Why boy has to have plate of sprouts instead of turkey for Christmas dinner | UK News

It’s not unusual to see seven-year-olds turning up their noses at a serving of Brussels sprouts – done badly, the greens are mushy enough to put anyone off for a lifetime.

But for Zac Lee, sprouts are more than just a side dish. They’re the hero veggie that saves his Christmas.

Zac has a rare metabolic disorder that means eating too much protein can lead to irreparable brain damage.

He’s not able to eat more than 14g of protein in a day, which rules out many of the components usually considered vital to a festive feast: pigs in blankets, stuffing, and – of course – turkey, which can contain 29g of protein per 100g.

Among the short list of Christmas favourites that don’t have perilously high levels of protein are roast potatoes and carrots, but Zac only really has eyes for sprouts.

His mum Leanne Summerskill said: ‘This time of year is always particularly hard because it’s a time when everything revolves around food.

‘We have to do our best to find alternatives for him if he wants to eat or try something because his illness means you cannot push the limits because the consequences are too severe.

‘Luckily he loves Brussels sprouts so we go all out with them for Christmas dinner to make it special.’

Seven-year-old Zac, who lives with his mum and coach driver dad Ric Lee in Keighley, West Yorkshire, was diagnosed with Phenylketonuria (PKU) as a newborn.

The disorder means his body can’t metabolise the amino acid phenylalanine, which can quickly build to levels that are toxic to the brain.

He’s one of only 2,000 people in the UK with the condition.

But aside from weekly blood tests and special medical supplements he needs to take three times a day to get him the nutrients his body needs, Zac enjoys a pretty normal life for a kid his age.

He has plenty of friends, does well at school and loves nothing more than going to see his beloved Burnley FC with his grandad.

Leanne, 36, said: ‘I always have to send his lunch into school for them to prepare, and it gets even harder for him to join in at Christmas because his diet is so restrictive.

‘We get low protein foods on prescription like milk, rice and pizza bases but they don’t taste very nice so we are constantly trying to find low protein foods in supermarkets, but options are very limited and expensive.

‘The foods that we consider to be high in protein like meat and dairy are a no-no, what a lot of people don’t realise is there is protein in the majority of things we all eat and drink regularly from bread, milk, chocolate and even peas, sweetcorn and broccoli.’

Yes, even chocolate – so Zac makes do with a choc-free one instead.

It doesn’t faze him though, and while mum and dad tuck into an all-the-trimmings dinner on Christmas Dad, he’ll be more than happy gobbling his extra helpings of sprouts.

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