Low Histamine Diet Lunch Ideas & Recipes

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If you’re new to the low histamine diet, you may be struggling with meal ideas, especially low histamine lunch ideas. The great news is that you’ll still be able to enjoy good grub on a low histamine diet, and I’ll be sharing a range of different foods that make for excellent lunches.

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 response to food. 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 high histamine 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, lunchmeat, etc.)
Preserved Veggies (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-histamine ingredients, 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
Peach
Pumpkin Seeds
Sweet Potato
Zucchini

Low Histamine Fruits (Great for Snacking)

Here’s a non-exhaustive low histamine food list that’s fruit focused. Personally, I’m a huge fan of main item + fresh produce for lunch. Based on your individual needs, rotate through fruits like these to keep your meals interesting.

Apple
Apricot
Blackberry
Cranberry
Dates
Dragon Fruit
Grapes
Lychee (you can find this in Asian markets and some natural/organic type grocery stores)
Nectarine
Persimmon

Low Histamine Vegetables (Fantastic for Dipping)

If you’re concerned about your daily vegetable intake, I suggest including fresh vegetables with a homemade dip in your lunch. Here’s a non-exhaustive low histamine foods list that’s vegetable focused:

Artichoke
Asparagus
Beets (if you steam them, they have the feel of a butter potato)
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumber
Lettuce
Radish
Squashes
Zucchini

Meal Prep Tips

When managing any kind of restrictive diet or food allergies, I can’t stress enough the importance of creating a good/reasonable meal plan and preparing food in advance. In fact, this task will play a significant role in how successful you are at sticking to the diet, as well as how stressful you find your new lifestyle.

My top meal-prep tip: batch cook and freeze. Here’s the thing, no one wants to cook meals several times a day, every single day. You’ll probably need to make your food at home to ensure it has a lower histamine content compared to what’s commercially available. Each time you find a new recipe you love, set aside time to make a double or triple batch so you can freeze the leftovers. However, be sure the recipe is freezer friendly before investing your time, energy, and money. The Advanced Recipe Search on RAISE will allow you to select both low histamine and freezer friendly recipes. Be sure to take it for a spin.

When freezing leftovers, purchase containers that hold what you consider an individual portion. Freezing leftovers in small amounts will allow you to pull out only what you need, and not have to worry about refreezing leftovers (which can cause a decline in quality with some foods). One of the best ways to save your future self time with this endeavor is to use disposable containers when freezing. It means in the future, you’ll have less dishes to do.

Make sure you also have the right tools and appliances to get the jobs done. If you’re new to cooking, don’t rush to outfit your kitchen. Make several recipes and then determine which appliances/tools could make your life significantly easier. Tools and appliances can be costly, so be sure to prioritize items for recipes you make frequently.

Easy & Tasty Low Histamine Lunch Ideas

These are just a few basic low histamine lunch ideas that can come in handy. The nice thing is, you don’t really need recipes for these ideas, so long as you enjoy getting creative in your kitchen.

Beef salad with homemade creamy mint salad dressing.
Warm pasta salad with shredded bison, small diced sweet peppers, and chopped herbs such as parsley.
Easy turkey & rice bowl with steamed veggies (carrots + beets would be delicious).
Seared Thai basil bison coconut wraps (coconut wraps are product you can purchase)
Soup (there are all sorts of vegetable soups and creamy soups you can make and adapt for the low histamine diet, and a pressure cooker is a great tool to have if you’re a soup fan).

Low Histamine Recipes That Taste Great Cold for Lunch

Let’s face it, you won’t always have the ability to heat up your lunch. For those of you who need great cold lunches, here are some delicious options. Also, these are all gluten-free, dairy-free recipes that are also very allergy friendly.

Bison Cinnamon Meatballs
Carrot & Turkey Ragu
Tacos + Sides (here’s a great gluten free tortilla recipe if you need one)
Easy Smash Burgers (pair this with a range of homemade low histamine sauces and sides)

Easy Low Histamine Lunch Recipes

These recipes are incredibly easy to make. If you’re in a rush or simply don’t have much energy, this is a great starting place. All gluten-free and dairy-free.

Carrot Cake Waffles (waffles for lunch, awesome!)
Basic Creamy Pasta
Pork & Purple Cabbage
Honey Beef

Plant-Based Low Histamine Lunch Recipes

If you’re looking for good food that’s meat free and still low histamine, here are few delicious options.

