In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhy This Meal Plan Is Great for YouFrequently Asked QuestionsWhat Is It?How to Do ItFoods to LimitFoods to IncludeMeal Prep TipsDay 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is It?
How to Do It
Foods to Limit
Foods to Include
Meal Prep Tips
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Close
People may start an elimination diet for several reasons, a common one being to try to pinpoint food intolerances and sensitivities that cause digestive issues like gas, bloating or stomach pain. A food intolerance is where your body processes a certain food or foods in a different way than others, which can cause gastrointestinal discomfort or other symptoms. Food intolerances are different from food allergies. The latter involves an immune response that can be very dangerous. If you suspect a true food allergy, we encourage you to discuss this with your health care practitioner or allergist.
How We Create Meal PlansRegistered dietitians thoughtfully createEatingWell’smeal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
How We Create Meal Plans
Registered dietitians thoughtfully createEatingWell’smeal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.
In this elimination diet plan, we map out a week of easy meals and snacks with delicious flavors. What didn’t we include? We left out the top eight foods most commonly associated with food intolerances, food sensitivities and food allergies—milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish.
This 1,500-calorie meal plan has modifications for 2,000 calories to support those with differentcalorie needs. While we previously included meal plans and modifications for 1,200 calories, we no longer do. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting your calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
Frequently Asked QuestionsWe no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
What Exactly Is an Elimination Diet?
A food elimination diet is a systematic approach used to identify food sensitivities. Food elimination diets can take on many different forms. In this plan, we excluded foods that contain the eight most common allergens. Still, if you strongly suspect that, for example, dairy is the culprit and choose to replace dairy items with nondairy alternatives, you can modify this plan as needed.
There’s also something called the low-FODMAP diet, which is an elimination diet most often used to help people diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A study published inClinical Nutritionin 2022 examined how minimizing FODMAPs in one’s diet can alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms. The low-FODMAP diet limits certain types of carbohydrates that can cause gastrointestinal distress in those with IBS. It’s important to note that while the elimination diet we lay out here does leave out certain high-FODMAP foods—like milk and wheat—there are other high-FODMAP foods that we include—like onions and beans. So if high-FODMAP foods are the root of your intolerances, this elimination diet might make your symptoms worse. In this case, you’ll want to work with a registered dietitian who is knowledgeable in IBS and the low-FODMAP diet and who can tailor it to your needs.
How to Do an Elimination Diet
If you’re wondering how to start an elimination diet, we would first recommend that you meet with a registered dietitian who can help safely guide you through the process. They will discuss your current diet and symptoms and help you think about what your possible food triggers may be. Then, they will likely advise you to completely avoid those trigger foods for at least two weeks, which is where this meal plan can come in handy. You can use this plan as a guide and template for what to eat (or not to eat) and adjust it according to your individual needs.
Elimination Diet Foods List
Top 8 Allergens
Here are the top eight allergen categories and what foods they include.
Milk, including dairy products like yogurt, kefir, butter, cheese, cottage cheese, creamer, half-and-half, sour cream, ice cream, whey or dairy-based powders, any packaged products made with dairy and more.
Eggs, including foods made with eggs like some mayonnaise brands, baked goods, egg-based powders and more.
Tree nuts, including almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, pecans, pralines, pine nuts, nut butters, nut milk beverages, nut extracts or pastes and more.
Peanuts, including peanut butter, peanut oil, peanut flour and more.
Wheat, including wheat-based bread, cereal, pasta, breadcrumbs, crackers, flours, bulgur, farro, matzoh meal, seitan, wheatgrass, wheat germ oil and more.
Soy, including soy sauce and tamari, edamame, tofu, tempeh, miso, soy milk, soy yogurt, soy ice cream, soy oil and more.
Fish, including salmon, tuna (fresh or canned), tilapia, bass, anchovies, sardines, haddock, pollock, swordfish, trout and more.
