Diet Shopping Lists

All food is good food, right? Wrong. Some food might be having an adverse affect on our bodies, and we don't even know it. The best way to find out what food makes us feel great and what we're sensitive to is to take our diet back to the very basics. The Whole30 diet, and this Whole30 shopping list, will help you discover what food you should be eating and what you should avoid.

Back to Basics for 30 Days: Introducing the Whole30 Diet

Food intolerances and sensitivities affect more people than you think. They can cause various problems ranging from mild discomfort to feeling incredibly ill after eating. While some are clued up on or diagnosed with intolerances, many of us have sensitivities to certain food that we don't even know about.

But what do these unknown intolerances do?

Well, they can disrupt our sleep, have a negative impact on our skin, cause bloating, give us anxiety, and even chronic pain!

Melissa Hartwig Urban started the diet sensation after blogging about an experiment she was doing. This turned into the Whole30 diet that we know now.

The diet is a way to reset your body by eating only real, unprocessed food for a full month. For 4 weeks, you will only eat from a list of Whole30 approved foods and will use a Whole30 diet shopping list. Then, you slowly start to reintroduce the food that you eliminated to determine what is good and what is bad for your personal health.

If you're ready to cleanse your diet and get a grip on food that might be making you feel unwell, we'll take you through some questions to get your better acquainted with the diet, as well as provide you with a Whole30 food list to take shopping with you. However, you can skip straight to the free printable Whole30 shopping list if you wish.

Whole30 Food List FAQs

What's not allowed on Whole30?

As the diet is essentially an elimination diet, it's easy to start with what's not allowed on the diet, rather than what is.

No added sweeteners - while refined sugar is not a surprising elimination from this diet, the no-go list also extends to other natural and artificial sweeteners. Natural sweeteners such as honey, agave syrup, and maple syrup are forbidden. If there's anything added to food that makes it taste sweeter, then stay away from it.

No alcohol - Whole30 is a dry diet as alcohol could be one of the unknown irritants that affect your health. Using it for cooking is also forbidden.

No grains - going gluten-free for a month is a great way to find out if you have a gluten intolerance. This also includes bran, starch, and germ.

No legumes - whilst many diets praise their properties, this is another food group that gets the chop for the 30-day period. It also means no legume-based products such as peanut butter or tofu.

No dairy - lactose is something else you might be sensitive to but don't know it. So, all dairy products are to be avoided.

No carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites - all of these are additives that affect the flavor or consistency of food products. They can also be causing you health problems. Therefore, steer clear of them for 30 days.

No "treats", such as junk food, baked goods, even if they're made with "approved" ingredients - this is less about intolerances and sensitivities, and more about our emotional relationship with food. Cutting these out for a month will help tackle any cravings for indulgent and comforting food which we have an unhealthy emotional attachment to.

What foods are Whole30 approved?

Essentially, any food that doesn't include any of the ingredients from the forbidden categories, or any comfort food. What you are allowed on the Whole30 diet is very broad:

• Fresh fruit
• Fresh vegetables
• Fresh meat
• Fresh and dried herbs and spices
• Ghee and clarified butter - they're free of proteins found in regular un-clarified dairy butter
• Non-legume-based oil - such as olive oil and canola oil
• Coconut products - items such as coconut milk and coconut oil are allowed on the diet
• Certain legumes - despite a general ban, legumes such as green beans, sugar snap peas, and snow peas are allowed
• Salt - despite all iodized salt containing traces of sugar, it's still allowed on the diet
• Black coffee - despite caffeine being addictive, coffee is allowed as long as it's drunk black

What snacks can I eat on the Whole30?

None!

Or, at least that's the general rule.

The Whole30 diet focuses on having only 3 main meals a day, and that's it. However, it does allow some snacking if you really need to, especially if you're pregnant.

The reason for the limited snacking is to create a mindful approach to eating and to keep your hormones balanced throughout the day.

If you absolutely need to snack (and sometimes, we all do), then anything allowed on the diet is acceptable, such as fresh or dried fruit. There are also a small handful of commercially made fruit-and-nut-bars that are Whole30 approved snacks. This includes brands such as RxBars and Larabars (USA), and Nak'd (UK).

What does a Whole30 meal look like?

