If you've been diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease, you know firsthand the challenges it presents. This autoimmune condition, where the body mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland, can lead to a range of unpleasant symptoms, including chronic fatigue, mood swings, and gastrointestinal issues. While there's no cure for Hashimoto's, dietary changes can significantly improve your well-being and reduce these symptoms. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of a Hashimoto's-friendly diet, complete with a 7-day meal plan and practical tips to help you navigate this journey.
Hashimoto's Disease Basics: Understanding the Condition
Hashimoto's thyroiditis, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, is an autoimmune disorder affecting the thyroid gland. In autoimmune conditions, the body's immune system mistakenly targets healthy tissues, in this case, the thyroid gland. Genetic factors play a significant role, accounting for 70% to 80% of Hashimoto's disease, while environmental factors such as viruses, smoking, and poor diet contribute to the remaining 20% to 30%.
The diagnosis of Hashimoto's is based on the presence of antibodies in the thyroid gland and white blood cells in the thyroid tissues. Over time, the thyroid function declines, leading to inadequate production of thyroid hormones. This hormonal imbalance can manifest in various symptoms, including chronic fatigue, nervousness, mood swings, and gastrointestinal and cardiovascular problems.
Treatment typically involves restoring thyroid hormone levels with medication and adopting an anti-inflammatory diet to reduce thyroid inflammation and alleviate symptoms. While no specific diet can cure or reverse Hashimoto's disease, research suggests that eliminating certain components like gluten, lactose, and pro-inflammatory foods, and embracing a nutritious diet can improve laboratory markers in many individuals with Hashimoto's.
What to Eat With Hashimoto's Disease: Focusing on Beneficial Foods
Instead of dwelling on what to avoid, concentrate on incorporating foods you enjoy that offer potential benefits for Hashimoto's disease. A balanced diet for Hashimoto's should prioritize anti-inflammatory foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains.
Read also: Veganism and Thyroid Health
Healthy fats, including mono- and polyunsaturated fats, are also encouraged. These can be found in seeds, nuts, minimally processed nut and seed butters, olive or avocado oil, and certain types of fish. Key nutrients like vitamin D, magnesium, and zinc, along with anti-inflammatory foods and healthy fats, play a crucial role in reducing thyroid inflammation.
Foods containing selenium support the thyroid in hormone production. Additionally, consuming foods rich in iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12 helps prevent anemia and heart conditions associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The meal plan provided below includes balanced, nutrient-dense meals that prioritize these essential nutrients.
Foods to Avoid With Hashimoto's: Identifying Potential Triggers
Individuals with autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's are more susceptible to other autoimmune disorders such as celiac disease, which necessitates gluten avoidance. Gluten is present in many grains, including wheat, rye, and barley. Many people with Hashimoto's may also experience lactose intolerance; studies indicate that at least 75% are lactose intolerant. Lactose is found in many dairy-containing foods such as milk, yogurt, cream, cheese, and ice cream. Lactose-free alternatives are often readily available in most stores. Yogurt, kefir, and hard cheeses generally contain lower levels of lactose and are often well-tolerated.
However, it's important to note that not everyone with Hashimoto's needs to eliminate gluten or lactose-containing foods. Consulting a registered dietitian can help you determine whether eliminating these foods is necessary and how to ensure you consume adequate amounts of nutrients from other food sources, particularly when removing gluten-containing foods.
Pro-inflammatory foods, such as those high in added sugar, refined carbohydrates, and certain saturated fats, can exacerbate inflammation and contribute to poor gut health, further aggravating Hashimoto's disease. It's advisable to avoid or reduce the following pro-inflammatory foods:
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
- Candy, cakes, cookies, pies, donuts, ice cream, sweetened yogurt, sugar-sweetened drinks (juice, soda, coffee, and tea)
- Low-fiber carbohydrates (white bread, white pasta, pastries, chips, crackers, many breakfast cereals, some baked goods, and pizza crusts)
- High-saturated fats (found in foods like butter, lard, cheese, fatty cuts of meat, whole milk, tropical oils like coconut and palm oil, and certain ice creams)
Lastly, some individuals may need to limit foods high in goitrogens. Goitrogens are naturally occurring components in plant foods that can interfere with thyroid function when consumed in very large amounts. Cooking typically deactivates most goitrogens. Foods such as collards, Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, flaxseeds, cauliflower, millet, and cabbage are higher in goitrogens. It's best to avoid consuming very large servings of these vegetables in raw form.
