It may seem like you have a limited repertoire on your grocery list, the same old appearances over and over again. But that certainly doesn’t have to be the case. Rarely on 3 years of AIP have I ever been bored of my food choices – and that’s also why I started this blog. To keep me creative, interested, and forever-seeking new and easy ways to add vibrant food into my life.
So to keep with that theme and prove that there’s always new foods to be discovered, I’ve compiled a list of 10 foods you may not know are AIP-compliant. These foods are fairly easy to find, but I also urge you to visit local ethnic markets to see for yourself that your diet doesn’t have to be limited to carrots, sweet potatoes, beef, and broccoli.
Variety is the spice of AIP. Force yourself out of your food rut!
TigernutsYou may have heard of tigernuts if you’re big into AIP baking. If you haven’t, you may be wondering, “I thought nuts weren’t AIP-friendly!” They aren’t – they are a common food allergen/intolerance and can be difficult to digest, especially for people with compromised guts like those with autoimmue conditions. But tigernuts are actually little hard tubers (root vegetables) that are high in prebiotic fibers. The unpeeled snacking variety can be really difficult to eat, so it’s best to stick to the peeled tigernuts for snacking or tigernut flour for baking needs. I haven’t baked with tigernut flour much, but I hear it can be pretty grainy, so it’s best to mix it with other grain-free flours like coconut and arrowroot. Beyond the Bite is an AIP blog that uses lots of tigernut flour, so please peruse her page of tigernut treats!
Cloves Part of the reason AIP seems initially restricting on flavor is because it eliminates a lot of seed and nut seasonings (allspice, nutmeg, cumin, etc) as well as nightshade seasonings (chili pepper, paprika, curry powder, etc). Clove is an exception though! They are actually little dried buds of the clove tree and a popular aromatic, ethnic spice used in cooking both savory and sweet dishes. Use whole cloves to flavor soups, roasted chicken, my AIP Sangria and Caribbean Spiced Shredded Beef.
BBQ Sauce Nightshades are definitely not an autoimmune person’s friend. They tend to be one of the most inflammatory and bothersome foods those of us with autoimmune conditions can eat. Which means tomato-based sauces, southwestern cuisine, Mexican food, and a whole lotta other yummy stuff is off the table. Thankfully, there’s a brand of AIP-friendly BBQ Sauce that gets RAVE reviews from the community! Go check out KC Naturals BBQ Sauce which can be purchased on Amazon and try both of their nightshade-free flavors as a marinade for your next grill night or mixed with pressure cooker pork.
Wine VinegarsWine vinegars like white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, and ume plum vinegar are totally AIP-compliant and can add a lovely balance to your salad dressings, marinades, and finished dishes. If you have histamine intolerance, you may want to stay away from vinegar but otherwise go ahead and enjoy. Always be sure to read the ingredients though (‘grape must’ is compliant) and look for ones that don’t contain added sweeteners, corn, sulphur dioxide, or other preservatives.
Sucanat I’m sure you know that sweeteners should be limited on AIP. I won’t beat a dead horse over that. So, don’t go eat a bag of sucanat? Because you’re a responsible adult, and why would you? Or you could argue you earned your independence in a stifled childhood, so you may very well go eat a bag of sugar if you please at age 39. I won’t judge – you just may not feel your best the next day. I just realized you may be wondering what sucanat is… sorry it’s 6 am and Grace woke me up an hour ago… on a Sunday morning. Motherhood. Sucanat is a fairly unprocessed cane sugar – it’s simply crushed cane sugar and doesn’t go throug
h the refining/bleaching process regular sugar does. So in that way it is about as unprocessed as sweeteners like honey and maple that we see more often in AIP recipes. Use it very sparingly to sweeten special treats like He Won’t Know It’s Paleo’s Dutch Apple Pie. Find a recipe that uses sucanat but you don’t have any on hand? Replace with coconut sugar or maple sugar, which have a similar amount of moisture.
Yerba Mate Yerba mate is a South American tea that contains a decent variety of vitamins and antioxidants, but also contains a decent dose of caffeine. CaffeineInformer.com says it contains about 85mg caffeine per cup which is about as much caffeine as a Starbucks Cafe Americano. If you’re working on your adrenals (who isn’t?), it may not be the best choice for you. Stick to lower caffeine teas like herbal teas or white silverneedle tea (my favorite!) There are claims floating around the internet that touts yerba mate for it’s fat-burning effect, but that only has been proven in high doses, which would certainly push most people over their caffeine limit. Enjoy a brewed cup in the morning as a pick-me-up but make sure you’re doing a lot of lifestyle checks on your adrenals. Drink that tea outside on your porch as the sun rises, maybe? Guayaki is a popular brand of yerba mate that can be bought online.
Water Chestnuts What? Another nut imposter!? What kind of world is this!? Although roasted chestnuts are incredibly delicious, water chestnuts aren’t actually nuts! They are a vegetable that usually comes pre-boiled and canned for a crunchy and yes, watery, addition to salads and stir fries. Water chestnuts can also be dehydrated and ground into water chestnut flour, which is another alternative baking flour that is totally AIP. The problem is finding it without cross-contamination with gluten and soy from factory processing! Therefore, I have never baked with it personally… but if you can find an allergen-free bag of it in your local Asian grocery store, give it a try and make some Paleo-O’s cereal or these Pumpkin Empanadas with Salted Caramel Drizzle from Predominantly Paleo.
