Low Histamine Recipes Anyone?

[Kat M B]

Hello,

 

I see there's a shopping list for low histamine foods, but I see nothing for recipes.

 

What on earth can I eat for breakfast if eggs, smoothies, pancakes, flaxseed oatmeal, etc. are out?

 

Help!

 

Thanks!

[ladyshanny]

Hi Kat, I know it can seem overwhelming but actually breakfast becomes even easier if you can break the idea that it has to be a "breakfasty" food.  You can eat anything at breakfast that you would eat at any other time of the day.

 

Leftovers are extremely popular, soup with some protein in it is popular, you could have meatloaf and veggies, salmon cakes (from Well Fed and ISWF), chicken, pork or turkey burgers, any sort of meatball, spaghetti squash with cooked chicken chunked up and tossed with a compliant sauce or seasonings.

 

The possibilities are endless!  Get creative and have fun.

[Kat M B]

Hi Kat, I know it can seem overwhelming but actually breakfast becomes even easier if you can break the idea that it has to be a "breakfasty" food.  You can eat anything at breakfast that you would eat at any other time of the day.

 

Leftovers are extremely popular, soup with some protein in it is popular, you could have meatloaf and veggies, salmon cakes (from Well Fed and ISWF), chicken, pork or turkey burgers, any sort of meatball, spaghetti squash with cooked chicken chunked up and tossed with a compliant sauce or seasonings.

 

The possibilities are endless!  Get creative and have fun.

 

 

Hi Shanny,

 

Thanks for replying. That's kind of my thing...I'm not really into non-breakfasty foods for breakfast. Ack! Not sure what to do. I've always been the smoothie for breakfast girl with the occasional egg breakfast. I also need meals that are easy to make as a full-time student and part-time entrepreneur. 

I looked at the ingredients on my Turkey Meatballs from Trader Joe's and they don't appear to be Whole30 compliant. Any suggestions on ready made turkey meatballs or meatballs? I'm also not a big fan of red meat or pork, so I'll be more of a pescatarian, lamb, turkey, and chicken eater.

 

Anyone know if the rotisserie chickens at Costco are compliant? Or any pre-cooked meats from Trader Joe's or Costco? I have to think budget as a new returning student. Ugh!

 

You rock, Shanny! 

 

Hope to hear back from you soon!

[ladyshanny]

Ya, branching out on breakfast foods isn't always easy to do when your taste buds and mental-self want something sweet first thing in the morning. It does get easier though. We recommend starting with a template meal and eating as much of it as you can, take whatever you can't finish with you and eat it as soon as you feel able. It'll only take a few days before you are able to eat a proper breakfast.

If it helps, you aren't the first and won't be the last that has to make the transition over to real food for that first meal. We've mostly all been brainwashed by the cereal and "shake" people that they are the premier choice for mornings. The thing is, chucking a sugar bomb down there first thing in the morning isn't really a great idea, sorry! :S

It's really hard to make recommendations on foods, especially precooked meats. So many of them have so many preservatives and ingredient lists can change by region. I've looked at the Costco chickens in my store and the ingredient list is honestly just so foreign and chemically that I didn't even bother trying to figure out if it was compliant...it's CHICKEN, why does it need to go through chemical warfare?

If you can do a Costco roast chicken, price wise, I suspect you can buy a raw chicken and roast it yourself, super easy; rub with compliant oil, sprinkle with garlic powder (or salt & pepper) and roast at 400 until done. Yum!

Canned tuna or salmon can be made into delicious patties (salmon recipe in ISWF/Clothes Make The Girl and the tuna one is Nom Nom Paleo), lamb or turkey can be made into patties or meat balls or mini meatloaves. Sauteed spinach & some baked sweet potato topped with a few reheated meat balls and an over easy egg is a great breakfast, not pricey and easy to make.

Get creative!

[Kat M B]

Ya, branching out on breakfast foods isn't always easy to do when your taste buds and mental-self want something sweet first thing in the morning. It does get easier though. We recommend starting with a template meal and eating as much of it as you can, take whatever you can't finish with you and eat it as soon as you feel able. It'll only take a few days before you are able to eat a proper breakfast.

If it helps, you aren't the first and won't be the last that has to make the transition over to real food for that first meal. We've mostly all been brainwashed by the cereal and "shake" people that they are the premier choice for mornings. The thing is, chucking a sugar bomb down there first thing in the morning isn't really a great idea, sorry! :S

It's really hard to make recommendations on foods, especially precooked meats. So many of them have so many preservatives and ingredient lists can change by region. I've looked at the Costco chickens in my store and the ingredient list is honestly just so foreign and chemically that I didn't even bother trying to figure out if it was compliant...it's CHICKEN, why does it need to go through chemical warfare?

If you can do a Costco roast chicken, price wise, I suspect you can buy a raw chicken and roast it yourself, super easy; rub with compliant oil, sprinkle with garlic powder (or salt & pepper) and roast at 400 until done. Yum!