Hashimoto's Meal Plan: A 7-Day Guide to Nutrient-Dense Eating
A well-structured Hashimoto's meal plan can incorporate a variety of foods and cooking styles. Consult with your dietitian for personalized recommendations. The following meal plan includes high-priority nutrients like selenium, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin and mineral-rich anti-inflammatory foods. The choices also accommodate individuals avoiding gluten- or lactose-containing foods. You can swap for gluten-free or low-lactose items if these do not aggravate your symptoms.
Day 1
- Breakfast: Microwaved old-fashioned oats with 1% lactose-free milk (or a low-fat, no-sugar-added dairy alternative), cinnamon, blueberries, chia seeds, and a drizzle of honey if desired.
- Lunch: Sandwich made with whole-grain bread (or gluten-free whole grain bread). Top with avocado, tuna canned in water, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Serve with pumpkin seeds and unsweetened dried fruit trail mix.
- Dinner: Sheet-pan roasted skinless chicken breast with vegetables (gold potatoes, onions, peppers, broccoli, and cauliflower). Season with garlic powder, pepper, and paprika. Serve with fresh peaches for dessert.
- Snacks: Two or three Brazil nuts and raspberries; raw bell peppers with roasted chickpeas.
Day 2
- Breakfast: Smoothie made with frozen spinach, banana, blueberries, kefir, 1% lactose-free milk, or a dairy alternative. You can add chia or ground flaxseeds.
- Lunch: Chickpea cold salad made with chickpeas, diced cucumbers, and tomatoes mixed with lemon juice, avocado or olive oil, pepper, and oregano. Sprinkle with goat cheese or feta cheese. Add leftover cooked chicken breast for more protein.
- Dinner: Baked salmon seasoned with garlic powder, pepper, and fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Serve with roasted carrots and broccoli seasoned with your favorite seasoning.
- Snacks: Carrots with hummus; unsalted walnuts, almonds, and grapes.
Day 3
- Breakfast: Egg scramble made with one egg and sauteed vegetables (utilize leftover cooked vegetables for less cooking time). Serve with whole-grain toast (or gluten-free whole-grain bread) and low-sodium peanut butter or nut butter that doesn’t contain added oils or sugars.
- Lunch: Leftover salmon and vegetables served over whole grains like brown or wild rice. You can keep salmon cold if you (or your co-workers) don’t like the smell of reheated fish. Just reheat rice and vegetables.
- Dinner: Simple loaded salad: top kale and spinach with almonds, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, feta cheese, and canned tuna or salmon in water. Drizzle an olive oil dressing on top. Add leftover cooked and chilled rice or quinoa to the salad for a filling and nutritious carbohydrate source.
- Snacks: Almonds and unsweetened nonfat Greek yogurt; hard-boiled egg and apple slices.
Day 4
- Breakfast: Overnight pudding made with chia seeds, vanilla extract, cinnamon, 1% or fat-free lactose-free milk, or dairy alternative. Top with fruit and sliced almonds.
- Lunch: Chilled rice or quinoa bowl topped with leftover salad ingredients. Served with unsweetened, nonfat Greek yogurt and raspberries.
- Dinner: Southwest sweet potato hash made with lean ground turkey, roasted tomatoes, green chilies, onions, garlic, and pepper. Serve with roasted green beans as a side.
- Snacks: Edamame and clementines, unsweetened nonfat Greek yogurt ranch dip and carrot sticks.
Day 5
- Breakfast: Nutrient-rich chocolate, peanut butter banana smoothie made with bananas, unsweetened cocoa powder, low-sodium natural peanut butter, kefir or unsweetened nonfat Greek yogurt, 1% or fat-free milk, or a dairy alternative.
- Lunch: Leftover sweet potato hash. Add baby carrots as a side.
- Dinner: Vegetable-loaded chicken and chickpea curry with red peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower, curry powder, ginger, garlic, turmeric, spinach, and coconut milk (or lactose-free low-fat option or dairy-free alternative). Canned tomatoes can also be used in place of coconut milk. You can serve over whole grains like brown rice for a more filling option.
- Snacks: Apple with melted nut butter; mangoes and low-fat, low-sodium cottage cheese.
Day 6
- Breakfast: Low-sugar, nonfat Greek yogurt topped with sliced almonds and blueberries. Hot coffee with a splash of 1% or fat-free lactose-free milk.
- Lunch: Leftover chicken and vegetable curry served over whole-grain rice.
- Dinner: Thin-crust Mediterranean-style pizza. Top the whole grain or cauliflower-based crust with olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, spinach, tomatoes, olives, artichokes, red onions, and feta cheese. Serve with a spinach salad and olive oil dressing.
- Snacks: Carrot sticks with red pepper hummus; energy bites pre-made with old-fashioned oats, ground flax seed, low sodium nut or seed butter, vanilla extract, honey, and unsweetened dried fruit.
