The Feingold Diet: What is Eliminated?

The Feingold Diet removes the following from one's diet:

• Food Dyes (also known as food colors, synthetic colors, artificial colors, coal tar dyes, FD&C colors, etc.),
• Artificial Flavorings (including vanillin - synthetic vanilla),
• Four preservatives:  BHA, BHT, TBHQ, and Sodium Benzoate,
• Aspartame (an artificial sweeter),
• Aspirin (and medications which contain aspirin), and
• Foods which contain Natural Salicylates (removed in Stage One only).

Here is a list of foods which contain Natural Salicylates (removed in Stage One only):

• Almonds,
• Apples,
• Apricots,
• All berries,
• Cherries,
• Cloves,
• Coffee,
• Cucumbers and pickles,
• Currants,
• Grapes and raisins,
• Nectarines,
• Oranges,
• Peaches,
• Peppers (bell and chili),
• Plums and prunes,
• Tangerines,
• Tea,
• Tomatoes, and
• Oil of wintergreen.

The list may look a little scary, but it is actually much easier than it appears.

When you buy The Feingold Association membership materials, you will receive all that you need to make The Feingold Diet easy and simple.  The Foodlist and Shopping Guide allows The Feingold Association to hold your hand while you shop at your supermarket :)

You will find a great many of the Feingold-acceptable foods at your neighborhood supermarket, though you will probably want to shop at a natural foods market (such as Whole Foods Market) on occasion - to obtain some of the natural products such as Wellshire Farms hot dogs.

Above, you may notice that I made a reference to the Natural Salicylate being removed only in Stage One.  Many children/people are able to add back to their diet, some or all of the Natural Salicylate.  Sometimes, it is possible to add back in a limited quantity - such as one orange a month, etc.

The Pure Baby's oldest brother has been on The Feingold Diet for seven years - and with tremendous positive results.  He is still on Stage One - meaning that he avoids all Natural Salicylates.  In the beginning, we tried to add back some Natural Salicylates, but we were never successful.  Due to the unhappiness brought to all of us (due to behaviors) by our oldest son consuming Natural Salicylates, he has not trialed any Natural Salicylates for the latter years of his Diet.