Managing any kind of restrictive diet, including a low histamine diet, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and burned out (especially in the first few months). Toady I want to share some amazing low histamine recipes to help ease the mental burden meals can often have.
Remember, just because you’re low histamine doesn’t mean your food won’t be awesome. Sure, it will be different. And yes, you’ll need to follow a few extra steps with leftovers. However, you can totally have safe and delicious food, and life a full and satisfied life.
What is a Low Histamine Diet?
A low histamine diet is one that is made up of low-histamine foods. Now, what does that really mean? There’s histamine content in al of the food that you eat. However, when someone has a histamine intolerance, the breakdown of histamine doesn’t happen properly and this creates food allergy-like symptoms. A low histamine diet removes foods that are high in histamine or are histamine liberators (more on this further down).
If you’re new to all of this, Mind Body Green has a great (long) intro on histamine intolerance and what you need to know about a low-histamine diet.
The Importance of Fresh Foods
Fresh meat, for example, is very important if you’re following a low-histamine diet. As meat ages, there’s a natural release of histamine, and that can cause symptoms. The same is true of leftover cooked meat, that at it ages, the amount of histamine increases. The great news is that freezing your leftovers is the perfect way to avoid this issue.
It’s so important that you have the right containers on hand. In these situations, I can’t suggest enough having individual portion style containers that are freezer friendly. This allows you to only thaw what you need, and prevent your cooked foods from further histamine-based aging.
It’s important to remember, no two people are the same. People who follow a low-histamine diet each have personal histamine tolerance levels. To better understand your personal limits, keep a food journal/food diary for at least the first two months of your new diet. The journal should include food, stress levels, restroom, sleep cycle, any symptoms, and other details your medical team may benefit from knowing.
As you go about avoiding high-histamine foods, your overall histamine load should decline and you should start to see a reduction of the symptoms of histamine intolerance. However, if you’re not feeling any symptom relief (or very little relief), absolutely follow up with your health care provider. There could be an additional underlying condition that needs to be addressed.
Common High Histamine Ingredients to Avoid
Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, here are some common foods you’ll want to avoid if you don’t have histamine tolerance. RAISE has a lot more recipes and resources on the topic. I will warn you, as you look online for more information, you’re going to find a lot of conflicting information. Sift through it all, and make a plan that makes sense to you and your medical team. Not all foods will work for everyone.
As you prepare to make foods at home, you’ll also want to avoid pre-made spice blends and make your own blend at home. This is because there are a range of ingredients, common to spice ingredients, that you won’t be able to eat on a low histamine diet.
- Cured Meats (such as salami, deli ham, dried meats, ham, etc.)
- Preserved vegetables (pickles, olives, etc.)
- Tomato
- Eggplant
- Mushroom
- Hard/Aged Cheeses
- Shellfish
- Nuts
- Avocado
- Lemon Juice & Citrus Fruits
Common Histamine Liberators to Avoid
Also not an exhaustive list, but this will give you an idea of what some common histamine liberators are. Histamine liberators are foods that aren’t naturally high in histamine, but can trigger the release of histamine from your immune system.
- Alcohol
- Artificial Dyes
- Banana
- Fish
- Chocolate
- Pineapple
- Strawberries
Common Low-Histamine Ingredients to Enjoy
Again, not an exhaustive list, but here are some delicious ideas to get you started.
- Apples (great for making apple muffins which you can freeze)
- Blackberries
- Carrot
- Celery
- Chia Seeds (great for making chia pudding)
- Lettuce
- Nectarine
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Sweet Potato
- Zucchini
Huge Planning Tips
When you’re putting together your meal plans, think about meals as components. For example, vegetable + protein + carb. By breaking your meals down into components, you can quickly see ways to save time. Here’s what I really mean: plan to batch cook and freeze components.
Let’s look at the Greek Lamb Tacos I listed below. I could think of tacos as one large main meal, or I could think about the parts. There’s the tortillas, the meat, and the toppings. Tortillas can be made in advance and frozen. Ground meat can be made in advance and frozen. Now, I only need to deal with toppings and a sauce if I want one.
Personally, I like to set aside a few days a month to just COOK. I’ll cook an average of ten recipes each day, and get everything frozen. That’s a LOT of components you could get done, then be able to grab them as you need them. Are you seeing the freedom??
One huge tip when batch cooking and freezing is to freeze foods in individual portion sizes. This allows you to easily grab only what you need and not worry about refreezing leftovers. Bonus points if you’re able to use disposable containers and have less dishes to do.
Another huge tip is to have the right tools. Whilst you don’t need to run out and purchase all the gadgets, do purchase tools and small appliances that will make your life easier. Tools such as an Instant Pot or Multi-Function Cooker can allow you to make a huge range of foods, faster. If you’re not sure where to start, assess your recipes and see if there’s a particular cooking method used again and again. If so, make sure you have the best tool(s) for the job. Additionally, as you cook, take note of what takes you a LONG time, or processes that frustrate you. See if there are tools or small appliances to make that process more efficient.
