Because it can be so difficult to know what to buy when you first start a migraine elimination diet like Heal Your Headache or a low tyramine migraine diet, I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite migraine diet pantry staples.
It will certainly make trips to the grocery store much easier on your head if you can stock up on a few of these. I have linked to most everything on Amazon so you can see a picture, but I’ll also give you some other options of where you can buy them. I'll continue to update this list as I find more, so please keep checking back!
Please note - companies change their ingredients all the time, so if you have specific food triggers always double check the label, even if it's included on this list.
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Grocery shopping with chronic migraine can be your worst nightmare. When mine were horrible, I usually sent my husband with a list. As they slowly got better, I would go attempt to go at off times (early in the morning or evenings and NEVER on Sunday), and wear a hat or sunglasses like I’m Julia Roberts. A sunbutter-loving Julia Roberts!
Eventually I got to the point where I don’t usually need a hat or glasses, but I do still like to go when it’s less busy. I’ve even seen some folks walk around with headphones, which I plan to start on big shopping days.
Since I've written this post, grocery delivery and pick up has become a very popular perk and is so helpful for those of us with migraine disorders. I hope this post makes it easier to seek out certain products!
Snacks
I have an entire post dedicated to migraine diet snacks that I recommend checking out, but below are a few favorites!
- Sunbutter - Sunflower seed butter. I like the Organic Sunbutter brand which you can get at Whole Foods because it has no added sugar or salt, but you can also find a good one at Trader Joes or here (for cheap!) at Thrive Market. Look for the one without added sugar. I love to use this in smoothies and recipes calling for peanut butter. I’ve used it in my faux Asian “peanut” noodles and you can barely tell the difference!
- Tahini - Sesame seed butter. Can find at most grocery stores, just check the label. Really great in hummus and to mix in to salad dressings. I occasionally also use in smoothies.
- Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and sacha inchi seeds. Great for snacks, added protein in smoothies, and putting on top of salads.
- Sparkling Water - I like Topo Chico, but any sparkling water is great to have on hand for mocktails or a refreshing soda replacement. Add fresh mint, rosemary, cucumber, fruit, pomegranate or tart cherry juice.
- Juices - I'm a big fan of organic pear juice, tart cherry juice, and organic apple juice to either put into sparkling water for a mocktail, marinate meats, or splash with vinegar for a nice dressing alternative. I love pear juice in Asian recipes that call for pineapple juice.
- Back to Nature Harvest Whole Wheat Crackers - Very good brand for crackers can be found at Whole Foods and health food stores. Plain Triscuits are also ok.
- Trader Joe’s Classic Original Water Crackers or Carr's Water Crackers - Love these super clean crackers with fresh goat cheese (the log/chevre kind). Most water crackers are ok too.
- I always keep HYH cheeses on hand for an easy snack! Ricotta is another good one. I love the Calabro Ricotta brand drizzled with a bit of honey and some cracked black pepper...treat yourself!
- Fresh cheese - look for fresh mozzarella, burrata (usually packed in water), chevre (fresh goat cheese), oaxaca (think if monterey jack and mozzarella had a baby), and farmer's cheese.
- Organic Valley Cream Cheese and Philadelphia Cream Cheese (in block form) are two widely found brands that fit the elimination diet, but I've also found local store brands to be ok. Just avoid carrageenan.
- American Cheese - my favorites are Boar's Head, Horizon, and Andrew and Everett. You may have to ask the deli counter to cut you a large block instead of the sliced versions. I believe Organic Valley also has pre-packaged slices.
- Boursin Garlic & Herb cheese, black pepper, and Shallot and Chive.
- Boulder Canyon Olive Oil Potato Chips - These are always in our pantry and they are delicious. Only potatoes and olive oil! I have seen them at Whole Foods, Sam’s Club, and multiple other grocery stores. Most plain potato chips are ok.
- From the Ground Up has amazing (and gluten free) Cauliflower Pretzels that are totally migraine friendly. Can be found at Whole Foods and Amazon. Rold Gold Braided Honey Wheat are also ok.
- Crunchmaster Multi Grain Crackers in Sea Salt - The best gluten free cracker you can find. These are HYH safe too. It MUST be the "sea salt" kind. Other kinds have trigger ingredients like seaweed.
- Skinny Pop Popcorn and Lesser Evil - Plain and Kettle Corn are ok
- Nature's Path Pumpkin Seed Granola - Big bags of this at Costco!
- 88 acres Cinnamon Seed Bar
- 88 acres makes great seed snacks - pepita butter, sunflower seed butter, watermelon seed butter, seednola, and more. Stick with their cinnamon seednola/bars or berry seednola/bars and plain seed butters to stay safe in the elimination phase. Use DIZZY15 for 15% off your order from their website.