There are many easy Whole30 recipes out there for you to find, make, and experiment with. Some ideas include:

• Green beans with crispy bacon
• Sweet potato gratin
• Chicken meatballs with coconut curry
• Red beef curry
• Crab cakes

How will I feel on the Whole30 diet?

This is very dependent on you and you alone.

You can find many testimonies online that regale tales from crazy sugar-cravings in week 1 and chronic food boredom in week 3, to feelings of empowerment in week 4, and better energy levels in week 5. Not to mention pretty much every emotion in between.

The best thing to do is be prepared and find ways to cope with some things you might happen. Think you might get food boredom? Make sure you have plenty of new Whole30 recipes you can cook up. Worried you might break the diet at a social or work event? Get a friend or coworker to go on the diet with you so you can support each other.

If, before starting the diet, you prepare for things that might be a challenge, you can have an easy Whole30 experience and be on track to reset your body and your diet habits.

What other things should I do on the Whole30 diet?

One thing that is emphasized by the official diet guidelines is not to step on the scales or take any measurements. Remember, the diet is all about finding out what food is good and bad for you by eliminating most things for 30 days. It's not about losing weight.

The reason behind this is also to help improve the relationship between your emotions and food, specifically your self-image.

Another thing you should do is use a meal plan or template and make a accordingly. Doing this means you can buy exactly and only what you need for the diet. Sticking rigidly to your grocery list will also ensure you don't succumb to temptation while shopping too.

It's also recommended to do a lot more research into the diet. There's a lot of reasoning and science behind the restrictions and rules implemented here. By finding out more about them, you can better understand why you're doing the diet and what you should be expecting yourself to achieve.

This will make you more likely to stick to the diet as the rules and regulations don't seem as arbitrary, and you have a clear idea of the diet's and your own aims.

Your Free Whole30 Shopping List

When buying various food products, we often check what ingredients and what nutrients they provide our body. Most often we pay attention to vitamins, as well as minerals such as iron, calcium, and magnesium. But, have you ever wondered about the potassium in your food? If not, perhaps this is due to the fact that it is quite rare to have a potassium deficiency or excess. Therefore, we don't tend to hear much about it in the news or in health magazines. However, potassium plays a very important role in the functioning of our body. So, find out what food is great for getting this vital mineral into your diet, using this list of high potassium foods.

Potassium: What Is It and Why Is It Important?

Potassium is one of the main electrolytes present in our cells. Electrolytes are crucial in the processes of building amino acids and proteins that keep us healthy. It is also necessary for enabling our cells to produce the energy we need to make it through the day.

But, potassium has many other functions, too, other than the production of energy. It controls the amount of water kept in your body and helps muscles maintain their structure and mass. What’s more, the right amount of potassium keeps your blood pressure in check. As you can see, potassium is a very important and necessary electrolyte for our health.

What foods are highest in potassium?

Bananas are usually at the top of a potassium-rich foods list.One medium banana has 358mg of potassium. Even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends incorporating bananas into a high-potassium and low-sodium diet to help reduce the risk of hypertension.

But, it's not the only fruit packed with this miracle mineral.

Other fruit high in potassium 

Did You Know? Potassium contains an electric charge similar to radiation. Large shipments of the fruit regularly trigger false alarms at the borders of countries with radioactive material detection systems.

What food has more potassium than bananas?

You may not think it, but bananas aren't the most potassium-rich food! However, they are one of the most beloved fruit around the world, topping shopping lists in the . So, maybe that's why we think they are. But, there are a lot of foods with potassium significantly exceeding the amount of potassium in bananas.

Legumes

Legumes are probably the highest on the list of potassium-rich foods.

• Soya beans contain 2132mg/100g
• White beans contain 1188mg/100g
• Peas contain 937mg/100g
• Red lentils contain 874mg/100g

Thanks to their high fiber content, they enhance digestion and are a good source of vitamin B which protects the nervous system.

Vegetables

Some vegetables also beat bananas in the potassium content contest.

• Spinach contains 558mg/100g
• Chard contains 548mg/100g
• Parsnip contains 399mg/100g
• Broccoli contains 385mg/100g

Nuts

Another food high in potassium are nuts.

