Low-histamine foods that you should always have at home

This week we're talking about the basic equipment for histamine intolerance.

Especially in the initial phase of a low-histamine diet, you often don't know which snacks are well-tolerated – or what you can quickly cook from the ingredients you have at home. The low-histamine kitchen is generally fresh and "fast-moving." Everything should ideally be bought fresh, processed quickly, and consumed.

However, there are also some foods that keep longer in the kitchen without forming much histamine – and that we can quickly resort to at any time. Because sometimes there are days when you don't have the energy or time to shop for or prepare an elaborate meal.

When following our tips, please consider your individual tolerance level and your own taste.

You should always have these low-histamine foods at home:

• Rice
• Millet
• Oats
• Spelt flour (gluten-free option: cassava flour)
• Semolina pudding based on rice or millet
• Oat flour or rice flour
• Spelt or rice noodles
• Rice cakes
• Organic Nut Spread Macadamia & Wild Blueberry, almond butter (1)
• Fresh or dried herbs such as sage (also delicious as sage butter with pasta) or basil
• Organic herbal salt and other spices such as cinnamon or turmeric
• Garlic (1)
• Onions (1)
• Eggs (yolk)
• Carrots
• Potatoes
• Butter
• Cream cheese (1) (e.g., cow, sheep, goat, coconut, almond, or oat-based)
• Plain yogurt (1) (")
• Cream cheese (1
• Grapes
• Dates
• Apples
• Wild blueberries (frozen)
• Frozen fruits and vegetables (e.g., broccoli, carrots, or cherries)
• Pistachios and macadamia nuts (e.g., for pesto or as a snack)
• Oils for cold dishes (e.g., virgin olive oil, linseed oil, hemp oil)
• Oils for cooking & frying (e.g., frying olive oil, coconut oil)
• Maple syrup or honey for sweetening
• Oat milk (1)
• Tea (e.g., Tulsi, hibiscus, chamomile, sage, Cistus, or fennel)
• Apple juice or cherry juice for spritzers
• Still, low-sulfate water

But again, please note your individual tolerance level and, of course, your own taste. Just because it's low in histamine doesn't mean you have to like it.

Especially at the beginning of a low-histamine diet, it can be helpful to already have some suitable foods and practical companions at home. If you want to make the transition easier, our HistaStarter Set is an ideal way to get to know various products and supplement your basic equipment for everyday life.

Low-histamine tea

Suitable teas include, for example, Tulsi, hibiscus/mallow, chamomile, sage, or fennel tea. If you have several varieties at home, you'll always have a change of taste, even with still water. Since you should generally consume a lot of fluids, a cup of warm tea is very pleasant and can help you relax. Perhaps you can even combine it with some me-time or make drinking tea a routine?

Oils for cold dishes

Virgin olive oil, linseed oil, or hemp oil are best for cold dishes, e.g., as a salad dressing. You should not heat these oils strongly, as they can otherwise form trans fatty acids, which are carcinogenic.

Oils for cooking and frying

Frying olive oil or coconut oil can be heated to high temperatures without problems, allowing you to sear your vegetables or other foods well.

Maple syrup or honey

We recommend avoiding industrial sugar as much as possible. Maple syrup or honey are good alternatives for sweetening.

Frozen fruits, vegetables, and herbs

Frozen foods are perfect for your basic pantry and when you need something quick. Examples include broccoli, carrots, wild blueberries, cherries, mango (1), or cauliflower. With frozen low-histamine vegetables or fruits, you can prepare quick dishes, such as one-pot cauliflower rice or rice dishes with sautéed vegetables, as well as breakfast bowls or smoothies.

Most herbs are fortunately low in histamine. These include basil, parsley, lovage, rosemary, thyme, or sage. You should avoid, for example, chives or dill. 

Spelt noodles or rice noodles

Spelt noodles are practical for all pasta recipes and also for a quick and still completely low-histamine meal, such as spelt noodles with homemade pesto or with carrot and zucchini sauce. Rice noodles, for example, offer a gluten-free and low-histamine alternative.

Oat flakes

With oat flakes, you always have something for breakfast. Additionally, wild blueberries or dates are suitable for sprucing it up. Our HistaFood organic foods, by the way, contain exclusively gluten-free oats.

If you enjoy incorporating oat flakes into your diet, our Organic Seed Bread might also be something for you. It contains, among other things, gluten-free oat flakes and is ideal as a quick meal or snack.

Rice (-semolina)

Rice is always good as a main component, side dish, warm or cold, or even as a rice diet if your histamine bucket is full. An example of a dish if you urgently need to empty your histamine bucket is this one: Mild Rice with Cream Cheese.

Millet and/or Quinoa

Millet and quinoa are absolutely healthy side dishes and very filling. They are suitable for both warm and cold dishes, which is why meal prepping works well here.

Spelt flour or oat flour (gluten-free option: cassava flour)

With spelt flour, oat flour, or cassava flour, you are always flexible and can bake your own rolls or bread: Spelt bread with flaxseeds, Spelt-Quark rolls, Gluten-free power bread.

Plant-based milk, e.g., oat or rice drink (1)

How about almond? Oat milk, rice drink, coconut milk, or almond milk (1) are great helpers in the low-histamine kitchen. With plant-based milk, you can supplement, enhance, or prepare a dish at any time of day.

It is often essential for smoothies, and plant-based milk is also a great alternative for main courses. When buying plant-based milk, make sure it does not contain sunflower oil and locust bean gum.

Dates

Dates are a great snack for in-between meals, they have a pleasant and natural sweetness and are completely low in histamine. They are not everyone's taste, so carefully test if you like dates or if they are not quite to your liking. Our favorite variety is the Medjool date. By the way: Some HistaFood organic foods also contain dates, such as the Organic Grain Muesli or the Organic Grain Bar.

Apples

Do you know the saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"? Having apples at home is always a good idea. They are a great snack for in-between meals and can even have a histamine-reducing effect. Here again, pay attention to organic quality and, if possible, regionality.

Even if you try to avoid histamine-rich foods in everyday life, exceptions are unfortunately not always avoidable. 

Whether dining out, traveling, or at an invitation, it can sometimes be difficult to know exactly what ingredients are included. For such situations, our DaoFit can be a practical supplement.