Here is a gut repair food checklist for which foods to include and which to avoid to repair the gut lining. It is useful specifically for a gut repair elimination diet. While this article is not a diet or meal plan per se, you can use it as a reference for grocery shopping and meal planning. Or refer to it as a guideline for doing your informal gut repair or cleanse.
Some of these you may familiar with already and some you might need to test.
Stock up your fridge and pantry with the foods in the list titled ‘Foods to include‘. For the foods to avoid, I suggest you do not discard them immediately unless it’s close to their expiry. But, rather set them aside in the fridge or pantry.
If you live with your partner or family, just separate these foods to one side in a group. You may find that once you’ve tested them after your elimination process, you could include one or two again.
I support a zero food waste philosophy, so that’s even more reason not to discard it. Plus, you need to save as much money as you can wherever you can.
This checklist is a guide for what foods repair gut health and which foods to avoid for a gut repair elimination diet.
We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
Gut Repair Food Checklist for an elimination diet
FOOD TYPE
FOODS TO INCLUDE
FOODS TO AVOID
FRUIT
- All fruits are allowed
- Remember to include lime and lemons as fruits with natural sugars
- Fruits contain naturals sugars, so eat in moderation
- You can dilute fruit juice with water 1:1 if you are concerned with sugar intake
- Omit Oranges, Grapefruit for its acidity
VEGETABLES
- All vegetables are allowed in whole form (which I recommend cooking from scratch)
- All cooking techniques are allowed eg. raw, boiled, baked, roasted, steamed, sauteéd
- Instead of deep-frying, rather use an airfryer
- Omit canned vegetables
- Avoid deep-frying in hydrogenated vegetables in order to avoid Trans Fats
GRAINS (STARCHES)
- Brown rice, Basmati rice, Sweet potato, White potato, Polenta, Millet, Buckwheat, Quinoa, Sorghum, Oats, Maize/Corn (always non GMO)
- Omit all gluten, so avoid white bread, wheat, Rye bread and flour, Barley, Bulgar wheat, Oats, Couscous
LEGUMES + PULSES
- Red Lentils (masoor dahl), black (beluga) lentils, green lentils, brown lentils, Mung Beans, Moong Dahl, Peas, Chickpeas, all Beans
- Soya, Soy milk, Soy beans (tempeh), Tofu,
If you want a more extensive list of pulses, click here
To read about the health benefits of legumes, click here
NUTS
- All raw nuts are included. Raw is usually unsalted
- Include Almonds, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Pecans, Walnuts, Brazil nuts
- Omit peanuts (salted and unsalted)
- Omit Peanut butter
- Avoid salted nuts general
SEEDS
- All raw seeds are included
- Include Pumpkin, Sesame, Sunflower, Hemp, Flaxseed, Chia seeds
- Avoid any store bought version that is salted
Why make homemade granola?
You may be wondering what the difference is between homemade and store-bought. That version is loaded with refined sugar, additives and hydrogenated oils. They might even contain unnecessary salt to balance out artificial sweeteners. This pick-and-mix recipe can be great for controlling appetite ie. it can make you feel fuller for longer. And you get to choose all your favourite nuts and seeds or experiment with ones you’ve never tried before.
MEAT / FISH / POULTRY
- Include all fish, Chicken (opt for free-range or grass-fed), Turkey, Veal or wild game
- Omit Eggs
- Omit Beef, Mutton, Deli Meats, Sausages
- Omit Shellfish
DAIRY / MILK / CHEESE
- Include all fish, Chicken (opt for free-range or grass-fed), Turkey, Veal or wild game
- Include probiotic foods like Kefir, greek yoghurt, buttermilk
- Omit Eggs
FATS
- Include extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed), Coconut oil, Avocado oil, Almond oil, Flaxseed oil, Ghee
- Use Vegan mayonnaise without egg
- Omit Margarine, all hydrogenated vegetable oil, Mayonnaise, Fat spreads, Butter
The truth about fats & oils
The common myth about fat is that it will lead to a heart attack, make you fat, or is just downright bad for you. And that you should avoid eating it and cooking with it all. Certain fats and oils are beneficial to your health. The following is a list of safe and also health-building and healing fats and oils you can cook with and consume.
DRINKS
- Include filtered or spring water, herbal teas
- Omit caffeinated + decaf coffee, black (ceylon) tea, alcohol, fizzy drinks (soft drinks), fizzy drinks that claim no-sugar, no-caffeine
HERBS + SPICES
CONDIMENTS
- Use Vegan mayonnaise without egg, homemade tomato sauce
- Omit store-bought tomato sauce, mustard, chutney, soy sauce, bbq sauce
ADAPTOGENS
- Include slippery elm, licorice root and marshmallow root
SUGAR / SWEETENER
- Use Xylitol (natural sweetener), Stevia (natural sweetener), Erythritol (natural sweetener), Raw Honey
- Avoid refined white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup (for gut repair), processed candy with artificial ingredients, artificial sweeteners
Gut Healing Gummies
This recipe is the easiest one you’ll ever make! You can make healthy gummies recipe instead of eating chewy sugary candy. This recipe is great for gut health as it only contains gelatine and pure fruit juice. There are natural sugars in fruit, but it’s not refined sugar, so it’s ok in moderation. If you’re concerned about the fructose content, then just add half fruit and half filtered water, so it dilutes the natural sugar content.
Conclusion
This checklist should give you a good starting point for updating or restocking your fridge and pantry. Remember not to waste anything, just adjust as you’re going through the process of repairing your gut.
Use this gut-healing foods list as a reference for grocery shopping, meal planning, and meal prep. If there are foods on this checklist that are new to you, I hope it will inspire you to create delicious gut-healing meals.
Meals don’t have to be bland when you’re on a gut healing or gut repair diet. You can make your meals delectable by infusing them with as many herbs, spices and adaptogens. These are all delicious and highly nutritious. And all of them are allowed on a gut-elimination diet.
For long term gut health, try to include as many Omega 3 fatty acids and probiotics as possible. It’s best to get used to eating more Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Greek yogurt, etc.
If you liked this blog post, you’ll love this article on Superfoods and Adaptogens.
Related content
- How to make meals healthier at home
- Sugar cravings – How to reduce or eliminate it
- The Health Benefits of Red Lentil Soup
If you found this article helpful, feel free to leave a comment, I value all feedback.
*cravenutritionalcooking.com does not give medical advice. Where there is a reference to it, the phrasing is used to illustrate a point or give context to food and cooking for nutrition. It is not related to a specific condition or any specific individual. Always consult your healthcare professional for medical and dietetic advice before embarking on any type of eating plan or ingesting nutritional supplements.
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