PKU menus
Menus for people with phenylketonuria (PKU), written by our registered dietitians around the phenylalanine-restricted diet. Our standard PKU menu comes with our menus at no extra charge.
In phenylketonuria (PKU), the body can't break down phenylalanine, an amino acid found in all protein. It builds up in the blood and harms the brain, so treatment is a phenylalanine-restricted diet for life, set by the person's metabolic clinic.
Our registered dietitians write PKU menus for group homes and other care facilities. Our standard PKU menu comes with our menus at no extra charge. For a menu written to a resident's own phenylalanine prescription, contact us.
How we write them
- The clinic's prescription comes first. Each person's daily phenylalanine, protein and calorie targets are set by their metabolic clinic, and the menu never overrides them.
- Formula every day. The prescribed phenylalanine-free formula supplies most of the protein and many vitamins and minerals, so it is part of the daily plan, spread across the day.
- High-protein foods left out. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, beans, nuts and peanut butter aren't on a PKU menu.
- Measured where it counts. Breads, crackers, fruits and vegetables are measured to fit the day's phenylalanine allowance, and special low-protein foods round out the calories.
- No aspartame. It contains phenylalanine, so diet sodas and other foods sweetened with it are left off.
Working with the metabolic clinic
Blood phenylalanine is checked regularly, and the clinic adjusts the prescription as levels change. A customized menu is written to the resident's current prescription; contact us to set one up.
Medicines such as sapropterin (Kuvan) and pegvaliase (Palynziq) can change how much phenylalanine a person can eat. The metabolic clinic prescribes and monitors them, and its current prescription is what any menu has to follow.
Questions
Do PKU menus cost extra?
Our standard PKU menu doesn't. If you'd like a menu customized to a resident's phenylalanine prescription, contact us.
Who sets the phenylalanine allowance?
The person's metabolic clinic. A menu follows the clinic's current prescription and never changes it.
Why does the menu include the formula?
On a PKU diet the formula is the main source of protein and supplies many vitamins and minerals. Without enough of it, a person can fall short on nutrients, and adults are at risk for weaker bones.
Do you write menus for other conditions?
Yes. Our standard Prader-Willi syndrome and ketogenic menus also come at no extra charge, and we can account for nearly any therapeutic diet, for nearly any age, medical condition or disease state.
Do you sell menus to facilities outside California?
Yes. Our menus are available to facilities nationwide.