Low Histamine Diet Recipes & Ideas for Breakfast & Dinner

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Today I’ll be sharing some mouth watering low histamine diet recipes. If you’re needing more help managing this special diet, RAISE has resources, including pre-made meal plans. Many people think they won’t be able to have good food when following a low-histamine diet, but I can tell you first hand that couldn’t be further from the truth. With careful planning, awesome cooking methods, and some elbow grease, you’ll be loving your low histamine meals.

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.

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.

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

Concerned About Your Daily Vegetable Intake?

Whilst there are many vegetables that contain high histamine levels such as beans, eggplant, and spinach, there are still lots of vegetables to enjoy. For those of you who are fans of vegetable soups, you’ll still be able to make them with some tweaks. Make sure however that you’re making vegetable soups that freeze well since fresh foods are the best way to go when you’re following a low-histamine diet.

Here are some amazing vegetables you can enjoy on a low histamine diet:

Artichoke
Asparagus
Beets
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Cabbage (green, white)
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumber
Lettuce
Parsnip
Radish
Squash & Zucchini

Helpful Kitchen Tools

Here are my top four kitchen tools to have if you’re new to cooking at home and need to follow a low-histamine diet. These tools will make your life easier.

Instant Pot or a Multi-Function Cooker
Food Processor
Good, High Powered Blender
Dutch Oven or Very Large Oven-Safe Pot

Having a tool like the Instant Pot will allow you to pressure cook meats and soups, then freeze them. It can be especially helpful if you have a busy life, or don’t have the time/energy to cook small fresh meals each day.

A food processor has a similar function. If you’re prepping a lot of food at home, you won’t want to stand around and prep veg for every meal. A food processor can make veg prep a breeze. If you plan to batch cook, I can’t suggest this enough.

A good blender can make a load of difference in your world. This will allow you to make sauces and frozen drinks easily, without having to fight the blender’s poor motor.

Having a Dutch Oven or large oven-safe pot will allow you to easily make custom soups and chilis that can then be frozen. I’m a huge fan of batch cooking, especially if you have to follow a restricted diet. Honestly, these four tools make batch cooking so much more enjoyable.

Low-Histamine Recipes to Enjoy for Breakfast

Each recipe is gluten free and allergy friendly. If you need more ideas, check out the Advanced Recipe Search on RAISE where you can use more than 100 filters to find meals that meet your needs. You can also check out the Low Histamine Recipes on RAISE.

Low Histamine Recipes I Think You’ll Love for Dinner

Be Inspired!

There are many medical conditions that require a restrictive diet such as low-histamine, low oxalate, food allergies, EOE, and more. However, don’t let that stop you from enjoying your food. In the case of low-histamine, you’ll still be enjoying delicious muffins, refreshing drinks and smoothies, comforting dinners, and decadent desserts.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by following a low histamine diet, you can work with a registered dietician, registered nutritionist, or chef who can provide personalized meal plans and recipes to help you find success.