Low-Histamine Breakfast Recipes
Here are four amazing low histamine breakfasts. What’s extra exciting is that the sausage and muffins can be made in large batches and frozen for easy future use.
- Easy Creamy Breakfast Potatoes (serve with your fave protein)
- Homemade Breakfast Sausage Recipe (this has so much potential to be used on a rotation basis)
- Spicy Breakfast Sausage Salad
- Tiger Nut Muffins (tiger nuts are tubers, not tree nuts)
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Delicious Low Histamine Lunch Recipes
These are recipes that are great for eating at home or on the go. When packing items such as tacos for your lunch, a bento-style lunch box can be helpful. It will allow you to nicely divide the ingredients so you can easily build your taco at lunch time. The alternative is to build a taco bowl and pack tortillas on the side.
- Carrot & Turkey Ragout (tastes good cold, and an easy way to boost your daily vegetable intake)
- Greek Lamb Tacos (good hot or cold, great for a lunch box)
- Easy Creamy Pasta
- Smash Burgers (tastes great hot or cold, and you can create different flavour profiles)
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Delicious Low-Histamine Recipes for Dinner
Need awesome ideas for your main meals? Here are some of the best suggestions I can make. I can also tell you, my kids are over the moon in love with the mashed potatoes.
- Classic Stuffing (you can totally eat this year round)
- Silky Smooth Mashed Potatoes (serve with your fave protein)
- Creamy Purple Cabbage and Rice (if you’re a pork fan, this would taste amazing with pork folded in)
- Rice Pilaf + Easy Pulled Pork
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Low Histamine Recipes for Snacks
Whilst not everyone needs snacks, here are some options if you’re one of the people who needs them. The graham crackers and cookies are freezer friendly, so make extras if you have time (and freezer space).
- Easy Oat Power Balls (Nut, and Seed Free)
- Gluten & Egg Free Graham Crackers
- Baked Oat Bars
- Cinnamon Cardamom Cookies
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Desserts
A lot of desserts call for high histamine ingredients. Here are four amazing desserts you can enjoy. Each recipe is also gluten free and top 9 allergy free.
- Easy and Delicious Pie Crust (you can use this as a foundation for more low histamine desserts)
- Grain Free Apple Crumble
- Vanilla Sheet Pan Cake
- Pillow Soft Cakey Sugar Cookies
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Answering Your Questions About Low Histamine Recipes
Can I still have roast chicken when following a low histamine diet? I’ve read mixed information.
I’ve also read mixed information. On one hand, chicken is not considered a high histamine food based on levels. On the other hand, reputable medical professionals and universities have said the opposite. Something you’ll have to remember when mast cells are involved: no two people are the same.
People following a low histamine diet all have different levels of tolerance. What that means is you should follow a very strict low histamine diet when you’re starting out. Once you’ve reached a good baseline and your medical team clears you for food trials and re-introductions, do a trial for chicken if you’re wanting to incorporate it back into your diet.
Rabbit is a great alternative to chicken should you find it’s not a good option for you. Northstar Bison sells high quality rabbit in different forms. You can use it in place of chicken 1:1 in slow cooker recipes, Asian meals, and anywhere else you’d normally use chicken. Given how lean it is, be careful if you’re using it in place of chicken thigh, as cook times will vary and you don’t want to dry your meat out.
Do you know of any delicious muffins that are also low histamine?
Why yes, yes I do. These delicious muffins right here: Tiger Nut Muffins. Tiger nuts are tubers, not tree nuts, as their name would suggest. This recipe is also grain free, truly corn free, refined sugar free, and top 9 allergy free.
Is an Elimination Diet Necessary?
There are several health conditions that benefit from an elimination diet. There’s a lot of reason behind it, so I’ll try to be brief and sum it up for you. In some people, the immune response can be off the charts, and some of their responses look like allergic reactions. The responses can also look like food intolerances. Often times, allergy testing in these patients is inconclusive, and the “easiest” way to find out what may be wrong is to start the patient on an elimination diet.
The thing is, there are lots of different types of elimination diets, and your medical team will help you determine what your diet should look like.
In the case of someone with mast cell activation syndrome, as an example, the excess histamine is one of the root causes of all of the symptoms. Their elimination diet will probably be a four day food rotation in combination with eliminating histamine-rich foods. Their goal would be to have lower histamine levels, along with symptom relief. If they respond positively to the diet, their doctor(s) will continue to advise them on which foods to eliminate etc. to continue to see results.
If we were to look at someone who has a case of Celiac Disease that isn’t improving on a gluten free diet, their doctor may have them do an elimination diet based on FODMAPs. This isn’t uncommon with those who are gluten free, especially if digestive issues aren’t clearing up after following a strict gluten free diet for many months.
I say all of that to say this: sometimes an elimination diet is necessary. It really depends on the individual case. What I can tell you is this: research, research, research. You are your own best advocate, and it’s important that you understand what’s going on with your body. We live in a country with medical freedom, so you can request a test, refuse a treatment, and so on. However, if you don’t know what’s going on and the underlying mechanics, it will be a lot harder for you to advocate for yourself.