Elimination Diet Food Substitutions
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An elimination diet aims to identify food sensitivities by removing potential allergens and gradually reintroducing them. Starting this diet can be frustrating, as it often requires you to rethink your meal ingredients. However, this doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor or variety. With the right substitutions, you can enjoy delicious meals while adhering to your dietary needs. Whether you are swapping out dairy, gluten, or other allergens, these options allow you to personalize your meals without compromising taste or nutrition.
When you want this… | … eat this |
Milk (for cereal or shakes), yogurt, cheese | Milk substitutes: unsweetened rice, oat, hemp, almond, sunflower, hazelnut, and coconut milk; unsweetened coconut yogurt or kefir; read labels to ensure substitute is lactose/casein-free |
Hot cereal | Oatmeal or steel-cut oats, rice cereal, quinoa flakes |
Cold cereal | Puffed rice and millet, crispy brown rice, amaranth cereals; all labeled gluten-free (note that there tends to be corn in foods labeled gluten- free) |
Bread, crackers & pasta | Gluten-free breads, crackers, or pasta made with brown rice, oats, teff, millet, quinoa, amaranth, tapioca, buckwheat, sorghum, potato flour, and garbanzo bean flour; cellophane noodles from bean threads; check labels for gluten-free with acceptable sweeteners |
Breading | Grind any allowable rice crackers or bread, or use almond meal (any nut meal), ground chia seeds, coconut, or coconut flour |
Eggs | Store-bought egg-replacer, or blend 1 Tbsp. flax meal or chia seeds in blender with ¼ cup water and allow to thicken for a few minutes |
Peanut butter | Nut butters made from almonds, cashews, macadamias, walnuts, hazelnuts or pumpkin and sesame seeds (tahini) |
Ice cream | Various brands of rice or coconut-based frozen desserts; real labels carefully for approved sweeteners |
Soft drinks | Sparkling or mineral water, mixed with a squeeze of lemon or lime, or with a small amount of your favourite juice (¾ water, ¼ juice); filtered or purified water with slices of lemon or lime; unsweetened coconut water |
Coffee/tea | Herbal teas |
Butter or margarine | Coconut oil or ghee (clarified butter) |
Sugar & sweeteners | Unsweetened apple butter, brown rice syrup, blackstrap molasses, pure maple syrup, raw honey, coconut sugar, agave nectar, lo han, stevia, monk fruit extract |
Condiments | All types of vinegar, all spices, including salt, pepper, basil, carob, cinnamon, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, turmeric, etc. Read labels! Mustard, for example, sometimes contains wheat. |
Vinegar | Lemon or lime juice, vitamin C crystals |
References
- (2021) Dietitians of Canada: Food Sources of Soluble Fibre.
- (2020) Registered Dietitians of the University Health Network – Improving Your Health with Soluble Fibre.
Disclaimer
This blog post is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
About Dr. James Yoon

Dr. Yoon is a licensed naturopathic doctor practicing in Downtown Toronto but also provides virtual consultations to patients across Ontario. He focuses on a functional medicine approach to healthcare, identifying underlying conditions contributing to individuals’ symptoms and using natural, scientifically-proven solutions to improve their health. Dr. Yoon is a clinician, researcher, medical educator, and speaker.
Learn more about Dr. James Yoon
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