223 thoughts on “Foods to Eat and Avoid While on a Candida Diet”

• How come Barley is on both the grains to eat and to avoid?

  • That was an error on our part. Barley should be avoided since it is a grain that contains gluten. Thank you for the heads up! We have corrected the error! 🙂

    • Hi there! Barley is still listed as a grain to eat both on the page and the printable.

      • Updated! Thank you 🙂 Those first few months of motherhood really had me in a fog, lol.

• What about eggs? They are not on either list…

  • Eggs are a definite YES, and are more easily absorbed when softly cooked. Meaning a runny yolk!

    • Thank you so much I’ve successfully over come with this diet systemic candida (2 years)

  • Eggs are listed under Meat/ Poultry

  • Eggs give me a lot of problems.

    • Thank you for sharing. It’s always interesting to see how what works for some, doesn’t work for others. If you do try incorporating eggs again in the future, be sure to get organic, pasture raised, soy-free diet eggs, that might help!

• Just wondering why keifer should be avoided? I have read on other sites that it contains good probiotics that help fight candida.

  • Although keifer contains probiotics, it’s best to avoid all dairy at first since it breaks down as a sugar. Instead, you can find good quality probiotics in the refrigerated section of Whole Foods, Sprouts or another specialty grocery store. That being said, what works for one person can be different for someone else. You may find that dairy (or keifer) doesn’t bother you. I’d still suggest avoiding for at least 30 days so you have more of a clean slate! Does that make sense?

    • What about water keifer????

      • Plain water keifer (not coconut water) with no added sugar should be fine.

        • So late to this but I’m currently on the week 2. I did find a sugar free coconut water kefir – but you said not coconut water? Other pages have said it helps. Can you explain? Thanks!

        • Hi Kristin, congrats on making it to week 2! I’ll answer your question in two parts. Although there may be no added sugar to coconut water, if you take a look at the total sugar content you’ll see that coconut water is high in natural sugar. Now in a kefir that may be a lot lower, but it is also recommended to avoid fermented foods while starting a candida diet as it can further irritate your gut. Once you have the bad bacteria under control, then you can start to reintroduce fermented foods back in. That being said, you could look at 4 different candida diet plans and get 4 different answers. Some say kefir and other fermented foods are good. So at the end of the day i’d say do what feels right for you.

          I hope this helps. 🙂

  • You can get probiotics from almond / coconut yogurt too

  • Fermented foods are high in histamine aka inflammation. My GI Doc recommended to stay away from

    • Not everyone reacts to histamines

• Hi thanks for this great list. I’m always reading fermented foods are really great for the gut like kimche, miso soup, kombucha and sauerkraut. You have listed all these as being bad for candida though. Why are these foods good for the gut and the brain/gut link which has been proven to affect mental health but not good for candida?

  • I totally understand your question and why this is confusing. Many people will tell you to add in lots of fermented foods to help with a Candida problem. And if the gut is already in a healthy, balanced place then fermented foods are indeed good. But when there is a candida overgrowth, the bad bacteria have outnumbered the good and the yeast and sugars in things like kombucha can actually fuel the problem. So in the beginning months it’s best to stay away from them and wait until your get is more balanced before adding them back in (slowly) and seeing how you fee. Does that make sense?

• What about a vegan/vegetarian. What do we eat? I dont do not eat meat, eggs or fish. We get our protein from lentils, legumes, beans, tempeh, tofu – ancient history with lentils, legumes, mung beans that give us our protein. So I am curious as to what I can eat since everything is crossed off the list.

  Thanks

  Sunita Patel

  • Hi Sunita,
    I ran into the same exact issue when i was struggling with Candida. I had been a strict vegan for almost 8 years. Unfortunately, I ended up having to incorporate animal protein to finally feel better. Beens and legumes are just too starchy at first and soy should be avoided. I’ve yet to meet someone who has successfully corrected a candida overgrowth on a vegan/vegetarian diet. How bad are your symptoms? If not too bad, perhaps you could incorporate small amounts of lentils a couple times per week in combination with nuts and seeds?