- Trader Joe's Parsnip Chips
- Artisan Tropics Cassava Strips
- Chessman Cookies - A sweet snack!
- Aleia's Gluten Free Ginger Snaps - These are good for my GF friends
- Mi-Del Ginger Snaps
- Ice Cream - Haagen Dazs Vanilla, McConnell's Vanilla, Jeni's Salted Caramel and Brambleberry Crisp. Oatly vanilla is ok if you must do dairy free.
Condiments
- Distilled White Vinegar - You will use this in A LOT of cooking as a substitution for the citrus tang or in place of aged vinegars/apple cider vinegar for salad dressing.
- Trader Joe’s Alcohol Free Vanilla Extract - it’s extremely difficult to find a vanilla without alcohol added! Alcohol-free is not totally necessary, but this is just a good option.
- Coconut Aminos - While the Heal Your Headache diet tells you to avoid coconut, this is made from the sap of the coconut blossoms and is ok for most. However, many brands are fermented (a few are not!). It’s a great alternative to soy sauce that I find most tolerate well, even with the fermentation. Trader Joe's has the least expensive option I've found.
- Sir Kensington’s Organic Mayonnaise - This one is questionable if you are just starting a migraine elimination diet because of the lemon juice, but it’s the best mayo I have been able to find without making your own. I also have a recipe for egg free mayo (plant based). I usually purchase it at Whole Foods, but the link is to Amazon. With no additives, MSG or preservatives, and only a tiny bit of lemon, I would guess that you could be ok with this if you're not super sensitive to citrus. I say this because you'll notice lemon juice is right next to sugar as ingredients and sugar is 0 grams on the label. This basically means the amount they put in is super small. Making my own all the time would have been a hassle, so I just stuck with this the whole time and still had good results.
If you're very strict though or citrus is a massive trigger, try Primal Kitchen's Avocado Oil Mayo or Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Mayo. It does not have any citrus and the avocado oil should not be an issue, like actual avocados are. You can find this at Costco for a good deal too. - Annie’s Dijon Mustard - Mustard is another tough one to find without additives like xanthan gum and citric acid. I use Central Market/HEB Organic brand, but I think Annie’s is more widely found. Their regular mustard is ok too. If you live in Texas, HEB Organics Brand is ok. Essential everyday regular mustard is also ok, but these aren't the only ones. Check your local store brands as you can usually find at least one that will work.
- Sriracha - The best options I can find right now are Lingham's, Fix or Underwood Ranches, which do still contain very small amounts of potential triggers, but are otherwise very good! Have a look at this post for more explanations. I used to recommend Yellowbird Sauce Blue Agave Sriracha before they changed their formula to include citrus. This is a good example of how you should always review ingredients because companies can change them at any time!
- Pretty Thai is a small Austin, Tx based company, but they have a Sweet Thai Chili Sauce that has minimal ingredients and is delicious. Order from their website in bulk if you can, as it's less expensive than Amazon.
- For enchilada sauce, check out this verde sauce from Fody.
- Franks Original Hot Sauce - this does contain aged peppers, but many do fine with it.
- Zhoug Sauce - Found at Trader Joe's this sauce contains jalapeno peppers, cilantro, and spices. It's like a spicy cilantro pesto or chimichurri sauce.
- Ketchup - I recommend the Fody brand that doesn't contain onion.
- BBQ Sauce - See a recipe in my cookbook or try this NC BBQ Sauce.
Baking Essentials
- Panko makes a safe substitute for most bread crumbs. I like this gluten free option from Jeff's and this regular option.
- White Chocolate - Divine white chocolate is some of the best I've tasted. It's super creamy and not overly sweet. I love to use it in baking. They're less expensive at Whole Foods, but you can also get them on Amazon in bulk. It seems like a lot, but you can keep them in the freezer and take them out as needed. Callebaut and Green and Black also make great white chocolate. A more cost effective option would be Ghirardelli.
- Kerrygold Butter and Ghee - I’m not lactose intolerant, but this is the perfect alternative to regular butter if you are avoiding for migraine purposes. Ghee is butter with the milk solids removed and it can be cooked at higher heat than olive oil without burning. It’s really great in recipes where you need to cook at a higher heat. I love Kerrygold Butter because it’s straight up butter with no “natural flavors” added. Although expensive, it can be found at Costco for a good price in bulk. Local store brands might also be an option, so just check the ingredients and make sure they don't contain "natural flavor".
- All Purpose Flour - Anything without malted barley is recommended during elimination. Bob's Red Mill Unbleached Organic White All-Purpose Flour, Arrowhead Mills Organic White Flour, White Wings La Paloma All Purpose Flour, and Gold Medal Flour all fit this requirement.
