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It’s here – the 5 day migraine diet meal plan! Fourteen pages of downloadable migraine-friendly recipes, grocery lists, and everything in between to help you get started on the Heal Your Headache migraine diet.
The 5 Day Migraine Diet Meal Plan
This list is currently for two but I will also work on one for four people. If you are cooking for one, you can still use this migraine diet meal plan. Just make sure to only buy 1 chicken and either half the amount of meat or plan to freeze it for later. Many of these dinner recipes freeze beautifully, so you won’t end up with a ton of wasted food.
You may take a look at the grocery list and get a little overwhelmed. Don’t worry, a lot of it are pantry staples you may already have in your kitchen. Be sure to read through and decide if you’d like to make any adjustments to the grocery list. To help you out, here are some tips.
Meal Plan Tips
- There is a recipe for rotisserie chicken that can be made on Sunday and used throughout the week for lunch. If you have access to a Whole Foods, Sprouts, Fresh Market, etc. you can often find a “naked” rotisserie chicken there – one without extra spices. I highly recommend grabbing one of those to save yourself time.
- The carcass from that chicken can be used to make this instant pot chicken stock. I encourage you to try that because it’s so easy and flavorful. I have yet to find a store-bought “safe” stock that is widely available but Trader Joe’s Hearty Vegetable is my favorite in a pinch (onion is lower on the ingredient list than other options).
- Cookies are easy to make and easy to freeze. Jennifer’s Snickerdoodle recipe can be made gluten free or regular. If doing gluten free, we recommend this brown rice flour and this oat flour. If not, we recommend this Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose flour.
- Dressings will last you up to 5 days in the fridge. You don’t have to worry about tyramine build up in these as much as you would with meat.
- If you want to make your own mayo, here’s an HYH friendly version. Store-bought is tough to find 100% clean. My favorites are Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil and Sir Kensington’s Organic (what I use). Avocado oil does not present the same issue with tyramine that a real avocado does and the amount of lemon juice in Sir Kensington’s is negligible. For my UK friends, look for Tesco brand.
- Keep any leftover seeds in the fridge or the freezer and use them on side salads or for future chia pudding breakfasts.
- I suggest buying tortillas, bread, and pita. If you’re cooking for one, you may want to just buy 1 package of tortillas and use those for lunch wraps instead of the bread so they don’t go to waste. Look for brands like Pepperidge Farm bread or TortillaLand tortillas in the refrigerated section if you can’t find any safe ones that are freshly made. For gluten free, look for corn tortillas. I have no gluten free options for pita – sorry! The salad is still good without it.
- Two of the recipes suggest using an instant pot or a crock pot. Instant pot will cut down on your cooking time, but for the meat I think a crock pot tastes better. You can make this instant pot stock in a crock pot by keeping it on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- One of the recipes uses tomatoes, which is allowed on Heal Your Headache but Dr Buccholz does mention it possibly presents an issue for some because of the glutamate. If you find this to be the case for you, simply omit them or you could also replace them by wilting some fresh spinach in the mix.
Enjoy and please let me know your feedback for future migraine diet meal plans. My next attempt will be a vegetarian HYH meal plan.
I got the 5day meal plan and all lunch/dinners have meat. Do you have any meat free meals on the website? is there a way to search and find them?
Hello! I’m so glad I found your cookbook and recipes. Please help – what about for a little kid with migraines? We’re down to about 1 headache a week over the summer, but… what do I put in the lunch box for school? I’m sure the school serves processed foods. He doesn’t want anything that looks “weird” or “smells funny.” It looks like most typical lunch snacks, peanut butter, lunch meat, dried fruit, cheese sticks, etc. are all on the “no” list. Any suggestions for simple kid friendly lunch box options? Thank you!
I am working on the same situation. 🙂
Hey Michelle, I have a list of migraine friendly snacks here you might really like. If you need help actually meal planning I do have private consults and can put together ideas for you.
Hey so this is like 2 years later, but I’ve found that certain cheeses from Spain, France, and Denmark seem to be migraine and lactose safe. In the US, there’s some whole foods locations that have like ‘monter’ hard cheeses. These have fulfilled my 10yo’s cheese need without activating the dairy allergy or migraines. I’m not sure why yet, but I’m grateful! They also have sulfate free and nitrate free salami that seems to work and is delicious.
For lunch meat, Boars Head sliced at the deli with minimal additives like Golden Classic Chicken work for me. I buy 3 pounds every month and freeze it after vacuum sealing 3 slices at a time separated by wax paper/parchment.
For Cheese: Organic American cheese is a good option for sandwiches. I can also tolerate the reduced fat provolone (Target) which is very mild and also the mild reduced fat cheddar (Target).
For nutbutter: Sunbutter has a similar taste as Peanut Butter and does not trigger me.
Sides: Fruit like apples,pears,strawberries, blueberries etc. Also thinly sliced celery and baby carrots.
How do I get the Free E-book on how to start a Migraine Diet along with a 5 day Meal Plan. I think I have subscribed. There’s so much info all at one time, I’m overwhelmed due to foggy brain.. I have VM and I’m so excited and want to get all the information that I can. You break this so we can understand it and I’m so thankful. I’m just a little overwhelmed. Please help me. I just received your book “The dizzy Cook.” I plan on getting the new one you’ve written The Mediterranean Diet and Migraines. My gastroenterologist informed that I need to follow a Mediterranean diet. Would I benefit from this book as well? Thanks for all you do to help us. I think my prayers have been answered.
Hi Dawny, I checked your email address and it looks like you got my initial “welcome to the dizzy cook” email. The link to the migraine diet is all in there along with the password to access. I’m hoping you can find it! Yes, the first book you got will help you with an elimination diet and then by the time the new book comes out you should know if you have any personal food triggers so it’s the perfect time to shift to a mediterranean diet. The migraine diet is not meant to be a long term thing like the mediterranean diet, just temporary to help calm your brain and discover if you have any food triggers. I hope that helps!
Thank you so, so much for putting this week of food together, and your entire website! I was just introduced to the migraine diet by my neurologist and I had no idea how I was going to feed myself. You really saved me. I made everything from this week of food and it was all absolutely delicious! You’re an amazing cook. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂 Thanks for your great feedback. I hope it gets you set up to meal plan with some of the other recipes on here!
I’ve had migraines for 3 years, been on all kinds of medications, kept a food diary, and my doctor never told me about a migraine/elimination diet. I’ve been looking up info for a while now and am so glad I stumbled across one of your articles. I would give my arm to get rid of these migraines too. I was just saying I wish there was just a list of what I should eat instead of all the things I love that I will not be able to eat! Thanks for doing this!
Hey Susan – there is! Here’s an extensive list of foods allowed.
Hi Alicia! I just subscribed to your mailing list and have been trying to read as much as I can. I really want to give your recipies a try because I have been struggling so much over these couple of months. Unfortunately I think I have a histamine problem as well because I couldn’t eat a spinach and fish for dinner … 🙁 and yesterday for dinner I had chickpeas and was feeling an attack coming when I tried to fall to sleep so I couldn’t which kept me up all night 😀 anyway they are definetly out of my diet..
Hi Alicia, I’ve been suffering with debilitating vertigo attacks with extreme nausea, cold sweats, nystagmus and falling down drunk dizziness. My ENT thinks I may have silent migraines (no pain). Would your cookbook work for silent migraines?
Hey Stephanie, it is for all types of migraines. I get the same ones. You should look at my info on vestibular migraine symptoms.