  • Water lentils! Just discovered them!

  • I’ve been making my own ‘hefu’, tofu made with hemp seeds. Blend hemp seeds to make a thick milk, strain to remove pulp then heat milk till it curdles. Let it cool then strain/squeeze the liquid out through muslin/cheese cloth or a new stocking sock.

    • Wow, very cool. What a creative idea!!

  • Mushrooms! Shiitake, lions mane and maitake from organic sources.
    I can see that she have listed them on “bad” food, but the is no scientific source for this..

• I’m just curious why cassava flour and other starchy flours are on the list of acceptable foods? I’ve done the candida diet a few times, and was never allowed to eat anything high in starches or carbohydrates, whereas many of the “allowed” foods on this list are high in both. Just curious as to the reasoning or science behind this. I’d love to be able to use cassava, tapioca, and arrowroot in my baking again – but have been avoiding it for these reasons!! Thanks

  • Hi Rejan, I follow Ann Boroch’s protocol for healing Candida, which allows for small amounts of starchy vegetables and gluten free grains. I used this myself with success, and have facilitated candida cleanses for many clients over the years. I know Ann’s guidelines are not as strict as some others, she liked the idea of a little more flexibility so that people can stick to the “diet” as long as possible. However, everyone is different and it’s always best to keep checking in as to how you’re feeling as you go! Hope this helps 🙂

• 2 years ago, I did a 6 month cleanse with eating organic meat, eggs, broccoli, spinach. Very little variety but since I work keeping it simple was way to go. I added yeast cleanse + Pau d’Arco tea. Within 6 weeks the turnaround was amazing and dropped 26 pounds which was not my goal but felt better than I had in over a decade. Continued with staying kinda on this food program & recently had a life change. Now I’m gaining 4-6 oz per day for 2 weeks. Is it possible the stress of the 2 month crisis could have brot the candida back enforce?

  • Yes, stress kills good bacteria in the gut and weakens the body in general. I think it is totally possible that the stress of a big life change could disrupt the balance in your gut. The good thing is you know what to do to get yourself back on track!

• What about coffee and teas

  • It’s recommended to avoid caffeine during the first 90 days. But herbal teas are just fine.

• Thank you so much for compiling this list! Can you tell me why erythritol should be avoided in your opinion? I’ve seen a lot of Candida lists that include erythritol as an acceptable sweetener. Thank you for your time in advance!

  • Hi! Erythritol is typically made from corn, which is why it’s on the avoid list. Xylitol (specifically Xyla Brand) is derived from Birch Wood. Hope this helps! 🙂

• Can sweet Apricot kernels/seeds be eaten before 90 days?

  • That’s a good question. I have actually never heard of sweet apricot kernels/seeds before. If they truly are a seed though, they should be fine.

• I recently did the whole 30 pretty lazily, but long enough to realize my IBS was an issue on the protocol and had to research low FODMAP diet which is very complicating in itself due to all of the different variations people have left information about it. Needless to say I’m confused about a lot of the things I am able to tolerate being IBS-C along with candida overgrowth. any suggestions?

  • It can get really overwhelming, especially when you start trying to overlap diets. If it was me, I’d start with a candida diet since that will deal with healing the gut and usually all other symptoms start to improve once gut health improves. Does that make sense?

• Hi can i eat papaya

  • Papaya should be avoided for the first 90 days. After that I’d start incorporating it in small amounts and see how you feel. Hope this helps!

• Can you eat tapioca starch in products during the cleanse?

  • Yes, tapioca should be fine 🙂

    • Thank you for all of the helpful information. I really appreciate it!

• How long should I do the Candida diet for?