Shellfish, including crabs, crawfish, lobster, shrimp, prawns, clams, mussels, oysters, scallops and more.
To see the full list of what to avoid with each allergen, please visitFood Allergy Research & Education (FARE).
What You Can Eat
While you may end up cutting out quite a lot of foods during an elimination diet, there are still so many delicious items you do get to eat! Here are just some of the foods you’ll find in this meal plan:
Fruits and veggiesand plenty of them!
Healthy proteinslike beans, chicken and steak.
Seedsto snack on in place of nuts, like pumpkin seeds and sunflower butter.
Wheat-free grainslike quinoa, oatmeal and corn tortillas.
And plenty ofherbsandspicesto keep your meals flavorful and exciting.
How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals
Here’s how you can prep ahead for the busy week:
Breakfast (322 calories)
A.M. Snack (106 calories)
Lunch (360 calories)
P.M. Snack (133 calories)
Dinner (540 calories)
Daily Totals:1,461 calories, 53 g protein, 163 g carbohydrate, 39 g fiber, 73 g fat, 1,173 mg sodium
How to make it 2,000 calories:Add 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk yogurt to A.M. snack, increase to 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds at P.M. snack and increase to 2 servingsCucumber & Avocado Saladat dinner.
A.M. Snack (66 calories)
Lunch (425 calories)
P.M. Snack (59 calories)
Dinner (542 calories)
Daily Totals:1,414 calories, 46 g protein, 165 g carbohydrate, 40 g fiber, 70 g fat, 1,731 mg sodium
How to make it 2,000 calories:Add 1 large banana to A.M. snack, add 15 gluten-free crackers to P.M. snack and increase to 2 servingsCucumber & Avocado Saladat dinner.
Breakfast (182 calories)
A.M. Snack (122 calories)
P.M. Snack (319 calories)
Dinner (413 calories)
Daily Totals:1,461 calories, 60 g protein, 180 g carbohydrate, 29 g fiber, 56 g fat, 1,269 mg sodium
How to make it 2,000 calories:Increase to 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds at breakfast, add 2 Tbsp. sunflower butter at A.M. snack, add 1 medium banana to lunch and increase to 1 cup cooked quinoa at dinner.
A.M. Snack (131 calories)
P.M. Snack (66 calories)
Dinner (503 calories)
Daily Totals:1,307 calories, 52 g protein, 198 g carbohydrate, 45 g fiber, 64 g fat, 1,282 mg sodium
How to make it 2,000 calories:Add 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds to A.M. snack, add 1 medium apple to lunch and add 1 servingGuacamole Chopped Saladat dinner.
A.M. Snack (275 calories)
P.M. Snack (50 calories)
Dinner (450 calories)
Meal-Prep Tip:Reserve 2 servings of theVegan Cabbage Soupto have for lunch on Days 6 and 7.
Daily Totals:1,522 calories, 53 g protein, 182 g carbohydrate, 47 g fiber, 73 g fat, 1,733 mg sodium
How to make it 2,000 calories:Add 1 medium orange to lunch and add 1 large banana with 3 Tbsp. sunflower butter to P.M. snack.
Lunch (310 calories)
P.M. Snack (131 calories)
Dinner (447 calories)
Daily Totals:1,485 calories, 57 g protein, 204 g carbohydrate, 41 g fiber, 58 g fat, 1,011 mg sodium
How to make it 2,000 calories:Add 10 gluten-free crackers with 1 1/2 Tbsp. sunflower butter to P.M. snack and add 1/4 cup guacamole with 1 oz. corn tortilla chips to dinner.
A.M. Snack (302 calories)
Dinner (495 calories)
Daily Totals:1,420 calories, 62 g protein, 197 g carbohydrate, 39 g fiber, 59 g fat, 1,085 mg sodium
How to make it 2,000 calories:Add 1 servingBerry-Coconut Smoothieto breakfast and add 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds to P.M. snack.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