Day 7
- Breakfast: Breakfast burrito made with sauteed black beans, tomatoes, and peppers wrapped in a whole-grain tortilla (or corn tortilla). Pair with salsa and a sprinkle of low-fat shredded cheese. Add a scrambled egg for a heartier breakfast.
- Lunch: Leftover pizza served with salad on the side.
- Dinner: One pan lemon garlic chicken and potatoes. Serve with your favorite cooked green vegetables, such as green beans, broccoli, or asparagus.
- Snacks: Grapes and pistachios; trail mix made with almond, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and unsweetened dried fruit.
Tips For Staying Healthy With Hashimoto's Disease
Prioritize foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, seeds, lean protein, fish, and healthy fats. Reduce your intake of certain processed and packaged foods to help reduce the amount of added sugars, refined grains, and saturated fats you consume (which are pro-inflammatory).
Eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, eggs, and lactose-free dairy can help ensure you consume vital nutrients like selenium, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin D.
Keep anti-inflammatory staples on hand, such as canned options for chickpeas, black beans, and tomatoes. Choosing no salt added and/or low-sodium versions canned in water and rinsing them in water can help remove some added sodium.
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
For a quick breakfast or snack, stock your kitchen with smoothie ingredients (frozen vegetables and fruits, lactose-free nonfat milk or yogurt, and seeds or ground flax seeds). Use moderate amounts of avocado or olive oil when cooking, roasting, or sauteing. Wash and cut vegetables once weekly so they are ready for meals or snacks. Prepare enough food at dinner for leftovers for breakfast, lunch, or an easy dinner the next day. Give your body time to adjust to the new foods and monitor for symptom improvement. Expect a couple of weeks after changing your diet.
Beyond the Basics: Exploring Additional Hashimoto's Diet Recipes
The provided meal plan is just a starting point. There's a vast array of delicious and thyroid-friendly recipes to explore. Many Hashimoto's patients find it beneficial to collaborate with a nutritionist or a functional medicine doctor to pinpoint individual triggers and identify which foods best support their well-being.
Here are some additional recipe ideas and food combinations that align with Hashimoto's diet principles:
- Rice cake with sun butter and either jam or fresh strawberries
- Kale, kimchi, and Applegate breakfast sausages (Chicken and Sage or Savory Turkey)
- Gluten-free oats with wild blueberries and honey (or apples and nuts), topped with hemp seeds
- Frozen fruit bowl: mix frozen bananas and cherries in a food processor with nut milk and hemp seeds (keep thick enough to eat with a spoon).
- Quinoa with chopped fennel, halved grapes, slivered almonds, thyme, olive oil, and red wine vinegar
- Bone broth with chicken and brown rice noodles.
- Mexican night with ground beef or turkey, avocados, tomatoes, rice, and refried beans, all wrapped in romaine lettuce.
Thyroid-Healthy Recipes to Shake Up Your Dinner Routine
These recipes contain no gluten or grains, dairy, eggs, or nuts, which can sometimes be dietary triggers for people with Hashimoto's disease and other thyroid or autoimmune conditions. Nightshades appear as an optional ingredient in some recipes.
Moroccan Chicken Stew
Moroccan Chicken Stew is a nice twist on chicken with its warm aromatic spices and rich flavors. It's a very soothing meal, plus it's easy to make and freezes well. Even more importantly, it's full of nourishing vitamins and antioxidants. One of the spices that bring warmth to this recipe is turmeric, long known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric contains curcumin, a potent antioxidant that research shows has a potentially protective effect on the thyroid.
Main Ingredients: chicken, sweet potatoes, onions, mushrooms, cauliflower, chicken broth, coconut cream
Total Time: 45 minutes
Creamy Shrimp Vegetable Skillet
If you're craving seafood, this creamy shrimp vegetable skillet hits the spot. This skillet recipe makes for a quick and easy weeknight meal. It combines shrimp, asparagus, spinach, and a coconut milk-based cream sauce along with a delicious spice blend. Shrimp is rich in iodine and selenium, both of which are important for supporting an underactive thyroid. Asparagus is a great fiber source, plus it provides a healthy dose of folic acid and vitamins B6, A, and C.
Main Ingredients: shrimp, asparagus, spinach, onion, coconut milk
Total Time: 30 minutes
Thai Basil Cauliflower Fried Rice with Chicken
Cauliflower rice is an excellent base for many meals making it a very versatile food. This Thai Basil Cauliflower fried rice is a take on traditional Khao Pad Krapow, which means "stir-fried holy basil." This delicious, easy meal is kept interesting by its Thai-inspired flavors and refreshing, light ingredients. Cauliflower is high in vitamin C, K, and B6. Vitamin C is important for immune system regulation and may help improve thyroid hormone levels.