La CroixYou wouldn’t think a flavored beverage in a can (sounds suspiciously like soda, right?) would be AIP-friendly, but La Croix flavored waters can be enjoyed by all since the flavors are derived from the named fruit (i.e. lemon oil, grapefruit essence, etc). You should avoid them if you are sensitive to a particular fruit or flavor in them, of course. For example, when I was histamine intolerant, I found a reacted to the citrus flavors. I also see a lot of AIP-ers make fun mocktails with La Croix like this Grapefruit Paloma Mocktail by my friend Laura Vein of Sweet Treats. You may as well also check out her other recipes because she is a trained pastry chef & talented cook!
Horseradish
Ooh, so spicy! Horseradish is one of the only truly spicy foods those of us on AIP can use to kick it up a notch. Is that what Emeril used to say in that cheesy 90’s programming? BAM. Buy a fresh horseradish root and finely grate it to mix in salads, sauces, soups, and as an accompaniment to steak or seafood. You can even make these tasty Carrot Fries with Horseradish Cream by Simple & Merry or Quick Shepherd’s Pie with Golden Horseradish Mash by Healing Family Eats! Have you seen Kate’s other recipes? She is such a talented chef and food photographer. Her recipes just warm my heart.
photo credit: Kate Jay of Healing Family Eats
Kelp Noodles Woohoo! Noodles on AIP! Now we’re talking. Sort of… kelp noodles are actually a pretty nutritious noodle made from seawood, salt, and water. They are a low-carb and affordable way to bulk up meals, but aren’t for everyone. They have a very crunchy, stiff texture even after soaking. I wouldn’t serve these with AIP pasta sauces or meat sauces though – reserve them for stir-fries and Asian-inspired fare like this Thai-Inspired Pork Salad with kelp noodles – another fab recipe by Kate Jay. I know, she’s AIP girl crush status.Well, that’s it! I hope you learned of at least one new food to try while following the AIP! My most treasured advice while following the protocol is to never limit yourself unnecessarily. Food and freedom with food are so nourishing for our mental health. Rather than restricting, consider what you can add in to your meals so that you won’t even notice that you aren’t eating that nightshade-ridden storebought BBQ sauce or missing out on pasta night with the family. Now if only someone would come up with a non-alcoholic and gluten-free AIP beer that also gets you tipsy. A girl can dream.
Have any other AIP-approved foods in your pantry
you think other’s would like to know about?
37 Responses
What about shirataki noodles? They are made from a plant root..
They are high in a particular concentrated sort of fiber that can be hard for some people with compromised guts to digest, so I did not include them on this list for that reason.
How about konjac noodles “slim noodle”?
Yes those are very similar to Miracle Noodles. I really think those should be decided on a case by case basis since we all handle fiber differently! The listed 10 foods are unlikely to cause major issues for most people while something like Miracle Noodles can be difficult to tolerate for some. Hope that helps!
Yes! I have had a problem with glycomannin powder causing more symptoms.
Thank you for this article!
Can we eat regular chestnuts roasted in the oven. Not water chestnuts.
On AIP, nuts are to be eliminated for awhile which includes chestnuts but they are an excellent source of minerals and fiber so once you reintroduce them successfully, eat away!
Found some instant flour mixture in an African store today made with flour from the elephant ear plant, cassava and saffron. I was really impressed with the flavor and how easy it was to prepare!
Wow that sounds so interesting! Would love to try it!
What about wasabi? It is a root like horseradish.
Yes pure wasabi is fine too!
I clicked on the link to Beyond the Bite and thr very first recipe had almond slices as an ingredient! I thought it was AIP recipes etc? I clicked on it because you mentioned they use Tigernut flour a lot. I just expected but free recipes
I literally just ate some Miracle Noodles and not even half way in my left eye started to itch, then my nose and I have this tickle in my throat. Also my eczema/psoriasis on my neck started to itch… Could this all be happening so fast with the histamine reaction towards konjac flour or it could be the calcium hydroxide? I made sure I rinsed with cold water then boiled it.. Starting this AIP protocol and not having grains to fill fulfilled is so difficult
It could be anything – even fear of eating those noodles causing a reaction can cause a reaction unfortunately! Hard to pinpoint until you completely take out and then reintroduce again. There’s ton of delicious pasta, pizza and stromboli recipes on my website to enjoy 🙂
I love kelp noodles. But don’t care for the crunch. A simple bath of warm water, baking soda and some “now” brand citric acid and you will have soft silky noodles. Plenty of sites on the web advise using lemons. But that’s price if you eat organic. Using the citric acid speeds up the process and does a better job. I’m not sure of quantities, but I’d guess a tablespoon of baking soda and a 2 teaspoonfuls of citric acid. Then a thorough rinse. I
soften 2 bags at the same time in the same bath and store them in the frig, then use around 100 grams, sauted with mushrooms and pesto sauce and maybe chicken or shrimp. Wonderful!