• Brazil nuts contain 689mg/100g
• Cashew contain 660mg/100g
• Walnuts contain 441mg/ 100g

Other nutrients found in these reduce the risk of heart disease and have a positive effect on brain function and skin condition.

Did You Know? A diet consisting of very few vegetables, fruit, and nuts can cause potassium deficiency. This increases the risk of hypertension and other related diseases. The main symptoms of potassium deficiency are: muscle cramps, insomnia, nervous tension, dry skin, and increased heart rate.

What food has no potassium?

While potassium is very important for your health, there are cases where it should be limited. If your diet is balanced, you don't take any dietary supplements, and have no kidney problems, it is likely your potassium levels are normal. But, there are some cases where people need to go on a low-potassium diet.

Normally, excess potassium is excreted from the body, but people who have taken too many dietary supplements containing potassium, or suffer from various diseases (e.g. kidney failure), are exposed to hyperkalemia. This is where the concentration of potassium ions in the blood exceeds a healthy level. The main symptoms are: dizziness, drowsiness, cramps, heart problems, tingling sensations, muscle aches, and apathy.

It is important to avoid hyperkalemia because it can lead to dangerous, and potentially deadly, defects to your heart rhythm.

If you need to go on a low-potassium diet, then you'll need to eat food with very little potassium in it.

Vegetables are allowed on a low-potassium diet, but only in small amounts. Cooking vegetables twice will significantly reduce the content of potassium in them, which will help you control your potassium levels.

Food List High in Potassium

A complete list of foods high in potassium would be very long. There are many products that have less potassium than bananas or any of the fruit and vegetables mentioned above. So, don't forget to include plenty of other foods containing potassium on your grocery list such as tomatoes, avocado, milk, yogurt, and all kinds of meat and fish.

When you hear that something is high in calories, you immediately associate it with being unhealthy and fattening. Although this is mostly true, you should also keep in mind that there are two categories of calories. The first category is food high in harmful calories that you should avoid. The second is food that, despite its high-calorie content, provides many nutrients. Therefore, you should know what food will make you gain weight, and what is actually good for your health, by looking at this food calories list.

What food makes you gain weight?

Processed Savory Snacks

Some of them look so innocent. Let's take nuts, for example. Pistachios and peanuts contain healthy fat, so it’s good to eat them, right? Yes, but only in the condition Mother Nature created them i.e. not baked and salted. Unfortunately, they are often very salty, putting you at risk of hypertension and kidney stones, and also roasted in trans fat, putting you at risk of obesity.

Potato chips are something else that seem harmless but aren't.

But they're just potatoes, and potatoes are vegetables, and are healthy, right?

Not when these vegetables have been deep-fried.

A packet of potato chips (150g) can contain up to 850kcal: the equivalent of 2 meals. Yes, they’re delicious, but they're full of unhealthy trans fat. Whilst it's that trans fat that makes them tasty and crunchy, that texture and flavor come at the cost of putting you at risk of developing diseases such as cancer.

Fast Food

It comes as no surprise that fast food is on this list. But aren't kebabs and hamburgers just sliced lamb, ground beef, served with healthy vegetables?

Technically, you're right. But, there is a catch.

This type of food is very high in calories not just because it's fried in fat. Calories also come from sauces such as mayonnaise and ketchup.

What’s more, the meat is often far from fresh. Food loses its nutritional value over time. So, the less fresh it is, the fewer health benefits you'll gain from eating it. We're not just talking about the meat either. How long do you think that shredded lettuce and sliced tomato have been sitting around for?

But, don't put all the blame on the meat. Despite it being fried in fat and not too fresh, it can contain a relatively low 255kcal. But when you included a side of fries, the calorie total can be in excess of 700kcal.

It's also sad news for fans of Italian fast food icon: pizza. 1 standard slice of pizza with cheese, ham, and mushroom topping has 365kcal. That doesn't sound like a lot. But let's face it, the problem isn't the number of calories in just 1 slice. It's that 1 piece is usually not the last.

Sweet Treats

When it comes to sweets, this list could go on forever. But let’s take 1 of the most obvious items: a slice of chocolate cake. This can have more than 600kcal.

But why is this? It's not fried like burgers.

