Comprehensive 21 Day Elimination Diet
Foods to Enjoy | Foods to Avoid |
Fruits: Whole Fruits, unsweetened, frozen, or water-packed canned fruits and diluted juices |
Oranges and orange juice |
Dairy Substitutes: rice milk, pure coconut milk | Dairy and eggs: Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream, frozen yogurt, non-dairy creamers, eggs |
Non-gluten grains and starches: rice (all types), millet, quinoa, amaranth, teff, tapioca, buckwheat,potato flour | Grains: Wheat, corn, barley, spelt, rye, triticale, oats |
Animal Protein: fresh or water packed canned fish, wild game, lamb, duck, organic chicken and turkey Organic beef and pork in moderation |
Pork, beef/veal, sausage, cold cuts, canned meats, frankfurters, shellfish |
Vegetable Protein: split peas, lentils, and legumes | Soybean products (including soy sauce, soybean oil, tempeh, tofu, soy milk, soy yogurt, textured vegetable protein) |
Nuts and Seeds: Coconut, pine nuts, flax seeds | Peanuts and peanut butter, walnuts, sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, nut butters/seed butters, tahini |
Vegetables: All raw, steamed, sauteed, juiced, or roasted vegetables |
Corn, creamed vegetables (for those with arthritis, nightshades including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers, paprika, salsa, chili peppers, cayenne, and chili powder should also be avoided) |
Oils: cold pressed olive and ghee, grass fed and organic lard/animal fat | Butter, margarine, shortening, processed oils, salad dressings, mayonnaise, and spreads |
Drinks: filtered or distilled water, decaffeinated herbal teas, seltzer or mineral water |
Alcohol, coffee, soda, soft drinks, and other caffeinated beverages |
Sweeteners: Use Sparingly: brown rice syrup, agave nectar, stevia, fruit sweetener, blackstrap molasses |
Refined sugar, white/brown sugars, honey, maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice |
Condiments: vinegar,salt, pepper, basil, carob, cinnamon, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, turmeric, and all other spices | Chocolate, ketchup, relish, chutney, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, teriyaki, and other condiments |
Things to watch fo
- Corn starch in baking powder and any processed foods
- Corn syrup in beverages and processed foods
- Vinegar in ketchup, mayonnaise & mustard is usually from wheat or corn
- Breads and cereals advertised as gluten-free which contain oats, spelt, kamut, rye or corn
- Many canned tunas contain textured vegetable protein which is from soy; look for low-salt versions which tend to be pure tuna, with no fillers
Shopping List
Fruits
- Apples, applesauce
- Apricots (fresh)
- Bananas
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cantaloupe
- Cherries
- Coconut
- Figs (fresh)
- Grapefruit
- Huckleberries
- Kiwi
- Kumquat
- Lemon, lime
- Loganberries
- Mangos
- Melons
- Mulberries
- Nectarines
- Papayas
- Peaches
- Pears
- Prunes
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
* All the above fruit can be consumed raw or juice
Vegetables
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Bamboo shoots
- Beets & beet tops
- Bok choy
- Broccoflower
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Bell peppers
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Chives
- Cucumber
- Dandelion greens
- Eggplant
- Endive
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Leeks
- Lettuce -- red or green leaf & Chinese
- Mushroom
- Okra
- Onions
- Pak-Choi
- Parsley
- Potato
- Red Leaf Chicory
- Sea Vegetables –seaweed, kelp
- Snow peas
- Spinach
- Squash
- Sweet potato & yams
- Swiss chard
- Tomato
- Watercress
- Zucchini
* All the above vegetables can be consumed raw, juiced steamed, sautéed, or baked. If arthritis, avoid nightshades: in italics.
Herbs, Spices & Extracts
- Basil
- Black pepper
- Cinnamon
- Cumin
- Dandelion
- Dill
- Dry mustard
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Salt-free herbal blends
- Sea salt
- Tarragon
- Thyme
- Turmeric
- Pure vanilla extract
Breads & Baking
- Arrowroot
- Baking soda
- Gluten free breads
- Flours: rice, teff, quinoa, millet, tapioca, amaranth, potato, tapioca
- Mochi
- Rice bran
- Rice flour pancake mix
- Rice tortillas
Non-Gluten Grains
- Amaranth
- Millet
- Quinoa
- Rice -brown, white, wild
- Teff
- Buckwheat
- Rice Crackers
Cereals & Pasta
- Cream of rice
- Puffed rice
- Puffed millet
- Quinoa flakes
- Rice pasta
- 100% buckwheat noodles
- Rice crackers/rice cakes
Dairy Substitutes
- Almond Milk
- Rice Milk
- Coconut Milk
- Oat milk
Animal Protein
- Free-range chicken, turkey, duck
- Fresh ocean fish, e.g. - Pacific salmon, halibut, haddock, cod, sole, pollock, tuna, mahi-mahi
- Lamb
- Water-packed canned tuna (watch for added protein from soy)
- Wild game
Oils
- Ghee
- Flax
- Olive
- Coconut
Nuts
- Coconut
Vinegars
- Apple Cider
- Balsamic
- Red Wine
- Rice
- Tarragon
- Ume Plum
Sweeteners
- Fruit sweetener (100% juice concentrate)
- Monk Fruit Sweetener
- Molasses
- Rice syrup
- Stevia
Condiments
- Mustard- (made with apple cider vinegar)
Beverages
- Herbal tea (non- caffeinated)
- Mineral water
- Pure unsweetened fruit or vegetable juices
- Spring water
The information on this page was created by the Institute of Functional Medicine and should be implemented with the help of a qualified healthcare practitioner. For assistance in beginning your own 21 Day Comprehensive Elimination or for questions on this material please Contact Us.
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