- Gluten Free Flour - Both Bob's Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills make a great assortment of rice, oat, and buckwheat flours. Read through the individual posts on this site, which will have suggestions on which one is best to use. For All Purpose try Pamela's Products (thickened with guar gum instead of xanthan gum), or Trader Joe's All Purpose (no gums, but you may have to add a thickener when baking, like psyllium husk.)
Bread
- I can usually find a good migraine safe bread at my local bakery. You mainly want to avoid anything with "malt" in it - so malted barley. If you can't find one, Pepperidge Farm's Wheat Bread or Dave's Killer Bread are both well-tolerated. Remember to avoid sourdough in the elimination phase.
- My personal favorite is Heartland Bread Co, which I find at my local Whole Foods. We get the oat bran one.
- Manna Bread is another wonderful brand.
- For my gluten free friends, Canyon Bakehouse and Free Bread are both good options. Also Against the Grain has Original Rolls with very minimal ingredients!
- For buns, I find Martin's at Target. For gluten free, try Happy Camper.
- For flour tortillas, look for ones that are refrigerated or freshly made rather than in shelf-stable packs. TortillaLand and Margaritas (both found in the refrigerated section) are ok. If in Texas, I get mine at HEB's Central Market. For gluten free, look for house-made corn tortillas or ones with minimal ingredients. I also recommend visiting your local Mexican or Tex Mex restaurant for freshly made tortillas that will taste 10x better than store-bought. You can freeze them too!
- Safe naan can be found in the freezer section at Trader Joe's as well as Malabari Paratha (double check ingredients at your location are ok).
Stock and Broth
Unfortunately I have yet to find a totally perfect stock or broth without making your own. I have two recipes for vegetable broth and chicken broth in The Dizzy Cook cookbook that can be made ahead and frozen and are elimination diet compliant.
- Butchers Bone Broth - The ingredients fit the elimination diet, however, the process can be questionable. Bone broth is simmered a very long time and the gelatinous texture usually points to a high glutamate content. For people who have a major sensitivity or an issue with collagen, this could be problematic. Still, I like to recommend it, especially since it's higher in protein than regular broth and it's good for sick days. This typically can be found in the refrigerated section of the meat aisle.
- I have a recipe for instant pot chicken stock that cooks in about an hour and a half total. It's super easy and flavorful, especially if you plan ahead and freeze it for future uses. This will be your most compliant option with a low glutamate and tyramine content as well as no onions and you can control the sodium amounts.
- You’ll find as you feel better and can test more foods that there are many good vegetable broths contain onion, but they don’t cause a migraine attack. One of my favorites is the Trader Joes "Hearty" Vegetable Stock, NOT the low sodium, or the Pacific Vegetable Broth. This only contains onion powder, which most people tend to tolerate even if they're sensitive to onion.
- Strictly avoid any broths or stocks with “natural flavor”, but the ones with onion towards the bottom of the ingredient list might work for you if you are in a time crunch and can't make your own.
- Fody Vegetable Soup Base does not contain MSG as I've double checked the ingredients in their "spices" with the company. This is a good vegetarian option!
Pre-made Seasonings
- Primal Palate has some good ones, like the Super Gyro and the ones below.
- New Bae Seasoning - A substitute for Old Bay seasoning
- Taco Seasoning - Theirs does not contain onion.
- Penzeys Dried Shallots - sub for onion powder
- Morton and Basset and Frontier make safe chili powders.
Breakfast and Smoothie Ingredients
- Annie's Pancake Mix - Good for pancakes when you don't want to make your own.
- Cornbread mix - Lodge or Jiffy have good ones.
- Cottage cheese - Friendship dairies and Breakstone's have a few options.
- Organic Dried Mulberries - I order these online from Amazon, but you can also find in health food stores. They’re great to use in place of bananas to sweeten your smoothies and they are considered superfoods. They’re very versatile in that they can complement many flavors very well. I’ll also occasionally toss these in a salad.
- Organic Goji berries - Also order from Amazon, but can be found in health food stores. These have a mild flavor reminiscent of raisins with a hint of cranberry - sweet and tart. They can blend in almost any smoothie and are also a superfood.
- Trader Joe’s (or any brand) Gluten Free Oats - Can use for oatmeal or to thicken smoothies
- Tempt Hemp Milk from Living Harvest - Can be found at health focused grocery stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts. If you can tolerate dairy, fresh organic milk is great. If you have a tough time with drinking milk this is a good alternative for oatmeal. I don’t love that it contains gellan gum, but it’s the cleanest one I’ve been able to find without making your own. I also like to keep hemp seeds in the pantry.
- Oatly Oat Milk - The perfect dairy substitute without NUTS! They also leave out all the gums. I like the full fat version to sub for whole milk and half and half in cream sauces as it's very thick. Please remember regular milk is also ok too.
- Protein Powder - A few good options in the post that's linked!