  • It’s recommended to give it at least 3 solid months, but depending on how severe your symptoms are it could take longer to see improvement. For me, I started to feel better after the first month of strict diet with specific supplements recommended by my naturopath, but didn’t feel back to myself for about 1 year. After that you’ll want to monitor your sugar/alcohol/processed food intake for life, otherwise you’re likely to find yourself back in the same place. Hope this helps!

    • What supplements were recommended for you?

      • Hi Stephanie,
        Below is a link to some supplements and detoxing supplies that we suggest:

        https://naturaltastychef.com/candida/candida-supplements/

        Hope this helps!

    • what is the best to get off candida diet? I have followed strict diet of non-starchy vegetables for 8 months now and would like to get back to eating more variety. What is the best way?

      • Hi Maria,
        It sounds like you can totally start opening up your diet. You could start by incorporating more starchy veggies into your diet several times a week (sweet potatoes, butternut squash, yams etc.) You could also add things in like cashews, pistachios and even bananas and see how you feel. Have you been eating gluten free grains? If not, try some good gluten-free grains like quinoa, brown rice or gluten-free oats and see how you feel. Hope this helps!

        • Thank you Alison! I have basically eaten eggs, soups, seafood or chicken with quinoa, buckwheat or millet. what about potatoes? Can they be added? Can some cheese/yogurt/bread/bakery be added sometimes at some point? What about alcohol?

        • Hi Maria,
          How are your symptoms? If you’re feeling significantly better you could totally add in potatoes, I’d start slow, and see how you feel. As far as cheese goes, it’s suggested to stick to small amounts of goat cheese and sheep cheese. Yogurts are usually high in sugar, but you could try some goats or sheep’s milk yogurt as well. For bread products, I always like to homemade, that way you can control the quality. If you are going to start incorporating sweeteners outside of xylitol and stevia, I’d still stick to more natural sweeteners like coconut or maple sugar and honey. Finally for alcohol, I was told that starting with a good quality vodka and soda water with a splash of lime is a good place to start. I wouldn’t incorporate all of this at once, I’d go slow that way you can monitor if anything is problematic. Hope this helps!!

        • Thank you so much, so very helpful! I intend on buying your cookbook 🙂 Just 1 more question – what about pasta or rice? I heard gin and tonic are good options as well, do you agree?

        • Trader joes sells really good brown rice and quinoa pasta. And I’d suggest starting with brown rice, wild rice or forbidden rice. And yes, gin and tonic is also a good option too!! 🙂

• Where can I buy your book?

  • Currently it’s a digital download that can be saved to your cell phone, computer, ipad, etc. Here’s the link:
    https://naturaltastychef.mykajabi.com/store/5eYUShiu

• Hi
  Is Lobster allowed ? Also what is best to use for salad dressing? Thank you

  • Hi! Yes, Lobster is allowed. For salad dressing I like using a combination of olive or avocado oil and apple cider vinegar with a pinch of sea salt. Here are some links to other salad dressing ideas that fit the diet. Hope this helps 🙂
    https://naturaltastychef.com/dairy-free-caesar-salad/
    https://naturaltastychef.com/vegan-hemp-seed-ranch-dressing/
    https://naturaltastychef.com/5-healthy-homemade-salad-dressings/

• Hi there! Thanks so much for the list! I was wondering if cream of tarter is okay? And also do you have any certain supplements you’d recommend taking during this diet? Thanks!
  -Amber

  • Hi Amber,
    That’s a good question, I’d suggest staying away from Cream of Tartar for at least the first 30 days. Depending on what you are using it for, you could probably substitute it with fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons lemon juice for every 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar called for.

    Below is a link to some supplements and detoxing supplies that we suggest:

    https://naturaltastychef.com/candida/candida-supplements/

    Hope this helps!

• Is it possible to get amounts of the different food groups that are ok to eat per day?

