In this post I will talk about my current eating limitations due to Gastroparesis and Hashimoto's, as well as what I currently eat. Please see my two other blog posts regarding gp friendly summer foods for even more food content.
I have gotten quite a few people asking me lately what my diet is, what I currently eat, what new foods I've tried, and how I shop. In this post I will talk about what my current diet is and what I am eating. How I shop is a post of it's own, so be on the lookout for that in the future!
Food is honestly a hard subject to talk about since everyone has different health struggles and symptoms, so what I eat now may not work for you and vice versa. If you're newly diagnosed with gp, you may not be able to eat anyything I list below; I was hardly able to eat anything for 8 months. If you are currently in this situation, please save this blog post for later, or read and take notes so when you are feeling better you can try some of these foods.
I am not even close to being a pro when it comes to eating for these two diseases, but I have been able to maintain my weight now going on 7 months, which I think says something. I am still new to Hashimoto's, and for the last two and a half weeks I have been following a stricter diet because of it.
Here is the list of what I do not eat and why:
Gluten/grains I originally cut gluten out of my diet because it takes a long time to digest; gluten-free foods are easier for your digestive system to process. After being diagnosed with Hashimoto's, I learned that my body can end up confusing thyroid tissue for gluten when I eat gluten. This led to me cutting gluten and grains out more strictly.
Soy This is something I never had that often before my health issues, so cutting it out isn't that big of a deal for me; however, I know that soy can be problematic if for example I had an allergy to it. I'm just going soy-free to keep it safe.
Dairy I only have dairy in the form of ghee, which is butter without casein and whey, proteins that can be problematic for people's digestions. I haven't felt good after having other forms of dairy; for example, eating ice cream leaves me feeling bloated and tired. I've been replacing dairy with alternatives like oat milk, coconut ice cream, and vegan cheese.
Eggs This is another food that people can have trouble tolerating. I've never been a fan of eggs anyway; though when I have had them, my bowels react to them.
Whole nuts/seeds Nuts and seeds, when consumed whole, are very hard to digest. With gp having nuts and seeds can lead to a bezoar, which is a mass of collected food in your stomach that will need to be removed by a doctor. However, nut butters, milks, and powders are okay to digest.
Raw fruits and vegetables, and their skins Fruits and veggies take a long time for your body to digest, which is why people with gp stay away from them completely. The skins of these foods are also hard for your body to break down and digest; most of these foods fiber are also contained in the skins.
Tomatoes/highly-acidic foods My body is very acidic, so I stay away from tomatoes. A lot of people with gp also have acid reflux or GERD problems; avoiding acidic foods will help with their symptoms.
Cruciferous vegetables (though I will be trying some in VERY small amounts soon) These are the most gassy of vegetables, which causes bloating and pain.
Artificial or added sugars We all know these are bad for you, so when you have an autoimmune disorder, or are struggling with bad symptoms, cutting these out should be something to consider.
Red meat (only in VERY small amounts if any) Red meat, compared to white meat, is harder for your body to digest. The majority of gastroparesis patients stay away from red meat completely because of this.
Also, absolutely no coffee, soda/carbonated drinks, alcohol, or any form of smoking or drugs - for obvious reasons, these are all bad for you. If you are a coffee drinker because you need the caffine, try switching to matcha or adaptogenic herbs such as Rasa ( a coffee alternative company)
I have been eating mostly organic food for the last 8 months, but now I will only eat organic because of my Hashimoto's diagnosis. This is a choice I made for myself, and you do not have to follow it. Eating healthy and organic may seem really expensive (and it can be at times), but once you know how to shop, what to shop for, and once your pantry has everything you can't eat out of it, it will get better. As I mentioned above, I will do a blog post and stories on my Instagram account of how I shop soon.
Here are some foods and meals I eat now:
- Sweet potato, Chicken, Veggies
Sweet potato is not a nightshade vegetable, but regular potatoes are. The chicken I cut up small and chew well. My choice of veggies will vary, but I usually like carrots, green beans, squash, and/or spinach. Everything is ALWAYS cooked.
- Tuna or chicken sandwich/wrap
I buy canned tuna, wild caught in water, and mix it with Forager's organic, dairy-free, plain unsweetened plant yogurt. This is the same plant yogurt I used for potato salad until going nightshade-veggie free. For wraps I use coconut flour wraps which are gluten, soy, and dairy free; I'll also use corn tortillas if the ingredients are clean. For chicken, I buy it organic, cook it, and add the Forager's plant yogurt and onion.
- Potato wedges, carrot fries
I talk about these more in my "Gastroparesis friendly summer foods -Part 1" blog post. They are a great and healthy option if you miss fries. I like to lightly season mine with oregano and salt.
- Baked pork loin, spinach, carrot fries, olives, and a pickle
I just recently got into liking pork after getting sick of having so much chicken. This meal is one option out of many for an easy dinner.
- Turkey burger
My boyfriend has gotten me hooked on turkey burgers lately. I've never been a huge fan of turkey at any other time of the year besides Thanksgiving, but ground turkey with Dijon mustard and ghee mixed in and cooked is really good! For a bun I just use toast, instead of buying gluten and egg free burger buns.
- Toast and nut butter
In the mornings I enjoy having toast and nut butter, or I will top with some ghee and cinnamon instead. For bread I have been buying a brand called Schar, which is gluten, dairy, and egg free.
- Chicken noodle soup
I lived off of chicken noodle soup for awhile in the winter. It was a great lunch option for me to easily bring to work and heat up. I recommend making your own at home, or buying organic in a can from the store.
- Muffins
I have started to bake lately to increase my breakfast options, and have come across a few recipes that I enjoy. There is a great book I have been using called Whole Food Vegan Baking by Annie Markowitz. You can get in on Amazon for under $10.00, and it is definitely worth it! In the back of the book it tells you substitution ideas for ingredients; for example, 1 large egg can be replaced with 1/4 cup of unsweetened apple sauce. Tips like that have been very helpful.
There is a recipe on my gphealth_loreal Instagram account for almond flour banana muffins; dairy, gluten, and egg free of course.
- Juice
See "Gastroparesis friendly summer foods -Part 2 " blog post for more information on this, but I juice my own combinations like strawberry-blueberry, carrot-apple-parsley, raspberry-blueberry-strawberry, and so on. Peach and mango is another great option for summertime.
- Smoothies
There are so many great smoothie options out there. See "Gastroparesis friendly summer foods -Part 2 " for some variations I do; also, check out "Drink your Way to Gut Health" by Molly Morgan (You can get it for $4.00 online). Such a great book with SO many recipes!
- Low-sugar dairy-free ice cream
This one is hard to find, but I was able to find some at my regular grocery store. Make sure you look at every ingredient as well as the nutritional label. You can also make your own ice cream! I found a great website that has many ice cream recipe options:
I won‘t eat anything with added sugars though, so it’s a harder find.
I haven’t tried it yet, but another ice cream recipe I found only uses:
2 cups coconut milk
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 smooth peanut butter
definitely worth a try!
This is of course not every single thing I eat, but it gives you an idea of how I navigate my diet currently, and hopefully it can inspire you to be more creative with your meals.
Feel free to ask me any questions or leave me a comment!
-Loreal
This is really helpful! I'm glad you mentioned Foragers yogurt- I've been having a hard time finding df yogurt