SCD Diet Food List: 33 Legal Foods & 25 Illegal Foods

Food Group

Legal Foods

Illegal Foods

Meat

Unprocessed meats, poultry, eggs, and fish

Preserved, packaged deli meats, canned meats

Vegetables

Most fresh vegetables

Canned vegetables, starchy vegetables (e.g., corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, jicama)

Algae (Chlorella; Spirulina), Aloe Vera, Jerusalem Artichokes, kohlrabi, Okra, Parsnips, Seaweed, turnips, water chestnuts

Fruits

Most fresh fruits or fruits canned in their own juice

Plantains,

Canned fruits in syrups (syrups may contain “illegal” ingredients/sweeteners)

Nuts and Seeds

Most nuts (almonds, pecans, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, etc.)

Some seeds may be permitted after 3 months of no symptoms

Chestnuts, flaxseed, hemp seeds, hemp protein, seed butters, seed flour, sesame seeds

Grains and Starches

None

All grains (wheat, wheat germ, barley, oats, rye, rice, corn, quinoa, amaranth, etc.) 

arrowroot, maltodextrin, tapioca, yucca root 

Legumes

Kidney beans* lentils* navy beans* split peas* lima beans*

*May be tried when symptom-free. Dried beans are supposed to be prepared using methods described in Gottschall’s book. 

Bean flour, butter beans, black-eyed peas, cannellini beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, fava beans, mung beans, pea flour, soy, miso

Dairy

Aged cheeses > 30 days, dry curd cottage cheese, homemade 24-hour fermented yogurt

Buttermilk, cottage cheese, cream, cream cheese, dried milk solids, chevre, mozzarella cheese, ice cream, milk, Lactaid milk, ricotta cheese, sour cream

Sweeteners

Honey, Saccharine

Corn syrup, dextrose, date sugar, maple syrup, Splenda (sucralose), stevia, turbinado, molasses, xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, sugar, agave 

Beverages

Gin, Cranberry juice (no sugar added), tomato juice, vodka, whisky, very dry wine, weak tea or coffee, scotch, bourbon, water, club soda

Apple Juice, soda, beer, brandy, instant coffee, decaffeinated products, grapefruit juice (legal if fresh), juice from concentrate, liqueurs, pineapple juice, port wine, sake, sherry, V8 juice

Fats and Oils

Most fats and oils

(e.g., corn oil, flaxseed oil, butter, ghee, grapeseed oil, olive oil, walnut oil, etc.)

Condiments 

Horseradish, most kinds of vinegar, mustard, wasabi

Balsamic vinegar, ketchup

Spices

Most spices 

Cocoa powder

The entire legal/illegal foods list can be accessed here.