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When it comes to a migraine diet, there are so many choices out there. Finding the right migraine diet for you can make a huge improvement in your symptoms and decrease attack days. But a lot of the complaints I see are focused on how difficult a migraine diet can be after you see the list of foods not allowed.
Foods Allowed on a Migraine Diet
Because I know it’s very easy to get caught up in focusing on the foods to eliminate on a migraine diet like Johns Hopkins or Heal Your Headache, I spent a long time putting together this list of foods to embrace that you can eat freely during the elimination period. I began this diet because I wasn’t complacent with just feeling 60-80% on my meds and supplements. I knew there had to be more, but wanted to approach things from a more holistic standpoint. You could have probably told me to walk around on my two hands to feel better and I would have tried it!
Focus On What You Can Have vs. What You Can’t
Beginning a migraine diet can be completely overwhelming. I remember standing in the middle of the supermarket (which was already a challenge), looking at my book of things to eliminate and tearing up. It was like literally everything I picked off the shelves was on the “no” list. But I promise the shift gets a lot easier. This diet, although temporary, gives you the tools you need to make better decisions about food going forward. And even now that I’ve reintroduced foods, I try to cook more at home or check the ingredients on pre-made meals more often.
Because you now know foods to avoid temporarily, we will focus on the many things you can have. You might be surprised that you find new foods or spices that you actually enjoy more than you did before! Plus it can make you a better cook too.
Is Coconut a Migraine Trigger?
Coconut is controversial. Although HYH says to eliminate it, I don’t see it affect people enough to that you should leave it in unless you don’t see an improvement in your migraines, but that call is up to you. Perhaps eliminate it if you’re not dairy free, but keep it in if your diet requires you to be dairy free.
I created two lists of basics that you can print out or save to your phone and carry with you to the grocery store. Hopefully it makes your life a little easier. If I missed something, it might not be on the “no” list. I just wanted to give you an idea of how many things you can actually have!
Heal Your Headache & Johns Hopkins Migraine Diet Foods to Enjoy
For pdf print outs:
Fruits Veggies and Spices Allowed on HYH
Meat, Cheese, Drinks, Beans, Grains, and Condiments Allowed on HYH
For more information on how to start a migraine elimination diet.
Pre-made Foods Allowed on a Migraine Diet
And for migraine diet pantry recommendations – check out these pre-made migraine-friendly foods and snacks.Don’t forget these tips for eating out on a migraine diet.
I get so discouraged and confused. Every safe and avoid food lists I read differ from each other. It’s getting that I’m afraid to eat anything.
Hi Jeannine, I get that. There’s so much conflicting info out there. The idea of this website was to make you feel like you have lots of options to eat so you don’t get that food fear. That is the opposite of what you want! I think it’s best to stick with one site/book and just focus on that. This site strictly follows the Heal Your Headache book/Johns Hopkins Migraine Diet. Many people try to twist a version of it to fit their own ideas or eating plans, but this is the version that’s given out at the clinic. If you don’t see results in a few months after following one plan, you can always change to another!
Do glad I have found your site. I get classic migraine with aura and chronic vestibular migraines. I am on preventative Topomax but dose that is helpful and reduced frequency makes me a bit dopey. Have found gf, less white carbs and sugar/alcohol plus magnesium has also increase my tolerance, frequency and intensity but still getting too many migraine days a month.
I think trying this diet is next step … Your sheets definitely helpful shopping list. As the no list ????
Just need to take the step. ????
Hey! Maybe with the diet it can help you decrease the amount so you can have a nice balance. Eating healthier definitely helps, but I will say I tried to go gluten/dairy/and refined sugar free later on in my journey to see if it would make an improvement. I didn’t really notice one, but at the time I tried it I already had great success with HYH. It’s definitely difficult to wrap your head around eliminating certain “healthy” foods, but it’s just for short time – the first month is always the hardest!
You can find some support on facebook with the dizzy cook recipe chat and migraine strong groups. 🙂
One more thing I would recommend is trying out magnesium threonate to see if it helps. I’m not sure if it would since your symptoms are med related, but it REALLY helps me with brain fog and cognitive function. I have a post on it here if you’re interested.
One more thing – there’s a supplement my friends also love to use for brain function called Cognitive Factors. It might be worth asking your physician if it would help!