Main Ingredients: cauliflower, chicken, basil
Total Time: 25 mins
Korean Glass Noodle Recipe with Ground Beef
The goal with this Korean glass noodle recipe was to make something similar to a Bulgogi or Bibimbap. I'm not sure if it qualifies as being either, but it is delicious! The recipe uses sweet potato glass noodles, made only of sweet potatoes, so they are gluten-free and compliant with many restrictive diets. Noodles in themselves are a comforting and indulgent treat. Combine that with savory ground beef, cool fresh veggies, and a creamy honey-ginger sauce, and you've got an amazing meal. The cucumbers, carrots, and mushrooms are full of much-needed vitamins A, K, B2, selenium, and niacin. Vitamin A plays an essential role in thyroid hormone regulation.
Main Ingredients: Ground Beef, Cucumbers, Carrots, Mushrooms, Glass Noodles
Total Time: 30 minutes
Simple Chicken Bacon Pasta Salad
This simple chicken bacon pasta salad recipe is a cool, creamy noodle salad that is perfect for the warm weather months. As with the recipe above, this one uses sweet potato glass noodles as well. Cucumbers have a high water content, so they're very hydrating. Good hydration can help flush out toxins, keep energy levels up, and promote good overall digestive health. The purple cabbage is a good source of vitamins C, K, and B6 and fiber and antioxidants like anthocyanins.
Main Ingredients: chicken, bacon, cucumbers, purple cabbage, glass noodles
Total Time: 45 minutes
AIP Bierocks Recipe
Bierocks, also called German Stuffed Beef Rolls, are the ultimate comfort food. If you haven't tried them yet, you should! Many people miss bread when they give up gluten and grains. This AIP bierocks recipe uses yuca root (aka cassava) and coconut flour to form soft, wonderful bread rolls. These rolls are then filled with beef and cabbage. They are delicious. Cassava is high in resistant starch, which helps to feed the good bacteria in your gut and promote healthy digestion. This recipe is kid-approved, gluten-free, and Paleo/AIP compliant.
Main Ingredients: yuca root, coconut flour, ground beef, onion, green cabbage
Time: 1 hr 5 mins
Chicken Kelaguen
Chicken Kelaguen is a new and recent cooking discovery for our family. It's a Chamorro specialty (think Guam), and it is so darn delicious, my husband asks for it all the time. The dish is pretty simple but bursting with flavor. It takes a bit of planning to marinate the chicken, but it is entirely worth it! Plus, it's free of gluten, dairy, soy, and other pesky foods that can contribute to thyroid symptoms. It is also reasonably low in carbs and sugar.
Main Ingredients: chicken, green onions, coconut flakes, coconut milk, coconut aminos
Total Time: 9 hr 35 min (9 hr marinating, 35 min active cooking/prep)
Shepherd's Pie
This shepherd's pie recipe takes a somewhat unique approach to replace white potatoes, a nightshade vegetable that may be a dietary trigger for some people. When I first made mangu (mashed plantains), my husband suggested adding ground beef to it, which immediately made me think of shepherd's pie. Mangu tastes very much like mashed potatoes, so it makes the perfect topping for nightshade-free, AIP-friendly, shepherd's pie. Green plantains are a fantastic source of resistant starch, which can help improve gut health by fueling healthy gut bacteria and promoting regularity.
Main Ingredients: ground beef, onions, carrots, parsnips, green plantains
Total Time: 1 hr 20 min
Rainbow Chard with Sweet Potatoes and Mushrooms
Chard isn't in nearly as many recipes as spinach, kale, or collard greens, which is a shame. This rainbow chard recipe is a nice change of pace when it comes to getting your veggies in. It's very easy to make, and you can eat it with or without meat. Chard and sweet potatoes both give a good vitamin A boost. Vitamin A helps alleviate thyroid issues because it helps the body to absorb iodine. Avocado provides a healthy dose of monounsaturated fats.
Main Ingredients: chard, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, avocado
Total Time: 40 mins
Key Takeaways:
- Focus on anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense foods like salmon, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, and fermented foods to support thyroid function.
- Prioritize key nutrients such as vitamin D, magnesium, and zinc, which help regulate immune response and hormone production.
- Avoid common triggers like gluten, soy, processed foods, and excessive raw cruciferous vegetables to reduce inflammation and immune flare-ups.
- Support gut health daily with fiber-rich, probiotic foods to strengthen immunity and improve thyroid stability.