  • Hi Melodie,
    Here are some general rules of thumb. Stick to no more than 1/2 cup berries per day. Beans and grains should enjoyed only a couple of times per week. And xylitol should also be limited to about 2 – 3 Tablespoons per day. Other than that, eat so that you are satisfied. It really depends on how active you are, your gender, height and weight. Usually people who follow a strict candida diet tend to lose weight. So if you are loosing too much weight, focus on healthy fats, nuts and seeds and protein. If you’re still trying to lose weight, reduce your grains and focus more on leafy green vegetables. Hope this helps!

• 4 weeks in, BUT Ive been using unsweetened cocoa/cacao powder quite a bit. Do I need to start over?

  • Hi Danae,
    How are you feeling 4 weeks in? If you feel like symptoms are improving there is no need to start over. The reason it’s suggested to avoid cacao initially is because it is thought to be irritating to the gut, but if you are seeing improvement then keep doing what you’re doing!

• Also, is almond flour okay? Is bacon on the avoid list bc pigs are fed corn? What about grass fed?

  • Almond flour and almond meal are both ok on a candida diet. It’s suggested to avoid pork because it contains a retrovirus which can withstand extreme heat and cooking. This can get in the way of the cleansing process.

• What about oats?

  • It’s wonderful to hear that you’ve had success with the diet! 🙂 As far as oats, it’s suggested to wait about 2 months (or 60 days) before introducing oats. Hope this helps!

    • Since I’m healing systemic candida (blood candida) should I avoid using too much xylitol ?(how much ) It’s been helping curb my need for sugar since I can’t eat any of the fruits suggested without breaking out into a candida rash

      • Yes, this is a great question. Ann would recommend limiting xylitol to no more than 1 – 2 Tablespoons (3 – 6 teaspoons) per day. I’d play around with it and see what your personal limit is. I hope this helps. 🙂

        • Ok thank you. Can I drink zevia? ( how much )
          And do I need to limit stevia intake ?

        • Zevia looks totally fine! I’d make sure you aren’t replacing it for filtered drinking water though. In other words, make sure you’re still drinking enough water 🙂 And you shouldn’t have to worry about stevia, just make sure it’s a good quality, pure brand that isn’t cut with corn.

        • I just ADORE you !!!!!!! Thank you for healing all these people!!! you beautiful soul ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

        • Aww, I really appreciate that! Thank you. xo

        • https://www.herballegacy.com/Candida.html

          I’m having much success with this healing plan created by doctor Christopher for leaky gut & candida. Thought you may like to spread the word for those who have systemic! I got my body back in 3 days

        • That’s wonderful. Thanks for sharing!

        • What about locust bean gum ? Is it an actual sugar or what is it

        • That’s a good question. I’m not very familiar with locust bean gum, but it looks like it is extracted from seeds of the carob tree (it’s also referred to as carob bean gum) and carob on it’s own does not contain sugar. So to answer your question, it should be sugar free. 🙂

        • Hi Melhoven,

          Did you make the concoctions yourself? Or did you purchase supplements from Doctor Christopher?

  • Can we use cashew milk in the beginning stages?

    • Hi Sam,
      It’s recommended to hold off on cashews for the first 90 days. I’d stick with unsweetened almond, hemp, coconut or flaxseed milk at first. Hope this helps!

• Is almond flour ok ?

  • Yes!!

• What about tigernut milk?

  • Yes, Tigernuts, Tigernut flour and Tigernut milk is all great!!

• Hello , when can you reintroduce rice, potatoes, or Alcohol into your system ? After 90 days or longer

  • Hi, if after 90 days you are starting to feel better, you could try slowly introducing white rice, white potatoes and alcohol back in and see how you feel. I’d stick to one thing at a time and in moderation. As far as alcohol, a good place to start would be a good quality vodka that is made from potatoes (instead of grain based which may contain gluten) with sparkling water and lime juice. Hope this helps!

• Can I eat cheap sardines or does it have to be expensive?

  • That’s a good question. Sardines are great for this diet, but make sure that they are in either water or olive oil and not stored in canola oil. Hope this helps!