Having an autoimmune disease, we are cautioned against using any gelatinous foods like chia seed, flax seeds slippery elm, etc. Kelp noodles are approved. Shirataki noodles cause me to have a pain flare….even if I eat a teeny bit. I am not a fan of crispy kelp noodles, so I went online and searched how to soften them. The sites I saw said use baking soda and lemon juice. But if you are eating organic, those 99 cent lemons add up. So I experimented using citric acid and baking soda. I bought citric acid in the baking aisle at Natural Grocers. I used approx 2 tsp of citric acid and 1 tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl of warm water. I add the noodles. Within 15 minutes I have soft silky noodles, no crunch. Next step is a thorough rinse. Now I soften 2 bags of kelp noodles in the same bath at the same time and store them in the frig. I take out approx 100 grams, saute them with mushrooms, pesto and shrimp or chicken. Wonderful!
I love sweet potato noodles 🙂 and tolerate well konjac (shirataki) noodles, too.
Hi there! Thanks for this article! I’m also wondering about a couple things – what about Rice Wine vinegar? I know rice is prohibited…. also I’m wondering about toaster rice green tea. Technically I’m not ‘eating’ the rice, but enjoy the flavour the toasted rice imparts, and am wondering if this would be compliant or not? Thanks so much!!
Try coconut vinegar instead! It has the most delicious umami flavor to replace rice wine vinegar!
Is acacia fiber AIP compliant?
I’ve only seen it listed as a gum emulsifier – but I haven’t done a lot of research on it!
What about Waterloo sparkling water and plain sparkling mineral water? Are those AIP compliant? Thank you!
Hi Alaena! First off, my husband and I tried your Caribbean pulled beef the other night and it was great! For some reason, I loved mine even more drizzled with a little balsamic over the top. Good both cold and warmed up!
I am wondering about a couple more foods and if they’re AIP compliant. Have you heard of Waterloo sparkling water? I was wondering if they are compliant as well. Also, what about cocoa butter? I know chocolate isn’t allowed, but I was curious as to if this was different at all. Would love to know your thoughts and why yes/no!
Thanks again! Looking forward to trying more recipes! 🙂
Cocoa butter is a reintroduction. I’m not sure about Waterloo but I would just test it to see how you do with it personally 🙂 It sounds like Lacroix with natural flavors so it’ll be something to just try and see how you do!
Thank you for your direction! I’ve noted all of the above. Any tips on doing AIP combined with low histamine? Do you know of any great resources? Thanks again!
New to AIP. Just tried Jovial brand cassava spaghetti available at Sprouts. Thrilled to discover taste and texture exactly as whole wheat and brown rice pastas but, unlike rice and like wheat based counterparts, doesn’t release a ton of starch into the cooking water.
I can’t wait to get my hands on them!
The Jovial cassava flour spaghetti has been one of my go-to’s besides glass noodles (sweet potato flour). The garlic broccoli pasta recipe is a favorite. However, I prefer it served immediately. I use the glass noodles in stir fries and in my soups. Yum ?.
Hello. It seems like AIP compliant foods have “evolved” over the years. When I first read up on it, and then stopped the protocol because my stomach acid was too weak to digest meat, garlic, onions, and mushrooms were restricted. When I tried again, with a refresher read, some sites are encouraged yellow onions, many used garlic, and quite a few shared recipes with mushrooms. A soup I made contained all three and I reacted painfully, I’d prefer not to test all three out separately again. What is your take on them? I seem to be quite sensitive as I react to grain fed poultry eggs, yet I can successfully do small amounts of almond butter. Carob was another disappointing fail, keeping me from trying beans again. Rice I can do for a few days, and then my glucose skyrockets from it. Oddly, that effect also happens with cauliflower, and other bad effects with cruciferous plants, too. I layer FODMAPS in to avoid those. If you’re short on time, I am most curious about onions, garlic, and mushrooms. It’s a bland salt and EVOO world I’ve lived for over 2 years 🙂
Is Kava tea AIP compliant? I cannot find an answer anywhere!
*chiming in* I had wondered that too, it was my favourite nighttime relaxation tea. But Kava Kava is a nightshade and nightshades are avoided in AIP
Very few people mention Kudzu powder – some people say it’s actually arrowroot but I think they can be two different things. Is it AIP compliant or not? I have a cancer cookbook that uses it in drinks – it’s supposed to be quite anti inflammatory right?
In addition to being Celiac, mild IBS I am also Lactose Intolerant. I go on AIP diets then slowly reintroduce certain foods. Would your cookbook give me lots options?
Hi Neil – it sounds like a cookbook that would suit your needs considering the AIP diet removes some of the most inflammatory foods to allow for gut healing and ideally reintroduction of nourishing foods like dairy, eggs, etc.
Can anyone else not read the comments because the letters are all piled on top of eachother? I would love to see what others doing the AIP are saying from their experiences.
Thanks 😊
Hi Corinna! Let me see what I can do on the back-end to fix that- thanks for letting me know!