Thank you for replying. Have chatted to my husband about it. Going to start after Easter. He’s pretty supportive about it – so we don’t have to cook too many different meals etc.. and just make swaps. And eat same foods.
Will check out the magnesium threonate and FB recipe chat.
That’s awesome! A supportive spouse makes all the difference with this. Hopefully he’ll be into these recipes too. My husband doesn’t have migraine but has been eating HYH meals for years now haha! (although he’s kinda stuck with it now)
I am interested to know if lentils are okay on this diet. They are for sure gluten free, so I am hoping they are. They are grown in abundance where I live.
Hi Chris, Unfortunately they’re legumes and supposed to be eliminated due to their tyramine content, HOWEVER they can definitely be one of the first things you reintroduce. I do quite well with them!
I was thinking of this article the other day in the grocery store…I remembered reading about your frustration when you went shopping and kind of thinking, “well that wouldn’t happen to me.” Lo and behold, this weekend I was in the store in tears as I tried to make sense of all the rules I need to follow in order to change my diet and hopefully help my migraines. I have now printed out the lists and am so appreciative of the information you are providing! I feel much better now about tackling food shopping next week.
Thank you again! There is definitely a learning curve, I appreciate all of your help with the process. When buying pasta if the ingredients are semolina (wheat), durum wheat flour we should be good. Right? The brand is Barilla it does say nonGMO project verified. I continue to try several of your recipes which is definitely making the adjustment easier. Lunch seems to be the biggest issue, other than leftovers and chicken salad my son doesn’t seem to like some of the other choices. I will keep trying new recipes and continue
reading your blog. Thank you so much for being so kind and always getting back to me so quickly. Many thanks!
Yes, that is fine! Is he a fan of sandwiches? This is one of my favorites. https://thedizzycook.com/2018/08/27/the-best-sandwich-ever/ The boursin cheese is really good!
Thank you so much for this list! I haven’t tried the HYH diet because it seemed so overwhelming, but this list helps SOOO much!
Question, do you think LaCroix would be okay on the HYH? It’s naturally flavored. The citrus ones wouldn’t work but berry or passionfruit could. What do you think?
Hey Hillary – I just looked up passionfruit and it appears it has moderate amounts of tyramine on other lists. They lump it in with papaya and banana. I would avoid that one for now, but other berry flavors would be ok. Hope that helps.
Thank you so much for the cereal and bread suggestion, also for the list of pantry staples. My son was diagnosed with 3PD, he is 27. I read through the HYH book and am studying your articles and recipes and have tried several of them. My question is in the HYH book under menus, breakfast foods like pancakes and waffles are listed, do they have to be home-made wheat pancakes GF or is there a pre-made mix such as buttermilk or regular mix that he could buy? Also under snack ideas cake and cookies are listed as long as they don’t contain nuts, citrus, chocolate, peanut butter so does that mean store bought cookies are OK or do they have to be home made? I also noticed that several recipes are GF should he be following a GF diet? Items that say GF on the package are they safe to have? Are Mission Chips OK? Sorry for so many questions, I am trying to help him find foods that he can make easily. Carmel dip to have with his apples is that OK? I appreciate all your help, we are just starting this new diet and we are committed to following through. Any specific brands that you could share would be so helpful. Unfortunately at this point he is still unable to drive, not fun for a young guy. Thanks again for all your help.
Hey Sandy, Really kind of you to help out your son like this. I think the most important thing is just to read labels and try to get as few ingredients as possible. Gluten free is definitely not required. I tried it for a while (which is why a lot of recipes are GF) to see if it would help and it didn’t. However, there are many migraine sufferers who are sensitive to gluten and find it helps them reduce their inflammation so I like to provide it. You can always use regular flour in any of the recipes. 🙂
Store-bought cookies are ok, as long as they do not contain the triggers. Shortbread and gingersnaps are often the way to go for those. Chessman are good! https://amzn.to/2O4IA45
As far as pancake mixes, Annie’s is ok. https://amzn.to/2W8dbR7
Mission chips and potato chips are ok as long as they aren’t flavored (salt is fine).
I’d have to see the ingredients on the caramel dip to make sure, but it should be ok. Sunbutter is another good one too. This post might really help you with some things to eat!
I hope he starts feeling better soon!