Canned tuna or salmon can be made into delicious patties (salmon recipe in ISWF/Clothes Make The Girl and the tuna one is Nom Nom Paleo), lamb or turkey can be made into patties or meat balls or mini meatloaves. Sauteed spinach & some baked sweet potato topped with a few reheated meat balls and an over easy egg is a great breakfast, not pricey and easy to make.

Get creative!

 

 

Yeah, most of my smoothies were veggy-based with a banana or cup of berries. I never added sugar, but I did add Kefir and cottage cheese.

 

As for eggs, spinach, sweet potatoes, etc., they're not allowed on the low-histamine version of the diet.

 

I also don't have the time to make a roast, meatballs, etc. Ugh! Maybe I'll wait a few years until I graduate.

 

As for the rotisserie chicken, at $4.99 it's a steal and MUCH better than any of the other rotisserie chickens out there. Are these ingredients really that bad? 

 

Ingredients: whole chicken, water, seasoning (salt, sodium phosphate, modified food starch (potato, tapioca) and potato dextrin, carrageenan, sugar, dextrose, spice extractives).  "No Preservatives, MSG, Gluten, artificial flavors or Colors."

 

Thanks again,

Kat

[GFChris]

 

As for the rotisserie chicken, at $4.99 it's a steal and MUCH better than any of the other rotisserie chickens out there. Are these ingredients really that bad? 

 

Ingredients: whole chicken, water, seasoning (salt, sodium phosphate, modified food starch (potato, tapioca) and potato dextrin, carrageenan, sugar, dextrose, spice extractives).  "No Preservatives, MSG, Gluten, artificial flavors or Colors."

 

Thanks again,

Kat

 

 

Yep, unfortunately this chicken isn't a great choice - carrageenan can be a gut disruptor for some, plus you've got two forms of sugar with the sugar and dextrose.  All three are off-plan ingredients on a Whole30, making this chicken non-compliant.

 

Moving this thread to the Cooking forum.

[Kat M B]

Yep, unfortunately this chicken isn't a great choice - carrageenan can be a gut disruptor for some, plus you've got two forms of sugar with the sugar and dextrose.  All three are off-plan ingredients on a Whole30, making this chicken non-compliant.

 

Moving this thread to the Cooking forum.

 

So what's a girl to do Chris? The low-histamine version just plain hurts! I'm so limited. :'{

[Kat M B]

Is bone broth an option for breakfast? If so, should I supplement it with something else on my allowed list?

 

Thanks again

[ShannonM816]

Have you done a regular whole30 before? It's usually recommended to do just a regular one first, and then if you feel you didn't see the results you were hoping for to try a more restricted plan. Sometimes people find they see some improvement even without further restrictions.

Bone broth is allowed as long as all the ingredients are compliant, but isn't really a meal by itself. Add some protein, veggies, and fat to it.

[Kat M B]

Have you done a regular whole30 before? It's usually recommended to do just a regular one first, and then if you feel you didn't see the results you were hoping for to try a more restricted plan. Sometimes people find they see some improvement even without further restrictions.

Bone broth is allowed as long as all the ingredients are compliant, but isn't really a meal by itself. Add some protein, veggies, and fat to it.

 

Hi Shannon,

 

I'm opting for the low histamine version due to my fibroids, and the fact that I need an anti-inflammatory diet. Otherwise, TRUST ME, I'd MUCH rather be on the regular Whole30. Is the low histamine version the correct plan for me to follow? Or will the Whole30 truly suffice?

Thanks for the info on the bone broth. I'll make sure to add some sort of protein, Veggies will be easy. Not sure about the fat, but I'll look into it.

 

Any other suggestions? I have til this weekend to pull things together to start. Right now, I'm eating everything I've already purchased on my last shopping trip a week ago.

 

Thanks again!

[GFChris]

 

 

I'm opting for the low histamine version due to my fibroids, and the fact that I need an anti-inflammatory diet. Otherwise, TRUST ME, I'd MUCH rather be on the regular Whole30. Is the low histamine version the correct plan for me to follow? Or will the Whole30 truly suffice?

 

 

The standard Whole30 *is* an anti-inflammatory way of eating.   

I agree with Shannon in advising you to begin with that version of the Whole30 first. 

[Physibeth]

To address the no time thing...what I've found best when I feel strapped for time is to keep it simple and cook things that can be left unattended while I am doing something else. If you have a crockpot this could be your new best friend. You can do a whole chicken in a crock pot with minimal effort. You just stick it in there with whatever seasonings you like and maybe a quartered onion and cook on low for 8 hours. A whole chicken is usually enough meat for a whole week for me. You then can throw the carcass back in there and make broth. I have to think a whole raw chicken at Costco is cheaper than a precooked one. 

 

Meatballs can be similarly easy...or just do ground meat browned instead which takes less time.

[ShannonM816]

I think that, if just doing a regular Whole30 is a pretty significant change from the way you eat now, you will likely see improvement just from it. And at the end of it, if you feel that there are still improvements that you would like to see, at that point, it will be easier to cut out other things to see if that leads to more improvement.

