GAPS Diet Food List – Overview
Unquestionably, there is an elaborate connection between your gut microbiome and general wellbeing.
Moreover, advanced research shows that the gut, made up of billions of microorganisms, has a massive effect on disease and wellbeing.
As a result, the GAPS diet is a strict elimination regimen that requires users to discard
- Grains
- Pasteurized dairy products
- Refined carbs
- Starchy vegetables
It’s advocated as a natural remedy for people with conditions that affect the brain, such as ADHD and autism.
However, it’s a contentious treatment that nutritional experts, physicians, and scientists have widely criticized for its restrictive routine.
In this article, we will look at the foods you can and can’t take in the course of your GAPS diet, supplements of this diet, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of this restrictive regimen.
Which Foods Can You Take On The GAPS Diet?
Fermented Foods
GAPS Diet Food List – Fermented Foods
Fermented foods are recommended for the GAPS regimen as a source of beneficial bacteria. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride’s book comprises recipes for fermented probiotic beverages such as kefir and yogurt, fermented vegetables, and sauerkraut.
Fruits
Practically all foods are allowed; bananas are the only kind of fruit that comes with a caveat are bananas because they should be very ripe; if they have brown spots on them, the better.
Some of the fruits you can take include Apples, apricots, avocados, coconut, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, mangoes, papaya, prunes, tangerines, tomatoes, and ugly fruit.
Meats, Fish and Poultry
The GAPS diet allows all kinds of animal protein. However, you’ll need to prepare and serve these animal meats with allowed sauces and spices, meaning you’ll be preparing and eating your meals at home for the most part.
Some of the allowed animal meats include Beef, chicken, duck, lamb, mutton, turkey, pork, rabbit, veal, etc.
Natural Fats and Oils
GAPS Diet Food List – Natural Fats and Oils
The GAPS diet also stipulates that you consume natural fats with all meals. Some of the fats and oils you can take include butter, coconut oil, ghee, lard, and tallow.
Non-Starchy Vegetables
The GAPS diet allows some vegetables and refuses others. Non-starchy vegetables are recommended; in fact, you’re encouraged to ferment them using cultures and recipes that are ‘GAPS approved.’
Some of the recommended vegetables include asparagus broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, onions, and Swiss chard.
Which Foods Can’t You Take On The GAPS Diet?
Alcohol and Processed Foods
Except for a couple specifically labeled GAPS-approved, all processed foods contain ingredients not ideal for this strict regimen. What’s more, you’re not allowed to take alcoholic beverages such as beer, liqueurs, whiskey, wine, and spirits.
Dairy Products
Only fermented dairy products are allowed in the GAPS diet. According to Dr. Campbell-McBride’s hypothesis, Cow milk especially can aggravate and damage the gut lining the same way as grains do.
However, fermented versions of dairy products don’t have this effect. As a result, they are allowed; the only unfermented dairy product that’s allowed is butter.
Grains
Grains
These comprise various staples in most people’s diets, including barley, corn, crackers, oats, rice, quinoa, wheat, and all other conventional baked goods. Dr. Campbell-McBride believes these foods aggravate the gut lining and eventually damage it.
Starchy Vegetables
GAPS Diet Food List – Starchy Vegetables
Vegetables not allowed on this diet are starchy; some of them include parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams. In addition, legumes are also not allowed on the GAPS diet.
Sugar and Added Sugars
Sugar is considered harmful to the intestinal lining. The ban on artificial and natural sweeteners as well as ingredients such as aspartame, maple syrup, and molasses means you will have to stay away from any kind of food with added artificial or natural sugars.
GAPS Diet Supplements
The diet’s founder, Dr. Campbell-McBride, states that the most crucial aspect of the GAPS regimen is the diet. However, this regimen also recommends several supplements such as
Cod Liver Oil and Essential Fatty Acids
People on the GAPS diet are advised to consume daily supplements of cod liver oil and fish oil to ensure they get enough.
In addition, the diet also advises you to take a small portion of cold-pressed nut and seed oil mix with a 1:2 proportion of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids.
Digestive Enzymes
Dr. Campbell-McBride claims persons with GAPS conditions have low stomach acid production.
To correct this, she recommends that users of the GAPS diet have a supplement of Betaine HCL infused with Pepsin before each meal.
This supplement is a manufactured version of HCL (hydrochloric) acid, which is one of the main acids generated by your gut.
On the other hand, Pepsin is an enzyme also produced in the gut that works to break down and digest proteins.
Probiotic Supplements
These are included in your diet to help reinstate the balance of useful bacteria in your gut. Its recommended that you pick a probiotic with strains from various bacteria such as Bacillus Subtilis, Bifidobacteria, Lactobacilli, etc.
Pros and Cons of the GAPS Diet
Pros
Healthy Home-Cooked Meals
The GAPS diet recommends home-cooked meals prepared with fish, fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, and poultry.
No restaurant foods are allowed on this diet, which means that this diet will be healthier compared to the typical American diet.
Treatment of Symptoms
Some proponents of the GAPS diet claim that it can help correct symptoms of ADHD, autism, and other mental health conditions. Dr. Campbell-McBride has a list of physicians she has trained on the diet, although there is limited proof to verify its efficacy.
Cons
Limited Proof
Like other dietary therapies for ADHD and autism, the GAPS diet doesn’t have any rigorous medical research to back it up.
So, unfortunately, there is little scientific information to prove Dr. Campbell-McBride’s recommendations can help improve symptoms of ADHD and autism.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Some medical experts warn that cutting out a lot of healthy foods from your diets, such as legumes and whole grains, can cause nutritional deficiencies.
Restrictive
Due to its restrictive nature, the GAPS diet is very difficult to follow. You’ll have to prepare all your meals from scratch; therefore, you can’t take any convenience foods such as broth.
This means you spend a lot of time cooking which your routine may or may not allow.
Final Thought
The GAPS diet aims to decrease inflammation, heal the gut, and treat specific neurological conditions.
As a result, this diet discards grains, refined carbs, and starchy vegetables and swaps them for nutrient-dense foods which are easy to break down.
| Foods to Eat On The GAPS Diet | Foods to limit on the GAPS Diet |
|---|---|
| Fermented Foods: Fermented probiotic beverages such as kefir and yogurt, fermented vegetables, and sauerkraut. | Alcohol and Processed Foods: Beer, liqueurs, whiskey, wine, and spirits. |
| Fruits: Apples, apricots, avocados, coconut, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, mangoes, papaya, prunes, tangerines, tomatoes, and ugly fruit. | Dairy Products: Cow Milk, Goat Milk etc. |
| Meats, Fish and Poultry: Beef, chicken, duck, lamb, mutton, turkey, pork, rabbit, veal, etc | Grains: Barley, corn, crackers, oats, rice, quinoa, wheat, and all other conventional baked goods |
| Natural Fats and Oils: Butter, coconut oil, ghee, lard, and tallow. | Starchy Vegetables: Parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams. |
| Non-Starchy Vegetables: asparagus broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, onions, and Swiss chard. | Sugar and Added Sugars: Aspartame, maple syrup, and molasses |
| Beverages to Take on a Military Diet | |
| Coffee | |
| Tea | |
| Water |
See Also