Sweet Vegetables & Quinoa
Savory Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
Easy Carrot & Parsnip Soup
Mayo Free Pasta Salad (pasta salad without eggs?! yup, totally a thing, and still has great texture)

Amazing Hot Lunches That are Low Histamine

If you have the time to make yourself a fresh hot lunch, these are four delicious options. Additionally, you can look into purchasing an electric heated lunch box to keep food hot.

Carrots & Cauliflower Cookup
Stuffed Peppers
Peaches & Pork (great base to serve with a range of different carbs you enjoy)
Fried Pork Strips

Low Histamine Snacks That are Great to Add to Your Lunch

These are some of the best snacks I can share with you. The nice thing is they can double as desserts (great if you have kids and you want to share a sweet treat with them).

Nut & Seed Free Power Balls
Corn Free & Grain Free Graham Crackers
Peanut Free “Peanut Butter” Cookies
Tiger Nut Muffins (tiger nuts are not tree nuts but poorly named tuber root vegetables)

Answering Your Low Histamine Questions

If I’m following a low histamine diet, can I still use my air fryer?

Great question! Yes, you can still use your air fryer. In fact, you can stick to the cooking methods you’re familiar with and enjoy. The key is making sure that leftover foods are frozen to prevent further histamine development. Whilst individual tolerance varies, this is a general rule of thumb that most people following a low histamine diet stick to.

If you’re a fan of fermenting foods, that’s one method you’ll have to give up, as fermented foods are not low histamine.

Is garlic a low histamine ingredient?

Garlic is not considered a low histamine food. However, some people tolerate garlic well in small amounts and after it’s been cooked. You’d have to ask your medical team if a garlic trial would be a good idea for you. Should you end up trialing garlic, be sure to keep a detailed food journal so you know what’s working and what’s not.

Are potatoes and tomatoes considered low histamine foods?

I’ve good news and I’ve got bad news. The bad news is, tomatoes aren’t a low histamine ingredient. The good news is that potatoes (and sweet potatoes) are a low histamine ingredient. In terms of what to use to substitute for tomatoes, there aren’t a lot of awesome options.

With sauces, it’s easy to create a delicious white/cream sauce, or pesto. Replacing raw tomatoes will take a lot more creativity. I do suggest looking up “Nomato” sauce recipes (no tomato). It’s gained popularity since the AIP Paleo diet has gotten a lot of attention (tomatoes aren’t allowed on the AIP Paleo diet).

What are some good low histamine protein options?

The top low histamine proteins that I suggest are beef, duck, and turkey. There’s mixed information available about chicken. Some people tolerate wild boar and bison well, but you’ll need to keep a detailed journal to see if those work out for you.

The nice thing is that with beef, duck, and turkey, you can make a huge range of recipes. You can even pressure cook and shred different cuts of beef to have some pretty tasty meals. It’s important to remember that meat should be consumed fresh and leftovers should be frozen to delay the developing of histamines on the meat.

Is rice low histamine?

Yes! Rice is a low histamine food that you can enjoy. In fact, you’ll be able to enjoy all varieties of rice. You’ll want to carefully select recipes to follow if you plan on adding flavour to your rice. A lot of spices (especially spice blends) have high histamine levels.

If rice will be a new addition to your low histamine diet, start with steamed rice paired with a protein you already know and love. Additionally, make sure you’re keeping a detailed food journal so you can confirm that the new addition is a smashing success.

Is spinach a low histamine food?

No, spinach is not a low histamine ingredient, however, there are several other leafy greens that are. Endive, leafy lettuces, green cabbage, white cabbage, red cabbage, and bok choy (sometimes called pak choi) are all considered low histamine.

Also know that in addition to avoiding spinach, you’ll also want to avoid sorrel and chard.

Is there a way to make hummus low histamine?

Yes, you can create a low histamine hummus, but it’s so important that you manage your expectations. Additionally, you’re going to have to swap a lot of classic hummus ingredients to pull it off. You’ll want to start by searching online for a “legume free hummus recipe”. I checked, and there are several sites and everyone has a different take. Essentially, they have you create a vegetable dip.

In addition to the chickpeas being off the table, both the lemon and tahini (sesame) will be off the table as well. These are both very classic/traditional ingredients in hummus, You’ll also need to avoid the recipes that lean into cashew or avocado to make the dip.

Ultimately, you want to make a thick creamy vegetable dip that has great texture and some body, and that’s great for dipping. Wishing you the best on this endeavor!

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.