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!
K says
I have 4 questions:
Are we able to have Crisco? (Or what equivalent for vegetable shortening)?
Do you have a dill dip recipe?
Is there a store-bought whip cream we're able to have?
Is there marshmallows I can buy in the store to use for recipes? (I can have the Sweet Street Marshmallow bars with no issue (https://shop.sweetstreet.com/chewy-marshmallow-manifesto-bar-8-count/), but when I asked them where I could buy the marshmallows they wouldn't tell me who makes them. I'm guessing Jetpuff but I'm not entirely sure.
Thank you!
Barb says
Thank you for all your information on your site! I haven't seen anything about popping corn at home. I like to pop plain kernels, oil-free, in the microwave. I add a little sea salt and sometimes I will add Kerrygold Butter. I guess the real question is if plain popcorn is okay. Thanks!
Alicia says
Yeah plain popcorn is totally ok. Corn is on the approved list.
Barb says
Thank you!
Matt Weaver says
Thanks so much, I am just starting out and your list is VERY. helpful!
Alicia says
You're so welcome! Good luck!
Sarah Hitchcock says
Have you found any flavored tea (besides mint and ginger) that are allowed? I drank a lot of coffee and tea before, and I noticed most of the tea I drank has not-allowed ingredients (e.g., blueberry flavor, etc.). I'm looking for one besides plain chamomile, roobois, ginger or peppermint.
Alicia says
I have not, but I was super sensitive to most decaf teas. The problem you'll run into outside of those is getting ones that are naturally decaffeinated. You may enjoy this post for a coffee sub though.
Michele says
Hi Alicia-
Thank you for all the helpful information on your website. I've been trying to determine if certain oils found in many crackers, chips, condiments such as Sunflower, Safflower, Soybean and Canola oil are considered migraine safe?
Thank you!
Michele
Alicia says
You're very welcome! yes, all oils are actually ok. 🙂
Hannah says
Hi Alicia! Thanks so much for your website! Although I don't have VM, I do have chronic daily headache and I am starting the HYH diet to see if it will help!
I noticed you have Gold Medal Flour listed, but when I've looked at it, it contains Malted Barley. Flour. Is that different than Malted Barley Extract? Is it safe or have they changed the ingredients?
TIA!!
Alicia says
Hey Hannah, I'm not sure where you're finding the malted barley in it - I checked a few places online and they don't list it. Maybe they've changed the ingredients or you saw an old batch? I just got one maybe 2 weeks ago from my grocery store and it didn't contain it.
Hannah says
Ok, great! I was checking the Walmart grocery app so maybe it's just an old picture. ????
Nicole says
Thanks - I had this question too! I was at the store yesterday and checked a bag of Gold Medal... it did list malted barley. Maybe we just need to check the bags carefully to make sure we are getting a current batch.
Nicole says
Hi! I am just starting HYH and your website is VERY helpful. Thank you! What about soy lecithin? I thought I needed to avoid all soy, but I see one (at least) of the panty staples you recommend has it listed as an ingredient. Is soy lecithin ok?
Alison says
I also have the same question! I just got your book Alicia and am curious about soy lecithin as well! Is it allowed? I know some white chocolate for example has soy lecithin in it.
Alicia says
yes! i cover this in my book pg 17 under soy.
Alison says
Thank you! It's a lot of information to take in and process, so I'm sorry I missed it!
Jennifer Andrich says
Thank you for sharing your journey and creating a website with valuable information. My sixteen year old daughter was just diagnosed with this. It has been months of symptoms and many appointments. I am happy we have a diagnosis but its a lot for anyone...especially a teen. We saw more moments of less symptoms when we altered her sleep schedule, increased water intake, supplementing with magnesium, B2, CoQ10 etc. and avoiding. main triggers. We are starting a medication this weekend to hopefully bring relief at least to allow the supplements to build up. I am sad to think she will always have this and not be able to ever be symptom free.
Teresa says
I'm newly diagnosed with VM, and immediately starting itching with first med, so now I'm on predisone to control the itch, but still having it on day 3, so I took a 0.5 mg lorazapam thinking it was anxiety provoked. Anyone else experiencing itching. Haven't had caffeine in 5 days, so wondered if it could be food related. Thanks for any thoughts.