    • Thank you

• Ann has said that fresh carrot juice is not allowed on the candida diet due to the high sugar content. However I’ve read that it’s very beneficial as an antifungal and many are healing cancer with it. . What are your thoughts on this? Thank you!

  • Hi Patricia,
    I also remember Ann recommending avoiding carrot juice due to sugar, which does make sense. I think that it makes sense in the first 90 days of the cleanse to steer clear. But once the gut has had time to heal and candida is more manageable introducing carrot juice in moderation for its health benefits should be okay. I’d say the key word is moderation. At that point you should be able to tell pretty clearly how your body is reacting to it. Hope this helps!

    • Thanks for your response. I’m not sure I agree since it is not used in moderation when curing cancer, but, of course, each of us has to figure out our own journey. I appreciate your thoughts and your work!

• Is pumpkin, casava flour and erythritol, Candida approved? And is there a Candida Recipe Group on Facebook?

  • And pumpkin and cassava are both approved in moderation. I do not have a facebook recipe group yet, but am working on it 🙂

• Oops, I just saw that erythritol is to be avoided ~ Why is that, please? tnx

  • Hi Lori, Great question. Erythritol is generally made from corn, which should be avoided on a candida diet. Good quality xylitol is sourced from birch, which is what you should look for. Some, cheaper, brands are made from corn. I highly recommend Xyla, but it should say where it is sourced from on the package. Hope this helps!

• Thank you for this guide! Why avoid fried foods?

  • That’s a great question. Avoid fried foods that you get at fast food places or restaurants. Homemade fried foods, with good quality oils like coconut or avocado, are ok.

• Alison, thanks again! What about sunflower seeds? Can I eat them? Usually, I sprout them but sometimes eat raw.

  • Hi Alex,
    Sunflower seeds are great. In fact, all seeds are ok to incorporate. Sprouting is wonderful if you have the time, but raw is good too!

• Hi,
  How do you think about herbs? Are there Herbs on the list to avoid?

  Thanks

  • Great question, I don’t know of any herbs that should be avoided, but including herbs in your everyday cooking such as oregano, rosemary, sage, mint and clove (to name a few) will be beneficial. 🙂

• Antigeen question, what About guar gum?

  • Hi, guar gum should be okay. And recipes that generally call for it, so so in very small amounts. More recently, I’ve read studies showing that it’s actually thought to contain pre-biotic properties as well as anti-inflammatory properties in the gut.

• Alison, I have another question. I noticed some of the drugs I take “contains soy ingredients”. Does this mean I need to stop taking them and start over the candida diet (I’m 21 days in at the moment and I don’t see any improvements yet)?

  • Hi Alex, that’s a tough question. I’m not sure how many medications you are taking that contain soy. I wouldn’t think it would be enough soy that you’d have to start over per say, but it could be possible that what you’re taking is interfering with your candida cleanse. Are you working with a naturopath or physician that could give you more guidance on this? Hang in there.

• Is it okay to eat chickpeas or hummus during the candida diet?

  Thanks.

  • Hi Chanell, Yes, chickpeas and hummus are ok during a candida diet. They are on the starchy side so it’s recommended to limit beans to 1 – 2 times per week, or avoid them completely for the first 30 days. Hope this helps!

    • Thanks Alison.
      Also how often can I eat buckwheat or brown rice? Since carbs are quite restricted I find myself hungry sometimes.

      • Hi! A couple times per week should be fine, and you may even be able to tolerate more. If you’re still finding yourself very hungry, pay attention to healthy fats and protein. And also chew your food very well. 🙂

• Hello, I’m grateful for this post. Can you tell me if Monkfruit sweetener is ok to eat on this diet? Also, is Yuca ok to eat on this diet?

  • Hi Jessica,
    Thanks so much 🙂 Yes, pure Monk fruit (aka luohan) sweetener is ok on the candida diet, just make sure it’s pure and not cut with anything. Certain brands like to cut it with erythritol which is made from corn and should be avoided. Here is an example of a brand which is pure: Julian Bakery Pure Monk.

