroduce fructose:

1. Follow restricted diet for 2 weeks -no fructose!
2. Pick a restricted food that you would like to reintroduce. 
3. Try a small portion and write it down- along with any     symptoms. 
4. Try a restricted food only every 4 days.


We began with a McDonald's hamburger bun. It contains hfcs but Nate really wanted it! We ate it after a practice one evening. He did have some gas that night but no tummy ache so it was worth it.

One of Nate's symptoms- a big one- is lack of appetite when he has fructose. That caused him to be underweight. Nate weighed as much as a 4 year old when he was 7. Not good, especially for a athletic boy. So when we do try a little fructose we choose to eat it in the evening- after he's had a full day of meals!

Good luck on your reintroduction of fructose :)

McDonald's Fructose Free

Hello! It's been almost 2 months since Nate was determined fructose intolerant. I began this blog to help us and others find information about eating with little to no fructose.

 I hope it has done just that! Below is some useful information our Dietician from the Cleveland Clinic gave us about Nathan's favorite place to eat McDonald's!

ALLOWED AT MCDONALD'S:

Chicken McNuggets (without sauces)
French Fries
Burgers, Chicken Sandwiches(the bun has hfcs and of course the onions and tomato ketchup)
Vanilla ice cream cone
Vanilla Shakes

***So that's great news! A fry and mcnuggets! Even a cone!!***

I'm choosing not to list all the foods Nate Can't have- focusing more on the haves than the have nots :)

Letter from Coca Cola about fructose

Hello! I emailed Coca Cola after reading a few studies that said fructose was found in Mexican Coke which lists sugar as it's ingredients- as we know cane sugar is okay for fructose intolerant peeps like my son. Here is what I wrote and Coca Cola's timely response:
WHAT I WROTE:Hi. My son is fructose intolerant. Mexican Coke only says sugar- but some 
studies I read says they contain hfcs. Is this true? Thanks, JIll Kupchik 


COCA COLA'S RESPONSE:

Thank you for contacting The Coca-Cola Company, Ms. Kupchik.  Your interest in our brands is certainly appreciated.


The majority of Coca-Cola bottlers use high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).  This decision is typically based on availability and cost.  


The only sparkling product made with sucrose is Coca-Cola from Mexico, which is available in select regions.
Coca-Cola from Mexico contains the following safe ingredients:  Carbonated water, sugar, caramel color, phosphoric acid,  natural flavors and caffeine.

You may be interested to know that nutritional information for most of our brands in the U.S. is available via our website. 

Go to thecoca-colacompany.com, click on "Brands" at the top, then select "U.S. Product Nutrition Information."

In addition, you may know that HFCS is a sweetener derived from corn.  The mixture we use in our soft drinks is very similar to liquid sucrose and is composed of approximately half glucose (45%) and half fructose (55%).
We hope this information is helpful.  Please be assured your comments have been shared appropriately.  Feel free to contact us again if you have further questions.
Jennifer
Industry and Consumer Affairs
The Coca-Cola Company


I was very impressed by how quickly they got back to me (within 2 hours). Perhaps the studies are incorrect- all research is flawed, can be skewed....learned this from a graduate research class and good ole' common sense! We'll have Nate try it. I don't condone pop drinking (my kids have about 3 sips a year at Christmas!) but now that Nate's 8 I do see his friends drink it at birthday parties.

Label reading is tough- are companies telling the truth? For my son's sake I sure hope so!

Mexican Coca-Cola and fructose

Mexican Coca-Cola. I thought it was too good to be true!

If you read my last post about hfcs and soda then you know what I'm talking about! 

Tested samples of Mexican Coca-Cola – which is supposedly made with cane sugar instead of HFCS – contained no sucrose, only fructose and glucose in a 52%-to-48% ratio.

You see on the label in the pic below Meixcan Coke contains no hfcs- only good ole' cane sugar (which Nate can have). In the recent studies it was determined that it does, in deed, contain hfcs. 

Perhaps these studies are incorrect? I will email coka cola and see what they say.

 All  research is flawed slightly- I learned this in my graduate Research class! 