- Cereal - plain cheerios, and corn and rice Chex are all ok. Lovebird cinnamon and plain is a great gluten free option that my kids love (and we are not gluten free). For a less expensive option, Nature's Path has Whole O's, honey corn flakes, and pumpkin see flax granola. Also Purely Elizabeth has pumpkin cinnamon too. Those are just a few options!
Frozen cherries, blueberries, and strawberries - I like to stock up on these at Trader Joe’s to make a variety of smoothies in the morning.
Pasta, Pizza, and Sauce
- Gluten Free Quinoa Pasta - I always keep a bag of this on hand for any days that I feel terrible. Mix it with some Boursin cheese or butter and safe veggies and you've got an easy dinner.
- Gluten Free Pasta - Jovial is my go-to! They have orzo and chickpea pasta - so many good options.
- Rao's Sensitive Marinara - You can get this through the link on Amazon or I've also picked it up in Sprouts. No onions!
- Cucina Antica Marinara is also made without onions or added citric acid. The pricing on these through Amazon is actually comparable to those in store, around $7-8. You get what you pay for! I've also heard that Sprouts has a sensitive marinara that does not contain onions as well.
- Fody makes a marinara sauce without garlic or onions.
- Cauli'flour Pizza Crusts - This crust only contains cauliflower, fresh mozzarella, eggs, basil, and garlic. It's super clean for HYH, gluten free, and you don't have to worry about the fresh yeast. Trader Joe's also makes a decent one that's less expensive.
- Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi - This one can get a little gummy if you don't cook it right, but the flavor is still good.
- Tuna in water.
Alcohol
Although alcohol isn't part of the elimination diet, you may want to reintroduce it at some point or celebrate for a special occasion.
In that case, I recommend checking out my posts on the best alcohol for migraine for wine brand suggestions as well as liquors. And consider pairing that with a wine wand that can eliminate the sulfites and histamines if used properly.
I hope you find this list of migraine diet pantry staples helpful. Comment below with some of your favorites!
Karen Mizrach says
Hi Alicia
I read a conversation recently you were having with someone about cottage cheese and cultures - but now I can't find the conversation again! Anyway, I recently bought a low sodium cottage cheese and then later noticed it had "cultures" and "enzymes". Are both of those no-nos? Also, the same with goat cheese. I bought something called "fresh goat cheese" but it also had "cultures". Can you recommend one without? Just when I think I have it down, I end up with something that causes issues. This is certainly challenging.
Stefanie Winborne says
Hi Alicia! He is less than a week in. While in school, he usually cooks for himself, but unfortunately, he relies on crock pot meals so he can fix it and forget it and have leftovers throughout the next few days. Right now, he is living at home for a while. He just graduated and is looking for a job, so I am here to help him figure this out. I guess the timing of his diagnosis is good, if nothing else.
I will definitely have him try the sandwich from rotisserie chicken. We have both a WF and a TJ nearby and we stocked up on the pantry staples yesterday. I even made one of the recipes from the website last night. Who knew about coconut aminos and sunbutter? Really good substitutes.
The biggest struggle is not dining out. We do that quite a bit. I am searching out local, small restaurants that use quality, fresh ingredients and no MSG. Hopefully, at some point he will be able to return to an occasional meal in a restaurant.
I think it just feels like the end of the world to a 23 year old. So much of life revolves around food and social eating. I am trying to reassure him and be as helpful as possible while encouraging him to research and learn as much as he can about VM. I appreciate your help and will be checking (and have HIM check) back often. Any other websites you recommend?
Alicia says
I get that. I felt like my life was over at 30, so I can't imagine 23. However it's good he's so young because I feel like you can make progress a little faster than when you're older, especially if he's staying active. You should definitely try the pulled pork!! It's a total crowd pleaser with the guys in my family. I have one that's instant pot based and one that's traditional bbq. I'll make the meat on Sunday and then you can use in sandwiches or on salads, in tacos, breakfast burritos, omelettes, etc. I also love these enchiladas. They're pretty easy to whip up and sub out the ingredients if you want to do chicken, beef, pork, all veg, etc.
I still go out too. Now I'm able to be a little more liberal with it, but often I'd go and bring my own salad dressing or ask for olive oil + S&P. Usually anything plain grilled is safe - steaks, burgers, salmon, etc. You just have to ask them how they season it or ask for salt and pepper only. I swear sunbutter saves my life when I can't find anything else to eat haha.
I have a list of links and support groups under the resources category. If you're looking for more help with the diet in particular, I'd recommend Migraine Strong. If you are unsure about an item and upload a pic, someone usually gets back to you pretty quickly (although you do have some people on there who do other diets so don't let their comments confuse you). You can search through old threads and find items that have been ok for people. I'm also at alicia@thedizzycook.com if you ever need more help too.
