When to avoid fruits and vegetables
The diets that you can pass on the produce
-Some special diets call for no (or few) fruits and vegetables
Specific diets are sometimes needed to help kids with certain conditions. These are rare but important situations where fruits and vegetables are eliminated temporarily:
- Low fiber diets. These diets are used when a portion of the intestine is partially blocked or inflamed because fiber, especially raw vegetables and fruits, can cause further problems with a complete blockage or increased bleeding. Once the intestine is healthy again, more fiber is often recommended.
- Low residue diets. A low residue diet is a low fiber diet that also restricts dairy products and other foods that aren't completely absorbed in the small intestine. This diet may also be used when there is a narrowing or blockage in the intestine, or when the intestine isn't moving as it should.
- Low sucrose or fructose diet. Most fruits and many root vegetables contain sucrose (table sugar) or fructose (fruit sugar). Those who have problems digesting and absorbing sucrose or fructose are often told to avoid these foods in order to have fewer symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating and gas. Tests may be performed to determine if the person has a specific condition such as fructose or sucrose intolerance or congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency (CSID).
- Low FODMAP diet. This rather complicated diet restricts all the sugars that could contribute to discomfort and symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Foods are then gradually re-introduced to find which ones can be eaten. This diet is sometimes used when a person has bacteria in their small intestine (known as a small intestine bacterial overgrowth or SIBO) until they are better after a round of antibiotics.
- Ketogenic diet. This diet is used to treat kids with severe seizures. It's been adopted by many adults to try to lose or control their weight. The diet eliminates sugars and starches including most fruit (but not citrus) and starchy vegetables like corn and potatoes. That elimination throws the diet out of balance to fool the body into thinking it's starving