Alicia says
Hey Teresa, Do you have any food allergies that could be the cause? That would be the only way I think it would be related. I haven't heard of itching, but I'd definitely check in with your neurologist and let them know what's going on. I hope you're not allergic to the medication. Good luck!!
K says
Just looked up the Primizie Snacks flatbread crisps you have listed. The company filed Chap 11 Mar 2020 and liquidated the company. 🙁 Very disheartening to learn that information.
Any other brand of amazing flatbread crips that are very similar to their's? I would love to be able to scoop them in your Artichoke dip recipe.
Also,
I saw your recipe that had sausage in it and the post mentioned Whole Foods for Italian sweet chicken sausage. Is that from the butcher area in Whole Foods or is it packaged in Whole Foods packaging? I love when you list brands and such, it makes it so much more convenient to shop for them. Thanks again!
K says
Oops, I meant to add in addition for options:
Whole Foods also sells Applegate Organic Sweet Italian Sausage but it's in a package, would that also be okay or what?
I'm trying to figure out more options since I haven't tried anything made specifically as sausage (casing and all). Like I noted in my previous post, brands / names are easiest to find and try and I appreciate your help greatly.
K says
Applegate Organic Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage* if you can fix my post for me, please lol. Thank you and sorry for the multiple posts.
Alicia says
Hey! No, you'd have to get the one that's behind the meat counter so it wouldn't have a brand name...or I guess it would be "whole foods brand". The ones in the sealed packages like applegate are not fresh. You could maybe try those when you're ready to re-introduce foods.
K says
Thanks 🙂
Carolyn says
I just tried to talk with someone at Dr. Beh's office to find out if he is the Dr. Beh you use. They actually disconnected me after telling me I need a referral to see the Dr. I understand that but was a little taken back at how short they were. So happy he has a busy office. Could you please email his contact info? Does he only practice in Dallas, TX? I don't want to send referral to wrong office. I'm sorry to say that between my neuropathy and tinnitus (which pretty much keeps me off balance) I haven't made much progress in the last year. I eat only clean and use recommended supplements to no avail. Thought I would connect with Dr. Beh through telecommunication as flying is out if question for me. Appreciate your help as always. Email me privately if you wish. Carolyn Eisenberg
Carolyn says
Is there going to be a Zoom or something with Dr. Buchholz soon. Thought it was to be this week.
Alicia says
Hi Carolyn, Unfortunately the in person conference was cancelled due to COVID and we haven't made alternate plans yet. If there will be one, I'll announce through email and social media. Thank you!
Lori says
Hi Alicia! This is such a great list! . Do you have a recipe for marinara sauce and is the main ingredient to look out for the onions? So if you make a simple one from say canned tomatoes/paste, etc., you just need to make sure there are no onions?
Also, what milk do you use with oatmeal or in my case, overnight oats? I normally use almond, which I know I can’t once I start the diet, but I tried Oatly and while I could probably get used to it, I feel like it’s just too much oat flavor!
I am planning to buy your book soon!
Thanks so much!
Alicia says
I don't have a recipe, but I do have a lot of storebought suggestions. Yes, just no onions or like apple cider vinegar.
You could try rice milk, hemp milk, or regular milk is ok too.
Lorie says
Thank you!
Anonymous says
I absolutely LOVE your site here. You are so helpful. I wish you the best, and hope you will continue to be well.
So sad because the Philadelphia cheese in UK has Salt, Stabiliser (Locust Bean Gum), Acid (Citric Acid) !
I remember that and adored it way back in the day when I wasn't like this.
Also the only crab I can get from the UK store is canned, and that has a LIST of dodgy ingredients. I used to love that too.... 🙁
I am 67 and had a twinge over my eye an a bunch of symptoms all over the body including visual auras for 2 and a half years.
Now for the last month the dizziness started. What I can be grateful for is the headaches are not blinders.
Always a bit scared of what the next day will bring. so I am going to try a diet.
God bless, take care.
Alicia says
While not ideal, both citric acid and locust bean gum are ok on this diet. If that's all you can find, its ok. I've hear waitrose has one that's ok too. I'm shocked you can't get fresh crab!! Thats unfortunate. Best of luck with the diet - I hope you find some relief soon!
Paige Blackmon says
Can I have coconut or almond flour on a low tyramine diet?
Alicia says
Unfortunately not in the elimination phase.