Stefanie Winborne says
My 23 year old son was just diagnosed with VM. I am trying to help him find foods that he can eat. Are there any sandwich meats that are acceptable? I've seen a few brands with nitrite/nitrate free (and uncured bacon, as well). I know processed is basically a no no, but he is on the go a lot and needs suggestions for quick, portable lunches. Oh, he's also a picky eater and his diet used to consist of every single thing on the NO list AND dining out almost daily!
Alicia says
Hi Stefanie, Is he just starting the diet? If so, I'd recommend he stay away from lunch meats. The problem with a lot of them, including bacon, is you just don't know how fresh they are. Tyramine can build up the longer these items sit. Once he's a few months in, I think you could try Boar's Head. If you have a good grocery store that runs their deli meat counter you could ask them for more information about it and how long they have the meat there.
My favorite thing for an easy lunch is getting an organic "naked" rotisserie chicken. You can usually find these at Whole Foods or Sprouts. They don't have any spices, just olive oil or sometimes salt and pepper. I pick it apart and keep what I need for the next day in the fridge, then freeze the rest. I use them in wraps or make chicken salad and you can find a few recipes in my "Recipes" section. This is my go-to sandwich. What kind of things does he like to eat? I used to go out a lot more than I do now. The diet is hard at first, but once you start seeing some results it makes it worth it. But he has to be fully committed to doing it for himself!
Liz Burton says
Hey Alicia,
Thanks so much for getting back with me. I love all of the info that you are sharing. I had already read about the magnesium supplements and decided to go ahead and order the Threonate and Glycinate tonight after reading your response. Did you start taking them together or should I start one and then add one a week or so later?
As far as the Excedrin migraine goes I decided to just do Tylenol and ASA. I have been taking the EM almost daily for a week or so now...ugh. But not today. I just did the Tylenol and ASA. I gave up my Diet Coke and my daily cup of coffee today so I have been having that caffeine withdrawal headache. The good news is I made it through my MRI today without getting super dizzy laying flat for 45 minutes. Yay me!! Thanks again for all of your thoughts. They are invaluable.
Liz Burton says
Hi Alicia,
First off, thanks for ALL of this wonderful info. I cried yesterday when I ran up on it. I have been dealing with this currently undiagnosed vestibular migraine situation for a few months now. I was told by a Neurotologist in July that I had BPPV but after several Epley's without nystagmus and no "miraculous" relief I started to question the diagnosis. I have been in the "tornado" several times but have "disequilibrium" all the time. I have tried to make light of it a bit and call it riding on the "Wonkville Express". I m a constant 2 on that but depending on what I do and now from what I've read, what I eat, it can increase rapidly. I am an RN and have always considered myself to be a great problem solver and critical thinker. I live between Richmond, VA and Cape Coral, FL which makes things a little complicated. I am currently in CC now. I met with a new Neurotologist last Monday and am having an MRI tomorrow followed by a VNG in 2 weeks. I am convinced I have this because I am "that girl" with "those symptoms". I was reading Kalay's blog last night and that is so me. My sweet guy and I talked about changing up my diet after reading your info and he went right to the store yesterday afternoon and got us started. Fortunately we both love to cook but that flitting around in the kitchen really does me in. It's like I left my brain on the other counter. He's a great cook so for that I feel very lucky. My only daughter is getting married in November and I am determined to feel better for that. I was a mess at the bridal shower. 30 people at my house and everyone in my face wanting to talk to me and it was loud...you get the picture. I just wanted to go into my closet where it was dark and quiet. I am trying to keep it together, but this is no joke the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. I look fine on the outside so I must be okay. Well, you know the answer to that. NO. Anyway, your info is pretty much invaluable to me right now. I do have 1 quick question about Excedrin Migraine. My vestibular therapist in RIC told me to take it at the first sign of a migraine which I have been but it now seems counter intuitive because I am trying to avoid caffeine. What are your thoughts? Also, did you see a VT and was it helpful? I HAVE to be feeling better for my sweet girls wedding in November. Thanks so much! Liz
Alicia says
Hi Liz,
I can't tell you how many emails I've had from people preparing for a big day as you are! What I've found is that they're so excited, they enjoy themselves no matter what. I have not heard from one person who was left miserable on a big day like that. I think all you're doing will certainly help get you prepared! I'm glad you have such a wonderful guy to help you out! Cooking really exhausted me at first, but I would try to focus on one thing at a time and use it like vestibular therapy. There are some super easy recipes like this one and this one that just take one pan and some chopping! I have another one coming soon too!
How often are you taking excedrin migraine? The caffeine can definitely be an issue and if you're taking it several times a month it can cause rebound migraines. This is a great post from some friends at Migraine Strong that takes you through why it's important to be careful with it.