When my husband found Mexican Coke at our grocery store we thought it was a nice "once in awhile" treat for Nathan- he'll never get to drink pop at a party or a restaurant but if it does contain fructose it'll be added to the can't have list. Yay it's healthy being fructose free but when you're friends are sucking down cola's and you have water and your'e a kid- it's a drag. Thank goodness for Kool-aid!

How much high fructose corn syrup is in soda?

How much fructose is really in soda?

Hello! Here is a study I though was interesting about soda and hfcs.: from October 26, 2010|By Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times

Researchers from the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine went shopping in East Los Angeles and bought 23 cans and bottles of popular beverages. Then they sent them off to a laboratory in Massachusetts that used a technique called high-performance liquid chromatography to determine how much fructose, glucose and sucrose were in each sample. Each beverage was tested three times, and all samples were unlabeled.

**Fructose is sweeter than glucose and has been shown to do more damage to your metabolism.*** and to my son fructose isn't tolerated! 

Sucrose – better known as table sugar – is a 50-50 combination of fructose and glucose. **So if you're fructose intolerant you should steer clear of sucrose too! Or at least limit it.

The HFCS used in soda is supposed to contain no more than 55% fructose and 45% glucose, according to the Corn Refiners Assn. (Another popular formulation is 42% fructose and 58% glucose.) 

But it turns out that some of the stuff they put in soda isn’t HFCS, it’s RHFCS – Really High Fructose Corn Syrup.

The Keck researchers found that the sweeteners in Coca-Cola and Pepsi contained as much as 65% fructose (and only 35% glucose), and Sprite registered as much as 64% fructose (and 36% glucose).

The study included a few other surprises:

• Mountain Dew had 13% less sugar than advertised on the label, and Dr. Pepper had 8% less.
• Tested samples of Mexican Coca-Cola – which is supposedly made with cane sugar instead of HFCS – contained no sucrose, only fructose and glucose in a 52%-to-48% ratio.
• 17% of the sweetener in Red Bull was fructose, even though sucrose and glucose are the only sweeteners listed on the label.

Of course Nate can't have pop (as we call soda in cleveland) nor can his Dad who has hypoglycemia. Just interesting that even with reading labels we cannot always trust they are correct. So yes a cold soda looks refreshing but not worth it when your'e fructose intolerant.

Fructose Intolerant Symptoms

What happens when Nathan cheats and has fructose:

*Bellyache
*Really fowl smelling gas
*Stomach "problems" which leads to weigh loss (sometimes he pukes)
*Feeling so very full he eats as much as a 2 year old (he's 8)- which led to weight loss and stunted his growth

*Yes we have cheated here and there but when Nate had a little too much fructose you can see how little he ate at dinner, and he likes this dinner!  No night time snack...just not worth it.

Sticking with a fructose free life and healthy living. Good luck on your new diet :)

Fructose free bread: Brownberry!!

Breads that DO NOT contain FRUCTOSE (natural or artificial)

 Surprisingly this bread is not 

                                                                                sweetened with honey!

 

Brownberry also sells this soft Italian bread. It is delicious and fructose free!

Nathan loves it! Dips it in olive oil & spices, he can eat sandwiches again (with lunch meats not containing honey!) It's great bread & conns no hfcs!!!

Yay Brownberry :)

Bubblegum and Fructose

"Can I have this gum?"- a question my son keeps asking me. 

But the first or 2nd ingredient is always 

corn syrup. So when Grandma handed 

me new bubbleum to check the label I 

was surprised. Hfcs was missing and 

instead ingredient no. 2 was: Gluclose 

Syrup- something I haven't seen in any 

other label I've read. So what is this? 

Does it have fructose? 

Here is what I 

found:

The term "glucose-fructose syrup" is a European thing, where the EU regulates the amount of fructose in things.  "Glucose-fructose syrup"  has more glucose than fructose, where most HFCS is 55% fructose.  They'd have to call that "fructose-glucose syrup". It is usually manufactured in the same way as HFCS, by taking glucose syrup (aka corn syrup) and processing it to convert some of the glucose into fructose.  There are other ways of making it, but this one is common because it's cheap. So it's very similar to HFCS, but not quite the same.  The exact amount of fructose isn't clear from the label, and it could be much lower than HFCS, or it could be nearly identical. So it looks like the new gum is out. Not worth a belly ache.