• Thank you so much for sharing this. It’s very overwhelming researching how to do the Candida diet properly. My first time I did the Body ecology diet that I found extremely restrictive especially adding in the food combining principles.

  • Hi Celia,
    I also started with the Body Ecology Diet and found it overwhelming as well. That and my body didn’t do well with all the fermented foods at first.

    • Thanks Alison, yes it was very overwhelming, although I avoided the fermented foods as my dietician had recommended to as my gut wasn’t ready for them, and it still is not as yet.

• This time I want to be less restrictive so I can succeed. I have been spending hours and hours researching in a hope to get it right. I have 3 queries regarding your recommendations.

  • This was a big part of Ann Boroch’s philosophy…make it so that people will be able to stick to it! I think it is a great approach 🙂

• 1. Starchy veggies: pumpkin, sweet potato, all squashes… would you recommend these in moderation? Could you please provide an example of how much per serve and per week? As most people recommend avoiding these all together..

  • Yes, pumpkin, sweet potato and squash in moderation. I can give you a starting point and then you can do a little detective work to see how you feel and how your body responds. You could try starting with 1 cup total 2 – 3 times per week and see how that feels. That could look something like 1/2 cup butternut squash soup and 1/2 cup sweet potato fries one day. A baked sweet potato another day. And 2 pumpkin cookies and roasted squash on a different day. Does that make sense? Everyone’s body is so different (size, weight, activity level, etc.) that it’s not a one-size-fits-all.

    • Awesome, thanks so much.. I’ll pick some up this week to experiment with 🙂

• 2. Gelatin: I have recently been experimenting with some recipes with beef gelatin with the belief it is great for gut healing. Why do you recommend avoiding it?

  • I agree with you and think that what Ann really meant was poor quality gelatin/Jello type desserts.

• 3. Erythritol: two of my resources have said that yes this is made from non gmo corn, but that it is safe to use on the Candida diet as your body does not digest this particular sugar alcohol.. that it excretes about 90%

  • Okay, so Ann recommending staying away because of the corn source (even though you are right most of it just passes through). For me, I stayed away from it for the first 3 months. Now I also use Lakanto brand occasionally and really like it. I don’t notice any adverse affects for me. I think again it goes back to moderation and how your body is responding. I hope this helps! 🙂

• of it and the remaining 10% that remains in your system turns into harmless gases and short chain fatty acids in your large intestine.

• I only ask because I have purchased lakanto and stevia that both have erythritol in them and I’ve been experimenting with different recipes to give myself more variety

• Sorry for the long post, and thank you for this site.

  • I hope these answers helped!?

    • Yes they did ? thank you so much for your time and help Alison, I really appreciate it

• Hello Alison,

  I have candida but I also have leaky gut. I heard that L-glutamine helps with leaky gut so I would like to ask you if it’s okay to be taking L-glutamine at the same time I’m doing the candida diet?

  Thanks!

  • Yes, often times the two go hand-in-hand. Taking L-glutamine in addition to following a candida diet is great!

    • Thanks, I will do that.
      I read that cacao is okay after 90 days. I love chocolate and wondering if it would be okay to have sugar free cocoa powder after the 90 days? I know there is a difference between cacao and cocoa but cacao is harder to find.

      • Ann would suggest waiting 60 days and then you can incorporate cocoa/cacao. She used to say that cacao could be irritating to the gut, which is why she suggested holding off. So after the first couple of months, yes, unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder should be fine. As well as cacao nibs and my personal favorite cacao paste. I love shaving cacao paste and adding it to cookies and scones for a crunchy, chocolate texture.

• Hi Alison,

  I bought some xilitol and on the package it says that it comes from North American hardwood trees. In the notes it says it should be birch source. I’m wondering if this is the same or not and if it’s okay to consume.

  Thanks.

  • Yes, that’s exactly what you want. Birch sourced xylitol. Other, cheaper sources are corn sourced, which you should try to avoid.

