List of Foods to Avoid on the Vegan AIP Diet

List of Foods to Avoid on the Vegan AIP Diet
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So you’re a vegan or vegetarian doing the AIP diet (congratulations on taking this step to take control of your health!) And you’re probably wondering not only “what can I eat on the vegan AIP diet?” but also “what foods should I avoid while doing the vegan AIP diet?” Here’s what you need to know.

For the question of what you can eat on a vegetarian or vegan AIP plan, see our List of Foods You Can Eat While on a Vegan AIP Diet. As far as what to avoid, keep reading.

Fortunately for you, as a vegan you are already avoiding some of the big ones: meat, fish, poultry, shellfish, eggs, and dairy – basically any animal products. In some ways this is going to make it easier for you to do a vegan AIP diet, as you are already used to shopping and cooking in a way that avoids all of these otherwise standard ingredients and foods. However it may surprise you to know that even carnivores and omnivores have to avoid eggs and dairy while doing the SAIP (Standard AIP) diet! Yes, it turns out that these things can be bad news for anybody.

Some of the things you should avoid while following a vegan AIP diet may not make much sense to you unless you look into the science behind it, such as nightshade vegetables and fruits, which include eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and goji berry. The reason to avoid nightshades is that they contain compounds that can trigger and exacerbate inflammation. According to Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, arguably the mother of the AIP diet, nightshades contain lectins which can increase intestinal permeability, and also saponins which can contribute to leaky gut.

In fact, all of the AIP diet no-nos are to be avoided for much the same reason: they contain something or somethings that contribute to inflammation, or gut issues, or both.

Here is a list of those foods. If you think that we have missed any, drop us a comment and let us know!

List of Foods to Avoid on the Vegan AIP Diet

All Animal Products

Including animal derived ingredients

All Grains

Including flours and other items made from grains such as bread, crackers, etc… This means all grains, not just wheat, rye, and barley, but also oats, rice, wild rice, and any other grain. For permissible flours see our list of allowed foods here.

All Nuts

Including nut butters and nut milks. Yes, this means all, including peanuts which are a legume, but you have to avoid legumes too.

All Seeds

Including seed butters (such as tahini), all oil from seeds, and any ‘spices’ and seasonings made with seeds.

All Beans and Legumes

Including:
All soy products
Adzuki beans
Anasazi beans
Black beans
Black-eyed Peas
Cacao
Chocolate
Coffee
Fava beans,
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas),
Kidney beans
Lentils
Lima beans
Navy beans
Peas of all types
Peanuts
Pinto beans
Soybeans
(For an extremely comprehensive list of over 100 legumes, see here.)

 

All Alcohol

Yes, all.

All Nightshades and Things Containing Nightshades

Including:

All Peppers (except for black, white, and pink pepper, although Ballantyne says to omit them too at first)
Ashwagandha
Barbecue sauce
Cape Gooseberries (or ground cherries, different from regular cherries)
Capsicums
Cayenne pepper
Chili Pepper Flakes
Chili powder
Chinese Five-Spice Powder
Curry Powder
Eggplants
Garam Masala
Garden Huckleberries (different from regular huckleberries)
Goji berries
Hot Sauce
Ketchup
Paprika
Pimentos
Potatoes (sweet potatoes and yams are ok)
Red Pepper
Tamarillos
Tomatillos
Tomatoes

Beverages

Coffee
Cacao
Chocolate
Anything containing any of the sweeteners listed here

 

Spices

All spices that are made from seeds, whether whole or ground, including:
Allspice
Anise
Annatto
Caraway
Cardamom
Celery Seed
Coriander Seed
Cumin
Dill Seed
Fennel Seed
Fenugreek
Juniper
Mustard Seed
Nutmeg
Poppy Seed
Sesame Seed
*Note: Black, white, and pink pepper is considered AIP-friendly as the peppercorns are actually tiny fruits

Sweeteners

All Artificial Sweetners
Agave
Sugar (cane, white, brown, natural – any sugar)
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Corn Syrup
Maltodextrin
Rice Syrup
Stevia

Oils

Any oil or margarine made from nuts, seeds, grains, or legumes, including:

Canola Oil
Corn Oil
Cottonseed Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Safflower Oil
Soybean Oil
Sunflower Oil
Palm kernel Oil
Peanut Oil

Misc

Chlorella
Spirulina

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