Cake contains a lot of trans fat in the form of butter. This contributes to the bulk of a chocolate cake's calories. 1 block of butter has 735kcal and 1 whole cake will use up to a full block.

Another surprising source of calories is dairy products. One scoop of dairy ice cream (100g) contains 160kcal. Compare this to a sorbet, which has about 50 kcal: almost zero calories! The difference really is noticeable.

So where do the calories come from?

Milk, unless the skimmed variety, has a surprising amount of fat in it. So, if you're looking to lose weight, you might want to steer clear of the cow juice. Don't even think drinking about chocolate milk, which has extra added sugar in it. 1 cup has 209kcal.

But bovines aren't solely to blame.

Sugar is a massive source of bad calories, too.

The large amount of sugar contained in a lot of sweet food contributes to you putting on weight. Refined sugar stimulates the release of insulin which turns it into glucose. But muscles pick up glucose more slowly than other energy sources, so they burn it less. Ultimately, unused glucose gets turned into fat and stored in your body.

Alcohol

We probably think about the calorie content of our drinks the least. But, these are another source of bad calories that can make us pile on the pounds.

The sad truth is that a small glass of sweet wine has 150kcal. But, what about more popular drinks? Well, they're even worse. A Cuba Libre has 160kcal, a Pinacolada has 180kcal, and a Mojito has 190kcal. 1 pale ale contains a whopping 245kcal.

But how can liquid be so high in calories?

The blame, once more, is on sugar: alcohol contains large amounts of it. This is because alcohol is made by yeast turning sugar into the intoxicating chemical. But, it usually never uses up all the sugar in the brewing or distilling process. What's left in the liquid is then turned into glucose after we drink it.

So, is it the residual sugar or the alcohol that's bad for you?

It's both!

The body gets to work on digesting alcohol first and actually stops your metabolism process until it's out of your system. This means there's no time to break down and use up the glucous all that sugar gets turns into. This is then turned into fat and stored in the body.

To make things worse, if you prepare a drink using a fruit juice or soda mixer, its calorie value increases because you're adding even more sugar to your drink.

Don't forget, alcohol usually makes us hungry, and we rarely drink it without having some sort of food with it. So, the total calorie count as a consequence of drinking alcohol is suddenly a lot higher than you realize.

What Foods Are High Calorie But Healthy?

Nuts

Yes, we know nuts are already on the unhealthy list. But remember we said that they have healthy fat in them. It's just that being roasted and salted makes them unhealthy for you.

Eating nuts raw (without any processing) is great for you. So, even though they're high in calories, anything between 500 and 600kcal per 100g, you definitely should be eating them. The source of their high calorie count is that they are full of healthy unsaturated fat, not the bad saturated or trans kind.

The same can be said about products made from nuts, such as peanut butter. Provided that it consists of only nuts, and has no added sugar or oil, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter has a mere 139kcal. So, feel free to slap a good serving of it onto your morning toast.

Oil

Oil is definitely something you associate with fat and calories. But, the fat in good quality oil is usually healthy unsaturated fat. The numbers may seem high, with 1 spoon of olive oil having 82 kcal and 1 spoon of linseed oil having 90kcal, but that shouldn't put you off. You can even drink 1 spoon of oil per day to boost your health and not worry about derailing your weight loss efforts or causing a detriment to your health. Each of them has different healthy properties, so choose the best one for yourself.

For example, linseed oil supports the digestive system and can help prevent cardiovascular diseases. Black cumin oil regulates the level of sugar in the blood and soothes allergic reactions as it has anti-inflammatory properties.

Similar healthy oil can be found inside food like avocado. Because of this, the calorie count is going to be high, but the benefits are great for you.

Cheese

Have you ever wondered how the French stay healthy despite their diet including a lot of fatty cheese? It's because cheese, although high in fat and calories, is good for you.

Honestly! It's true.

Despite its high calories count, cheese provides you with a lot of calcium and protein, which are necessary for the proper functioning of the body. Calcium supports the nervous system, muscles, blood clotting, and bone and tooth mineralization.

Protein found in cheese can also help increase your metabolism. Protein is also a building component of muscle tissue, internal organs, skin, hair, and nails. Therefore, cheese really shouldn't be avoided.