    • Thanks for the reply!

• Is it okay to eat popcorn?

  • Corn and popcorn should be avoided while on the candida diet.

• Can you have unsweetened oat milk on Candida cleanse?

  • Hi Aggie,
    The protocol that I followed recommending waiting 60 before incorporating gluten free oats. After that, unsweetened oat milk should be fine.

• been 4 weeks since this diet & I constantly check this blog to make sure I’m avoiding/eating the foods. I am so glad to find this helpful blog. Lost 5 lbs. that wasn’t my goal, but my symptoms are going away & I feel so much better already

  • Hi Ana, I’m so happy you are finding the information helpful and more importantly that you are starting to feel better! Yay 🙂

• Hi Alison, This list is extremely helpful and one of the only list that I’ve seen says that you can incorporate strawberries as well as other berries and fruits. I’m wondering why this is? I am read that these are high in sugar which candida feeds of

  • Hi Ella,
    I’m glad you are finding the list helpful. When starting a candida diet, fresh berries should be fine in moderation (about 1/2 cup per day). Berries are low in sugar compared to other fruits and also provide other health benefits like being high in fiber and antioxidants while also thought to have benefits to the gut.

    Another reason it can be helpful to add fresh berries in moderation is it can help you to stick to the diet if that makes sense. Being too restrictive can cause people to binge on less ideal food or abandon the diet altogether.

    I’d suggest seeing how you feel after eating small amounts of berries and let that be your guide.

    Hope this helps! 🙂

• I’m about to embark on a candida diet and I’m sifting through loads of info (some conflicting). This site seems to make a lot of sense. One book I have uses psyllium seed husks, as well as carob pwd (also says no cocoa pwd like you). Thoughts?

  • Hi Nancy,
    There is definitely conflicting info out there, I’d suggest sticking to what feels intuitively right for you and your body. I believe that I also used psyllium husk seeds in the beginning phases of the candida diet as well. They can be helpful if you have a parasite problem (which also tends to go hand and hand with candida). As far as carob, if you decide to include it make sure it is unsweetened and think of it as a legume. So only include it 1 – 2 times per week to start, or avoid for the first 30 days completely. I hope this helps!!

    • Thank you for your quick reply!! I think this website will be my go to place. 😉

      • You are very welcome! I hope you start feeling better soon.😊

• Im vegetarian and training for a fitness comp, but I think I may have candida. Sadly, I need to consume high carbs in order to reach my macros. Is it possible to cleanse while still eating carbs if they are non starchy sources? Can I eat pea protein?

  • Hi Nicole,
    Without knowing all the details, I’d say your best bet is to focus on gluten-free grains like quinoa, teff and amaranth, veggies like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, peas and cassava (check out the cassava flour tortillas on this site) for now. But if you are truly dealing with candida overgrowth, you might consider doing an official candida cleanse after your fitness competition. Sometimes intense exercise and training can make candida worse, so an actual candida cleanse while resting your body would go hand and hand. Hope this makes sense!

• Not really a discussion comment, I just want to say this is a fantastic list & looks very accurate! I think it will help me immensely in trying to be successful with this diet.

  • Awe, thanks so much Casey! Keep us posted on your health journey 🙂

• Is potato starch allowed/beneficial in moderation? Thank you.

  • Great question! It’s recommended to avoid all potato products, including potato starch, for at least the first 3 months of starting a candida cleanse (sweet potatoes are ok in moderation). In place of potato starch you can use tapioca starch, arrowroot or kudzu (aka kuzu). Hope this helps!

    • Thanks so much

• What if I am only excluding carbs and sugar, but still eating lactose free milk, cheese, and tomatoes?

  • Hi Brit, The tomatoes should be fine, unless you also suffer from arthritis. As far as keeping lactose free milk and cheese in your diet, that’s a great question. How are you feeling? I’d start there. If you are noticing improvements, you are probably on the right track. If you feel as though your symptoms aren’t letting up, i’d suggest eliminating dairy all together. Hope this helps!!

