I have compiled a list here for people who would like to move toward a low inflammatory diet or are just wanting to eat a healthier, more whole foods diet. This is just a ‘beginning’ list and, by no means, the ‘be all and end all’ of lists of foods. There are so many amazing fruits and vegetables and grains in the markets and thousands of ways to prepare them. It really is fun to find creative, beautiful ways to prepare these healthy foods. Look around at the stores and see what else is available. Every time I shop, I’m finding more healthier choices out there.
Bread choices
- ‘Ezekiel’ sprouted grain bread
- ‘Sunshine’ millet bread
- ‘Cloud Cliff’ spelt bread
- ‘Udi’s’ Gluten-free bread
- Wheat-free waffles can be found at either Trader Joe’s, Wild Oats, or Whole Foods.
- ‘Pamela’s’ gluten-free pancake and baking mix: in health food store or on Amazon.com: this is GREAT for pancakes (my kids don’t notice the difference) and for quick baking for goodies such as cobblers and biscuits
Meat substitutes and alternatives
- Tofu (you may buy the pre-baked tofu in the refrigerated section. Follow the directions on the package)
- Tempeh (same as above)
- Chicken
- Fish (freshwater variety)
- If you are going to have red meat, the Mediterranean diet recommends less than a 3 oz. portion only once per week
- Beans and nuts are great sources of protein. Please make sure that they are not roasted and salted as the oil is very difficult for the liver to process.
Noodles
- Thai noodles- these are quick and simple to make
- ‘Tinkyada’ Rice noodles
- We do not recommend ‘whole wheat’ noodles as they contain gluten.
Milk
Cow’s milk is very high in protein, and Americans tend to over consume these products. Cow dairy can cause the body to form a lot of mucous which can lead to nasal congestion and other health issues. I ask people, who are trying to heal their symptoms to stay off of cow milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and ice cream.
- Goat, Rice, Soy, Almond, Oat milk
- The first 3 listed may be found at Wal-Mart in either the health food section or the section where milk is sold
Sweeteners
Refined sugar has been stripped of all of the vitamins and minerals that should help our bodies break it down, therefore, the sugar leeches Vitamin C and the B’s from our bodies so that it can be processed. Not a good thing for our immune system.
- Black strap molasses (from the health food store)
- Brown rice syrup
- Florida crystals (this is the best alternative to white, processed sugar, since it has not been stripped of all of the vitamins and minerals)
- Honey
- Maple syrup (check the ingredients. There is only one bottle of REAL maple syrup available at Wal-Mart. Most ‘syrups’ are ‘maple flavored’ and are really just pure sugar
- Sucanat
- Maple sugar
- Agave
Cereal
At the health food store, there are lots of varities of non- wheat cereals. Our family’s favorites are ‘Rice Crunch ‘ems’, ‘Puffins’, ‘Shredded Spoonfulls’. There is also puffed millet, rice and corn. Just get into the habit of reading the labels to check the ingredients. We have taught our 6 year old how to read ingredients. So now she tells us if the cereal has too much sugar and not enough protein. Your cereal should have no more than 10 grams of sugar per serving.
Salt substitutes
- Bragg’s Liquid Aminos and Umeboshi plum vinegar are alternatives to salt and they add nutrition into your diet.
- In addition, you can dry ‘Gomasio’
In the cracker aisle, you can find rice crackers, at the health food store.
Always use olive oil, flax oil, coconut oil, ghee (clarified butter) and sesame oil instead of safflower, corn, or canola.
Cheese
- Rice cheese, soy cheese, goat cheese, almond are all better alternatives to regular cheddar, which is mostly oil. Experiment to see which suits your taste.
- A lot of the ‘alternative’ cheeses still contain casein, which is the enzyme in cheese that causes much of the chaos, so, if you are really working toward a low inflammatory diet, I would completely cut out cheese as well as the cheese alternatives.