However, this only applies to unprocessed cheese. Some cheese, such as processed cream cheese, contain harmful ingredients, like xanthan gum, E452 polyphosphates, diphosphates (E450), and other weird-sounding components. These are preservatives that can cause cancer or other diseases. When choosing cheese, be sure to read its ingredients on the packaging to ensure you're avoiding these additives.

Food Calories List

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, better known as ADHD, is a neurodevelopmental condition usually diagnosed in childhood. ADHD symptoms include excessive motor activity and impulsivity, which leads to distraction and significant attention deficit. It affects 6.4 million American children, with males being 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. The symptoms usually start to appear between the ages of 3 and 6. While medication might be prescribed, doctors recommend adjusting diet, too. Studies from the past 10 years show that there are high numbers of ADHD among people with obesity. This demonstrates the importance of a balanced and healthy diet when trying to manage symptoms. So, here's how you can improve your ADHD diet with an ADHD diet food list.

What to add to your ADHD diet

It is important to know what specific nutrients people with ADHD are lacking in, in order to build an ADHD diet food list that will make up for these deficiencies.

Iron and Zinc

Multiple studies show a significantly lower level of iron and zinc in people with ADHD, despite them not being anemic.

Iron is an essential nutrient for the production of dopamine. Therefore, you should make sure you have plenty of it in your diet.

Zinc is important for the production and modulation of melatonin, which helps regulate dopamine function. The increased intake of zinc and iron can reduce ADHD symptoms.

Omega3 and Omega6

Compared to others, those with ADHD have lower levels of Omega3 and Omega6. These fatty acids improve overall brain growth and function, and can control negative symptoms associated with ADHD. These symptoms include poor concentration, hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and disruptive behavior. They are key to the improvement of ADHD symptoms.

B-Vitamins and Protein

Those with ADHD have significantly lower levels of B-vitamins. The lack of these vitamins has been associated with ADHD and other mental disorders in childhood and adolescence.

Protein is also important for brain function and it helps stopping sudden spikes in blood sugar levels, which has been linked to disruptive behavior among children with ADHD. Protein-rich food is also a good source of vitamins B2, B6, and B12. Protein is recommended in the morning and as snacks throughout the day to help keep blood sugar levels consistent.

Complex Carbohydrates

A healthy eating pattern is also characterized by the intake of complex carbohydrates. They are macronutrients which supply energy without spiking blood sugar levels, unlike simple carbohydrates such as sugar. They should make up to 60% of the ADHD diet.

What Food is Not Good for ADHD?

Those with ADHD have higher intakes of nutrient-poor food such as high-sugar and high-fat food. Studies show that a diet high in refined sugar and saturated fat can increase the risk of ADHD and hyperactivity. A healthy diet, with high consumption of fruit and vegetables, can help prevent these outcomes. Dieticians' advice is to restrict:

• Antigens
• Food coloring agents
• Saturated fat
• Simple carbohydrates
• Sugar

However, sugar is particularly important to reduce.

Sugar can lead to a sudden surge in the blood sugar levels, which increases energy levels. Excessive energy can cause trouble with concentration and hyperactivity.

Also, avoid preservatives, and artificial dyes and colors. Especially avoid red and yellow coloring, and food additives such as aspartame and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Furthermore, if you are taking medication, most experts recommend that people consume less caffeine, or just avoid it completely, as it can make side effects worse.

What Other Things Can You Do to Help Your ADHD Diet?

Ways to Help You Stick to Your ADHD Diet

ADHD people are quite impulsive and often make impulsive decisions, which gravitate toward eating fast food. Studies have shown a higher prevalence of binge eating behavior among them. An ADHD diet has to be directed toward planning, scheduling, and healthy decisions. Habits such as making a grocery list, getting all the ingredients at the supermarket, and knowing what time and how long it takes to prepare a meal, takes organization, planning, and time management.

However, these skills can be a struggle for people with ADHD. However, there are some simple steps that can take to help you stick to your diet.

Other Useful Tips

Get a test for food allergies and nutrient levels in your blood. You’ll then have a guide for what nutrients you need to focus on, and what food and ingredients to avoid. Allergies to preservatives and artificial dye might be common, which worsen ADHD symptoms. Having this knowledge will certainly help you maintain control over your symptoms.

