Salmon

Moderate purine, smarter seafood

Salmon sits in the mid-range of seafood purine content, below dense purine choices like sardines, anchovies, mackerel, or herring — so it's a smarter pick when you  have a taste for fish. A single palm-sized portion, about 85–115 grams, is reasonable for most people with gout. Fry one of these in your hand? Not quite; just keep portions a bit smaller than the big restaurant slabs.

The real benefit: omega-3 fats

Aside from purines, salmon is one of the best whole-food sources of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. These help quiet the body's inflammatory background, which matters because gout is an inflammatory flare. They don't directly lower uric acid, and they are not a replacement for medications, but choosing salmon over heavily fried or processed protein helps keep meals gentler on the joints.

How to fit it into a gout day

• Buy fresh or flash-frozen fillets; bake, grill, or poach them plain.
• Keep the serving to one palm-sized portion and cap it at about two to three times a week.
• Pair with salad or roasted vegetables and plenty of water — skip beer or sugary drinks alongside.
• Avoid fish-and-chips-style battered coating, which adds fried fat and sometimes hidden sugars. Smoked salmon is very high in sodium, so moderation is important if you also manage blood pressure.