Detox Foods to Eat

Detox Foods to Eat

By , About.com Guide
Updated June 27, 2012
 
Raw lacinato kale
Lacinato kale is a cruciferous vegetable that's mild tasting and easy to prepare.
 
A detox diet is short, focused diet program focused on eliminating environmental and dietary toxins from your system. Although there are many types of detox diets, the foods that are allowed are often quite similar, unless it is a juice fast.

Foods to Include on a Detox Diet

Fruits
  • fresh or frozen fruits
  • unsweetened, natural juice
  • dried fruit - unsweetened, in limited amounts, such as cranberries, dates, raisins, goji berries

Vegetables
  • Vegetables thought to be particularly good detox foods include broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, onions, garlic, artichokes, beets, and dark leafy greens such as kale, collard greens, and swiss chard
  • sea vegetables, including kelp, nori sheets, wakame
  • corn - avoid corn as it is acid-forming
  • note: some people are sensitive to the nightshade family of vegetables, which includes tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplants, and potatoes, and may wish to avoid them

Grains and Starches
  • rice, especially brown rice
  • quinoa
  • buckwheat
  • millet
  • amaranth
  • wild rice
  • oats
  • whole grains are preferred, but products made from the above may be allowed, such as brown rice pasta, pure buckwheat noodles, rice crackers, and bread

Beans and Legumes
  • split yellow and green peas
  • lentils
  • adzuki beans

Nuts and Seeds
  • almonds
  • cashews
  • walnuts
  • sunflower seeds
  • pumpkin seeds
  • sesame seeds
  • chia seeds
  • hemp seeds, hemp nuts
  • coconut, especially young coconuts
  • tahini
  • nut and butters made only with allowed ingredients
  • peanuts and peanut butter - usually not recommended

Choose unsalted, raw nuts and seeds.

Oils
  • cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil
  • hemp oil
  • flax oil
  • chia oil
  • almond oil
  • avocado oil
  • coconut oil
  • safflower, sesame, and sunflower oils in limited amounts (due to omega-6 fatty acids)
Beverages
  • "milks" made from allowed foods, such as rice milk, almond milk, hemp milk
  • coconut milk - except canned coconut milk
  • water
  • herbal teas
  • green tea
  • lemon water
  • unsweetened juice made from allowed fruits and vegetables
  • mineral or seltzer water - in limited amounts

  • Sweeteners
    • brown rice syrup
    • erythritol
    • stevia
    • real maple syrup
    • raw honey
    • black strap molasses

    Condiments
    • apple cider vinegar
    • Bragg's Liquid Aminos
    • miso - small amounts
    • black olives
    • lemons and limes
    • fresh and dried herbs and spices
    • cacao powder and cacao nibs
    • carob powder
    • sea salt
    • mustard
    • wheat-free tamari - in limited amounts

    Animal Protein
    Detox diets differ on the question of whether to include animal protein. If it is included, allowed foods may include:
    • organic turkey
    • organic chicken, preferably pastured
    • wild, cold-water fish, such as Alaskan salmon
    • lamb
    • wild game, such as venison, buffalo, ostrich

    Daily Detox Do's
    • Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day
    • Take the time to chew food well.