When shopping, read food labels carefully. This will be your best guide when selecting products. Content matters more than packaging, presentation, and marketing. This will also help you to determine which food is high in simple carbohydrates, high in fat, and high in sugar: all of which you should be avoiding.

ADHD Diet FAQs

Can ADHD be cured by diet?

It is not clear yet whether a poor diet is the cause of ADHD or rather its result. Currently, treatments for ADHD only help to control it and prevent it from getting worse. While 6.1% of children in the US are being treated with medication, studies show an amazing improvement of the symptoms through diet control. Statistics show a link between ADHD, obesity, poor diatery habits, and low levels of important nutrients in their body.

So, whilst it's unclear whether proper diet can be a "cure", it's certainly something that is important to symptom management.

Does sugar make ADHD worse?

While it’s still controversial whether or not sugar is a cause of ADHD, or if there is a direct link between ADHD and sugar consumption, sugar does influence hyperactivity because it can quickly enter the bloodstream. This makes rapid changes to glucose levels and triggers excessive adrenaline production. The consumption of added sugar, sugary snacks, and drinks should be drastically reduced.

Sugar should preferably be consumed as part of a main meal and in a natural form (cow or sheep milk, unsweetened dairy products, and fresh fruit). Drinks that should be avoided are sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) such as smoothies, fruit juice, and sweetened milk products. Therefore, it's best to stick to water or unsweetened drinks.

What foods should a child with ADHD avoid?

An unhealthy diet increases the risk of hyperactivity or ADHD occurrence in children. Therefore, parents and care-givers should start developing good dietary habits in children as soon as possible: avoiding simple carbohydrates, high-fat, and high-sugar food items.

ADHD Food List

Now that you're a little more knowledgable about what food and nutrients you should be eating more or, and what to avoid, please find below your ADHD diet food list template. Feel free to add things you feel are missing, or take away anything you don't want to eat.

Healthy living begins with healthy and well-prepared groceries. If you plan in advance what you want to buy using your health-conscious ultimate grocery list, and your diet should run successfully. However, sometimes things go a bit awry and you're not able to get to the shops as planned. This means your healthy eating habits might get derailed. If you have a stock of healthy goods already at home, you can rustle something up in a pinch that won't break your healthy eating streak. So, let's find out what should be on your healthy essential grocery list so you're prepared to keep healthy no matter what your week throws at you.

Quick Food, But Healthy Food

On a busy day, it’s tempting to succumb to the alure of quick-cooking instant meal solutions. However, these instant meals are often unhealthy and leave you hungry: even the ones branded as good for you. But, if you have easy to prepare healthy ingredients at home, you can have something humble but healthy instead.

So, here are all the must-haves you should always have in the house, including 5 super and smart types of food that is vital to keeping you healthy. With these products, you can prepare a whole bunch of healthy meals. Alternatively, you can skip straight to the free healthy essential shopping list template if you wish. 

5 Types of Super Smart Food to Have on Your Ultimate Healthy Grocery List

Oatmeal

In a crisis, this can be used to creat various meals, both sweet and savory. Its high fiber content will keep you feeling full after eating any hearty oatmeal dish. It's certainly one of your evergreen grocery essentials.

Eggs

These should be unquestionably included on your essential shopping list. They're filling and jam-packed with vitamins and minerals that the body needs. Eggs can be eaten in various ways, too: scrambled, made into omelets, or just boiled. Put these on your healthy ultimate shopping list and you'll always be able to make a healthy dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Vegetables

These are staples of , healthy or otherwise! Not only can they be cooked as healthy sides, but some are even are perfect for snacking raw after school or work. If you always have vegetables in your fridge or freezer, you can always prepare something tasty and healthy.

Fruit

Sweet and delicious, fruit can save you from unhealthy indulgences when you're craving for something sugary. The benefit of eating these instead of your favorite chocolate bar is that they contain vitamins and minerals that your body needs. They're surprisingly versatile, too. You can add them to a salad by cutting them into pieces to give them a fruity health boost, or mix them with cottage cheese for a delicious light meal. This will keep you from snacking, for sure.