I found VRT to be helpful, but as you can see from the interviews this week, many with vestibular migraine don't find it helpful. I think you could try it and see how you do. It's just important to stay as active as you can. If you're having 30 people over I think you already are! 🙂 One thing that might help next time is using some ear plugs and also taking some time to put yourself in a quiet room and practice the circle breathing (the Calm app has a helpful program for this). I know that I start to panic in those situations, which just makes everything worse! Staying as calm as you can will keep those symptoms from escalating too much.
If you're not already on it, I think getting started on magnesium would work wonders for you too! You'll have to check out this post and see what you think. https://thedizzycook.com/2018/03/08/natural-treatments-for-migraines/
Brandi says
Hi Alicia!
I haven't officially been "diagnosed" with anything yet as I'm waiting forever to get in with a neurologist, but, essentially, I have 24/7 dizziness and just an overall "off" feeling in my head. So far, they are thinking it's caused by migraines. I've been experiencing it for about 9 weeks now, but 9 weeks is way too long to constantly feel horrible. Physical therapy hasn't really helped except for temporarily relief when he works on my neck joints. I found your website and ordered the Heal Your Headache book, desperate for relief. I've read through the book up until Step 3, so I've perused through the diet elimination section. I have a few questions that hopefully you, a researched vet, can help me with!
In the book, it says that citric acid is permissible, but you list it as a possible MSG culprit? Is there a difference? Would you recommend avoiding it altogether?
Also, I know you recommended Ghirradeli white chocolate, but on other brands, it also lists soy lecithin as an ingredient. I keep seeing soy lecithin crop up in a lot of foods. You mentioned on one of your posts that it acts as an emulsifier, which is fine. Is soy lecithin generally safe in white chocolate as well as other foods? I know the book said to avoid all soy products except maybe soy oil.
Lastly, on your lists of safe foods (which is so amazing, by the way, that you compiled that for people) you state that foods are safe, with no additives. I'm so new to this label checking business, so what exactly are those "additives?" What should I be looking for?
Have you had any success finding migraine safe foods in major grocery stores such as Kroger, Meijer, or Walmart? Where I live, we do not have a Whole Foods or Trader Joes. 🙁
Any help would be appreciated as I am desperate to try this diet to get rid of my dizziness!
Alicia says
Hi Brandi! Have they suggested any supplements for you? I'm thinking you might benefit from this post too!
As far as citric acid, I think most people find they can tolerate it in small amounts. Since HYH was written a while ago, I think it's possible it was not in as many foods back then. I try to always choose the items without it, if I can. If it's unavoidable, just make sure it's at the end of the list of ingredients. The items towards the end of the MSG list are usually not as large of an issue as the ones at the top. For some clarity, you can reference this list...which I think is a little extreme but it will give you a better idea on the spectrum of potential MSG additives. When I reference additives, the potential MSG list is what I'm referencing. I personally like to save the gray MSG picture from this post to my phone and reference it in the grocery store if I'm unsure.
It seems the biggest soy item you have to be really careful of is soy proteins. I believe there's even a part about soy milk being allowable. I try to avoid all soy, but since I don't eat a ton of products with soy lecithin I think it's ok. It's such a small amount, it would not derail your whole progress.
I don't have a Meijer, but I do have a Kroger and I A LOT of good stuff there. I believe they have sunbutter available as well as Sir Kensington's. I know different stores carry different items, but it's definitely possible to find in those stores. Plus if you have Amazon prime or Thrive, they carry a lot of these products too. It might make your life easier to join the Migraine Strong group on Facebook. There's a lot of posts on where to find certain items by members that might be in your area or you can upload a photo and about 20 people will tell you if it's full of triggers asap. 🙂
I hope that helps! You can always email me at alicia@thedizzycook.com too.
Brandi says
Thank you so much for the quick reply. That definitely helps a lot! Thank you for being so thorough as well. I think the biggest challenge will be finding meals that are easy, as a I strongly dislike cooking, to put it lightly...I might take you up on the email, if I find I have a few more questions. Thanks again! 🙂
Alicia says
Haha, this diet made me start cooking more than usual, I will admit. I found it to almost be therapy like since I really couldn't do much else. It gave me a good goal. I hope you'll find it to be the same. If you ever have any recipe requests or need some meal ideas just let me know. I'm hoping to put a meal plan together soon...just have to find the time!
