For gout and uric acid · Updated November 2026
Is poke bad for gout?
Yes, a salmon poke bowl is bad for a gout diet. One bowl carries more purines than a full day’s ceiling. Sources: Cloche’s estimate for the bowl and Japan’s gout guidance. A tofu bowl carries far fewer. Source: the USDA and NIH purine tables.
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| 506 mg | Purines, 126% of 400 mg, a sample amount for a day, not your target |
|---|---|
| 0 g | Alcohol, 0% of 14 g, a sample amount for a day, not your target |
| 20 mg | Vitamin C, 22% of 90 mg, a sample amount for a day, not your target |
A sample reading from Cloche’s estimates. See how we check them against USDA reference foods.
Key takeaways
- One salmon poke bowl carries more purines than a full day’s ceiling. Sources: Cloche’s estimate and Japan’s gout guidance.
- A tuna poke bowl carries about three quarters of that ceiling. Source: Cloche’s estimate.
- Raw tofu carries far fewer purines than raw salmon or tuna. Source: the USDA and NIH purine tables.
- Raw wakame, the seaweed in seaweed salad, carries about as many purines as raw salmon in the US samples. Source: the USDA and NIH purine tables.
How many purines are in a poke bowl?
Your body turns purines into uric acid. Gout comes from too much uric acid, says the NIH page on gout.
Cloche’s estimates cover one bowl of fish over rice with vegetables. Half a bowl carries half of the estimate.
| Portion | Estimated purines | Share of the sample amount |
|---|---|---|
| One salmon bowl | 506 mg | 126% of 400 mg for a day |
| One tuna bowl | 312 mg | 78% of 400 mg for a day |
| Half a salmon bowl | 253 mg | 126% of 200 mg for one meal |
The American College of Rheumatology’s 2020 gout guideline recommends limiting purines without setting a number. Japan’s gout guidance sets a daily ceiling for purines. The table uses it as a sample amount for a day, and half of it for one meal. Neither one is your target.
Which poke bowl carries the fewest purines?
A tofu bowl likely carries the fewest. The USDA and NIH purine tables measure raw tofu at 20 to 31 mg per 100 g. Raw salmon, tuna and octopus all measure more than that.
The USDA and NIH purine tables hold US samples and a Japanese sample for raw salmon, and they disagree.
| Food | Purines per 100 g | Samples |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon | 250 to 260 mg | USA |
| Salmon | 119 mg | Japan |
| Tuna | 157 to 211 mg | Japan |
| Octopus | 137 mg | Japan |
| Tofu | 20 to 31 mg | Japan |
Do the rice and toppings add many purines?
The USDA and NIH purine tables measure rice, cucumber and avocado low in purines. They measure raw wakame, the seaweed in seaweed salad, at about as much per 100 g as raw salmon in the US samples.
| Topping | Purines per 100 g | Samples |
|---|---|---|
| Wakame seaweed, raw | 262 mg | Japan |
| Edamame, raw | 48 mg | Japan |
| Avocado, raw | 18 mg | Japan |
| Cucumber, raw | 9 mg | Japan |
| White rice, cooked | 6 mg | Canada |
A salmon poke bowl carries more purines than pad thai or a burrito bowl.
| Plate | Portion | Estimated purines | Of 400 mg reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grilled Salmon | 1 fillet, 6 oz | 510 mg | 127% |
| Salmon Poke Bowl | 1 bowl, rice, salmon, veggies | 506 mg | 126% |
| Burrito Bowl | 1 bowl | 461 mg | 115% |
| Pad Thai | 1 plate | 395 mg | 99% |
| Chicken Curry with Rice | 1 plate | 381 mg | 95% |
| Chicken Fried Rice | 1 plate | 318 mg | 80% |
| Tuna Poke Bowl | 1 bowl | 312 mg | 78% |
| Ramen | 1 bowl | 277 mg | 69% |
How much sodium is in a poke bowl?
| Plate | Portion | Estimated sodium |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon poke bowl | 1 bowl, rice, salmon, veggies | 1,120 mg |
| Tuna poke bowl | 1 bowl | 1,376 mg |
| Pad thai | 1 plate | 2,320 mg |
If you also watch your blood pressure, type your bowl into the free sodium calculator.
What makes a poke order easier on a gout diet?
Gout diets build the plate around vegetables, with eggs or dairy for protein and seafood or meat as a side. For poke, you can ask for tofu in place of fish, ask for half the fish with more cucumber and avocado, or save half the bowl for later.
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases names alcohol, sweet drinks and purine-rich food as the three to limit. Beer adds purines from the yeast on top of its alcohol, and Cloche counts both. What fits your diet is a question for your clinician.
Log your own poke bowl and see its purines.
Tell Cloche what you ate or take a photo, and it shows the purines in the bowl next to your day so far. Cloche is free to download on the App Store. To check one meal right now, type “salmon poke bowl and a beer” into the free purine calculator.
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