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds contain heart-friendly fat and should be eaten several times a week to keep you healthy. They can be used as a topping on porridge or as a small snack when you’re hungry. They're also rich in fiber and protein, both of which will keep you feeling full, and contain a variety of vitamins and minerals.

Your Ultimate Healthy Grocery List

Please find below a list of all the food that is crucial for keeping you stocked up at home in order to make quick healthy meals in a pinch. Feel free to add what you think should also be on this healthy essential grocery list, as well as take off anything that you wouldn't otherwise buy.

If you make sure that you have all these products at home, you'll never have to stress that you can’t put a healthy meal on the table. Super handy, right?

If you're going to be undertaking radioactive iodine treatment, you may want to consider going on a low-iodine diet to increase the treatment's effectiveness. But what should you have on your low-iodine diet shopping list?

Undertaking a Low-Iodine Diet

The main reason people may want to be on this diet is that they are going to be undertaking radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid cancer.

But why is having a low-iodine so important for this?

The thyroid gland absorbs iodine. It uses iodine to create thyroid hormones, which keep you energized and helps you metabolize food, among other functions.

Therefore, starving your thyroid of iodine before the treatment will make the radioactive iodine that you will receive get into your thyroid quicker. This will make the treatment more effective.

If you're considering going on this diet before treatment, then you'll need to know what foods with iodine to avoid during this period, as well as what you can eat. Therefore, let us provide you with a grocery list to get you started on the diet, as well as going over the basics and answering some questions you may have. However, you can skip straight to your free low-iodine diet shopping list template if you wish. 

Low Iodine Diet Basics

Foods with Iodine to Avoid

The following list of foods with iodine should be avoided while on the diet, in order to eliminate or limit the food sources of iodine in your diet.

Foods with Iodine to Restrict

Some foods that contain iodine can be consumed but in small amounts.

Food to Eat

Even though the low-iodine diet is a restrictive diet, there is still a plethora of things that you can eat. You can enrich your diet menu with:

This means you can still enjoy a wide range of tasty food, from canned or homemade soup (but not cream-based), to homemade hamburgers and meatballs.

You can even eat food made using egg-whites. This means you can still make and enjoy a delicious cake providing its been made without the yolk.

But why only the whites?

Whilst eggs are to be restricted on the diet because of their iodine content, all of the iodine is in the yolk. This is because farmers usually feed chickens with fishmeal.

There are also plenty of alternatives to dairy products you can use. For example, you can swap your butter for a vegetable oil such as sunflower or rapeseed. However, avoid any soy-based products.

Low-Iodine Diet FAQs

Can a low-iodine diet be risky?

The low-iodine diet is not a "no-iodine diet" or an "iodine-free diet". This is because iodine is still vital for your body to function properly. The low-iodine diet is designed to make radioactive iodine therapy more effective, not for you to get rid of iodine forever.

Regardless, staying on the diet for longer than necessary might lead to iodine insufficiency. The side effects of this can be quite severe:

When can I stop a low-iodine diet?

The diet should be started around 1-2 weeks before treatment and should continue only 1-2 days after treatment.

Does the diet make you tired?

While on the low-iodine diet, you might experience some weakness and tiredness. This is because the thyroid gland uses iodine to create the hormones that drive your metabolism, which in turn keeps you energized. Without as much iodine in your diet compared to usual, tiredness is a common side-effect of being on the diet.

Can I have rice on the low-iodine diet?

Based on the region where grown, rice can vary in iodine content. Because of this, it is recommended to consume only in limited amounts of this. However, some low-iodine diets recommend removing this item completely from your food list. But, if you still want to eat rice, basmati rice is the best to eat on the diet.

Can you have almond milk on the diet?

Yes, you can!

Because it's an alternative to dairy milk makes, it's completely lacking in iodine.

Is taking vitamins okay while on the diet?

Those who are on the diet mainly prefer not to take vitamins as many multivitamins and mineral preparations contain iodine.

However, there are some supplements that might be beneficial, such as a calcium supplement. Because you won't be consuming dairy products, you won't be getting the recommended 1200 mcg of calcium per day. Therefore, this supplement may be important for you while on the diet.

Your Low-Iodine Diet Shopping List

Please find below your free printable low-iodine diet shopping list. Feel free to make any changes that you wish to make, and make it your own.