Judith says
I don't eat anything that I don't know exactly what is in it. Therefore, I make almost everything we eat. It's seems rediculous at times but it's been the best solution for me. We don't eat out often and when I do I usually have a simple fish dish. Staying away from any processed food will serve you well. Home cooked food is healthier overall and certainly better for migraine avoidance.
rosjane says
Finding this site was a godsend. I just got diagnosed with Migraine associated with dizziness/vertigo. For the last several years I was eating all kinds nuts, avocado, olives, aged cheese, almond milk, etc several times a day every day. All foods that triggered my migraine and I didn't even realize it. I was just trying to eat healthy. My symptoms were getting worse as I increased all the foods that were my triggers. My symptoms are headaches (either side), neck pain, blurry and unfocused vision, sensitivity to light and sound, dizziness, lightheadedness, vertigo, motion sickness, nausea, foggy brain syndrome. You name it I have it. I am a nurse and I had to quit my job and hope I can back to work if I can get my symptoms under control Thank you so much for taking the time to create this website to help others. with this illness. I'm heading to Whole Foods and Trader Joes today with the pantry list if I feel I am well enough to drive.
Alicia says
Hello! So glad you found the site too! Isn't it crazy how foods we all consider to be "healthy" can actually be hurting our heads? It took me a long time to come to terms with that. I would recommend this post for the foggy brain, it really helped me out. While it did take me a few months to get to a place where I could work again, I know it is possible. I have many friends who have been able to and I know you can too! Please keep us updated on your progress and let me know if I can help you in any way! My email is alicia@thedizzycook.com. 🙂
Nancy says
Thank you so much!! I do have one more question. I though of this last night and wished I would have mentioned this when I asked about the cooking oils.
Bell Peppers-green, yellow and red etc. The HYH book does not really mention them, but I have seen things on the internet that indicated they could not be a migraine friendly food. From your experience do you have any opinions about them?
Alicia says
It's no problem! I can eat them without issue, although I don't eat them everyday. I think some people have an issue with "nightshades" in general, which would also include tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant. However, I think Dr Buchholz suggests tomato could be an issue due to a higher level of free glutamate as opposed to it's nightshade properties. All peppers are allowed on Heal Your Headache, so maybe start with the basic list for now and try not to get too distracted with all the other lists out there (there's A LOT). After a few months, you may start to notice if you react to certain foods that are technically "allowed" and you can adjust your diet accordingly. I think that's why the elimination part is so important because it helps you pick up on those trigger foods more clearly.
Nancy says
Thank you for replying so quickly, and for all the information you share on your site. I love your site, it’s become my go to place for information and recipes.
Two week ago I was diagnosed with Vestibular migraine and bought the HYH book. Your site has been really helpful in aiding me in how to adapt recipes and change my eating habits. I appreciate you sharing your wisdom (especially of when you first started the diet yourself) and experiences on such a beautiful web site.
Alicia says
Thanks for your sweet comments, Nancy! I'm so glad it's helped and I hope you start feeling better. I wish I could have found something like this right away, I think it would have helped speed up my recovery. I'm starting to realize that it's getting to be a pretty common diagnosis, at least more than I thought originally! If there's ever anything you need help me, don't hesitate to reach out here or on my email too (alicia@thedizzycook.com).
Nancy says
Hey Alicia,
What are the best oils to use for baking? Like a carrot cake and such.
Alicia says
Hi Nancy,
From an HYH perspective, all oils are ok to use. Even soybean is allowed, although I probably wouldn't recommend that one! This is usually because they're too refined to cause an issue for people. I typically like to bake with olive oil and butter, but vegetable oil is fine too.
KRuge says
So question, in the book it says you can have American Cheese... after researching it looks like American cheese is made from cheddar and cobly... but isn't that against the cheeses it states we can have? Just a bit confused... Thought you might know! 🙂
Alicia says
Not necessarily! I think it has to do more with the aging process than the actual cheese used. With many cheeses, it's difficult to tell how long a cheese has been aged. Typically sharp cheddars have been aged longer than mild. Colby is between a month and 3 months. I know not all American "cheese" is in fact made of cheese anyway, but with better brands it's possible it's a mixture of the two. That being said, to make American cheese, they are going to use very young Colby and Cheddar cheeses, which would present less of an issue. I think HYH just says no cheddar or Colby because 1. it doesn't go into that much detail 2. it would be so subjective as it's difficult to tell how long that particular colby or cheddar has been aged. Does that make sense? I do know several people who can do mild cheddar, colby, and monterey jack. I wouldn't go crazy with them in the beginning, but it's something you could always reintroduce fairly quickly!
Rhonda Murphy says
The HYH diet only mentions cream cheese, ricotta and cottage cheese as safe. I notice that you list Boursin cheese and goat cheese. I was wondering if you, or anyone else, can comment on whether or not other fresh cheeses would be safe on the diet. I miss cheese and would like to safely incorporate other cheeses into my diet if possible. I found this list of fresh cheeses with an explanation of the cheese making process and would be interested in thoughts on this.
https://www.thespruceeats.com/guide-to-fresh-cheese-591216
As a fellow MAV sufferer, I love your blog and wish you great success. I plan to follow closely.