 

Even if you do feel that you need one of the more specialized versions of the W30, I'm not sure why you've chosen low-histamine over the AIP (anti-inflammatory protocol). I think you should try to find a copy of the book It Starts With Food and read the whys behind the program -- if you don't want to buy it, you may be able to check it out at your library, and if they don't have a copy already, talk to a librarian about either getting it through interlibrary loan or seeing if they have it in their budget to get a copy. It also has a chapter for people dealing with autoimmune conditions that discusses the foods they may benefit from leaving out that are normally allowed on the W30. 

[Kat M B]

The reason I thought the low histamine version was right for me is because I have fibroids (including anemia, major pain, and body aches), allergies, eczema, hives (rarely now), low back pain, occasional stomach pain, needing occasional massage of the lymphatic system and glands, feel sluggish, and yet I never catch a cold, flu or virus.

As for the diet, I'm already eating mostly protein (mostly fish) and veggies with fruit thrown in and mostly organic where I can afford it. I definitely don't eat as much as I've seen in the recipes. I also do eat Costco rotisserie chicken, and Trader Joe's turkey meatballs, organic canned soups, Kefir, and several other ready to heat/eat items that appear to be non-compliant on this diet.

I just don't want to have to suffer twice through two versions of this diet. Specially with school starting back up Feb. 2. Ya know? :-)

 

As for the book, I'll download the Kindle version now.

 

You guys have REALLY been an amazing help, and I thank you for your help and patience. <3

[Kat M B]

Also, my naturopath suggested I start eating less inflammatory foods and more anti-inflammatory foods. I thought with all my silly issues the low histamine would be best, specially since she thinks I might have a slight allergy to something in my current diet (eggs, nuts, tomatoes, bananas, spinach, etc.), because something occasionally makes me a teeny bit nauseous when I eat. Should I still start with the regular Whole30? If so, I will. Thanks a million!

 

P.S. And no GFChris, I didn't realize the diet itself was anti-inflammatory. *blush* I thought the low-histamine was the only anti-inflammatory version. (newb)

[GFChris]

Unfortunately, we don't have a crystal ball, so we can't tell you what changes (food or otherwise) will ultimately give you relief from everything you're experiencing.  

Taking on a Whole30 involves individual experimentation to see whether changes in food can have a positive impact on your health.

I'd say take on whichever version (standard/omnivore Whole30 or low histamine) you feel ready and motivated to commit to. Again, the standard Whole30 is intended to reduce inflammation as one of the benefits. You might even share the omnivore shopping list and the low-histamine shopping list with your naturopath to get their input before you make a final decision.

 

Whichever version you choose, look at it as exploration: there's no need to suffer with all the great food choices available. 

[Kat M B]

Unfortunately, we don't have a crystal ball, so we can't tell you what changes (food or otherwise) will ultimately give you relief from everything you're experiencing.  

Taking on a Whole30 involves individual experimentation to see whether changes in food can have a positive impact on your health.

I'd say take on whichever version (standard/omnivore Whole30 or low histamine) you feel ready and motivated to commit to. Again, the standard Whole30 is intended to reduce inflammation as one of the benefits. You might even share the omnivore shopping list and the low-histamine shopping list with your naturopath to get their input before you make a final decision.

 

Whichever version you choose, look at it as exploration: there's no need to suffer with all the great food choices available. 

 

THAT sounds like the most brilliant plan yet! I'll email her both right now and ask her which is best. Why didn't I think of that?? O.o

 

Thank you again! I can see I WILL have a great support network here. Once, I get on the ball, I won't need the hand-holding I'm requiring now. I am actually very independent.

 

Thanks again everyone!

[Kat M B]

Thanks again all! I just heard back from my naturopath, and Low HIstamine it is. It's the closest to her elimination diet, so she likes that one. Wish me luck!

[AmandaKP]

Hi Kat,

I'm in the process of identifying what I suspect is a histamine intolerace. My history of auto-immune related skin issues (shingles, hives, solar dermatitis) and fatigue, headaches, inflammation all point to it, especially the fact that i am severly affected by anything fermented, dairy products and nightshades. I am working with a doctor to figure things out, including some testing right now. How did you and your naturopath officially determine this is what you had? It's so hard to find information out there on it...

[gordita80]

I am on day 30 of my first whole30, yeiii!!! However, I feel my allergies have not improved. I still have runny nose and sneezing, eyes itching. So I found the low histamine shopping list. I am confused on the footnote it says "no left over meat". That is exactly what I have been eating all the 30 days, left over meat, because as suggested by the "well fed" paleo lady, cook everything on Sunday for the whole week, and it was a brilliant idea. Am I understanding correctly the "no left over meat" means no cooking Sunday for the whole week? It will be almost impossible for me to cook fresh every morning, lunch and dinner. Any ideas or feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[LivelyLady]

I did low histamine for a while and the way I got around the "no leftover meat" but also still did my batch cooking was to cook my protein and then vacuum seal and freeze individual portions. Not much more work than doing the Well Fed version. Veggies don't create histamine as quickly as meats so I still felt it was ok to batch cook veggies then defrost a protein portion as needed. I live alone, however, so I have maximum flexibility when it comes to that type of thing. I don't have to worry about anybody else. I hope that tip helps somewhat at least.