Alicia says
Hi Rhonda,
I think this is because Dr Buchholz didn't really get into the details of different kinds of cheese, but overall boursin (make sure it's the garlic and herb) and goat cheese are just as fresh as the ones he calls out like american, farmers, etc. Boursin is basically herbed cream cheese. Goat cheese can be aged, so you want to get the soft, fresh kind, typically labeled "chevre". As for the guide you posted, that's a really good guide! I do not do the creme fraiche or anything labeled "cultured" as it's fermented, so it's similar to yogurt. I would also avoid feta, but I do know some who get away with it. Feta can be aged for quite a few months (it's tough to tell on labels) and is brined, so it's a little more risky than some of the other fresh cheeses. I hope that helps!
Stacy Feeney says
I was looking at Sir Kensington's other products. I was worried about their use of citric acid so I contacted them. This was their response which is good to know: We have absolutely no MSG in our products.
We still have to watch for other ingredients like lemon juice, etc.
Alicia says
I'm so glad you reached out to them! I really like the brand, although some products of theirs are better than others. I will say I picked my battles with HYH sometimes and mayo was one of them! I figured they use such a tiny amount of lemon juice, plus you're using a tiny amount of mayo in cooking, it really shouldn't be an issue. I'd rather have a tiny amount of that natural trigger versus MSG in some of the others.
Beth says
Thanks for this page, very helpful suggestions for a newbie on the HYH diet. I love white chocolate now. My brand is Green & Black's, an organic brand. Only additives I see are soy lecithin -- which is allowable according to the book -- and vanilla extract. I assume that if the extract has any alcohol it cooks out, but I could be wrong. Perhaps will switch to your brand just in case.
Wanted to mention that most packaged coconut contains sulfites to keep it white and moist, so folks should be sure to find a source that says, specifically on the container, that it does not have sulfites. Much grape juice also has added sulfites. Sulfite is a major trigger for me. Had lunch at friends' a couple of months ago and they forgot to tell me they used red wine in the stew (I avoided sulfites even prior to my diagnosis because I'm sensitive to them). Within about 30 seconds of eating some it felt like a vise was tightening on my head. I had to go home. Called them the next day and sure enough, they mentioned the red wine. I hope this is helpful.
Alicia says
Green & Blacks is also a great one that I have seen other people have success with! Please don't drive yourself crazy over the vanilla extract. I do like to use the Trader Joe's alcohol free kind in cooking, but I know many who don't worry about it and they do fine.
That's a wonderful reminder about coconut and grape juice. I can typically find dried fruit without sulfites at TJ's, but then you have to worry about them naturally occurring if you're really sensitive. Have you noticed any issue with red grapes or apples? I'm curious if you notice an issue with tannins. I've actually been studying sulfites a lot more lately since we took a trip to Santa Barbara for my birthday. We did a sustainable wine tour which I was super nervous about. I can tolerate a glass of white wine but has not tried red in over a year because I was so fearful. Many of the winemakers we met were insistent that migraines are triggered by either tannins or chemicals added to mass produced wine over the sulfites. In fact, there are A LOT more sulfites in some dried fruit than some of the biodynamic wines out there. I actually didn't get a migraine with the biodynamic reds! But alas most people don't want to spend the money to cook with a biodynamic wine I suppose. I do have a recipe that uses apple juice instead of red wine for braised short ribs if you don't have a tannin issue.
Molly says
Love all these ideas, thank you! Regarding eggs, my neurotologist who works at a research hospital says it's the egg white that is a migraine trigger. Eggs definitely make me dizzy, but I still bake using just egg yolk and seem to be ok.
Alicia says
Yes, I had heard that! Isn't that so odd? Have you ever tried any eggs that are fresh from the farm? The kind you don't have to refrigerate. I have a friend that gives them to me and I find them to be much less triggering than even the organic ones at the store.
K says
Omg, thank you for this list. It's so informative and detailed with links too! I've been yearning to try other foods besides my typical chicken and beef burgers. I had no idea of what other brands to try since there's so many and a lot have hidden ingredients within that are triggers.
Funny enough, I could have the mayo from McDonald's but I couldn't have Hellman's mayo without some cluster headaches occurring. So strange.
Once again, thank you for all these suggestions. They will once again open up my challenged palette for food!
Alicia says
Hey, K! Love these types of responses. So I was super curious what you said about the mayos and did a little research...which you're totally right, McDonald's is way worse about MSG! However, I noticed that Hellman's includes the whole egg, where McDonald's just says it uses a modified egg yolk. I'm wondering if egg or egg whites might be an issue with the cluster headaches! This, of course, is not very scientific research at all, but I have seen a few people have issues with eggs. Have you noticed that before? I will continue to add to this list though as I find things so hopefully we'll have a really long one in the future.