• why no tofu? Im vegan so limiting lentils and tofu is going to be hard to get my protein in. Thank you

  • Hi Katy, great question. I was also vegan when I found out i had candida and know first hand how challenging a vegan candida diet can be. Tofu is made from soybeans, and it’s recommended to avoid soy for a couple reasons. One being that the soybean (like corn) is one of the most heavily genetically modified foods on the planet. Also, it can potentially interfere with your hormones, mainly estrogen. That being said, see what works for you and your body. (I would suggest lentils over tofu) I hope this helps.

• hi! is organic non-gmo popcorn cooked in coconut oil (homemade on the stove) okay as a snack? i’m about 25 days into the diet and i’ve had it quite a few times. my symptoms are improving so i’m not sure if it’s truly a problem to have it or not?

  • Hi! Technically popcorn (all corn) should be avoided, but if you are going to eat corn, organic, non-gmo is best and if you are feeling good that’s your best guide!! Keep up the great work!!

• Hi! I’m currently treating a ringworm breakout that has spread all over my body but have not successfully found a specific “anti-fungal” diet. Would a candida diet be the closest thing to helping me out with my issue?

  • Hi! Yes, I think that a candida diet would be a great option for ringworm.

• Curious why would mushrooms be avoided at all?

  • Great question. It’s because mushrooms are technically a form of fungus. Although certain mushrooms are thought to have medicinal properties, it is best to hold off on consuming mushrooms while sticking to a strict candida diet.

• Hi! Thank you for this information. I was curious, is carbonated water permitted on this diet? Is So delicious unsweetened vanilla coconut yogurt alright (involves rice starch.) Thank you!

  • Hi! Yes, carbonated water should be fine as long as there is no sweetener added to it, but remember that it doesn’t replace filtered or spring water. Unsweetened coconut yogurt should be fine in a pinch, I just wouldn’t eat it on a daily basis. Hope this helps!

• Does baking soda/powder aide in feeding yeast or is this permitted on the diet?

  • Hi Grace, baking soda is permitted!

• I am an example for Candida diet works wonders for me. 35 years ME/CFS and 5 years RA. Tried all meds, vitamins,
  Ayurvedic doc, yoga, RA diet, FODMAP diet. Nothing has worked for 35 yrs til this diet. It works if you work it, but not easy at first.

  • Thank you for sharing your experience and hope! I’m so happy that you are having success with the diet!!

• Why is unsweetened cacao to be avoided for 60 days? I’ve red elsewhere that it’s fine

  • Ann Boroch used to say that cacao was thought to be irritating to the gut so she felt it was better to let it heal initially and then incorporate unsweetened cacao after the first 2 months. Hope this helps!

• Hi. I have been doing a Candida cleanse for about 2 weeks now. I was wondering if eating buckwheat and quinoa a couple times a day are ok? I work out pretty regularly and so find myself hungry often, and are Granny Smith apples ok?

  • Hi! buckwheat and quinoa are both gluten-free and should be okay a couple of times per week as well as granny smith apples. See how you feel once you incorporate them. If you feel okay eating them in moderation, that’s your best indication! If you still find yourself hungry, try adding more fats and protein (avocado, nuts and seeds, animal protein).

• Hi there
  Am I allo hummus in the first 30 days?

  • Hi Nancy, Hummus should be okay about 1 – 2 times a week in the first 30 days. It is on the starchy side, so keep that in mind. If your symptoms don’t seem to improve, I’d suggest eliminating it (and all beans completely) for the first month. I hope this makes sense and helps. 🙂

• What about popcorn?

  • All corn products should be avoided. If you are going to splurge make sure to choose ORGANIC!

• I am trying to find out a couple of things as I am new to diet plan.

  Are these items ok? If not can you recommend a brand?
  Stevia liquid with alcohol.
  Vanilla extract with alcohol
  Are red apples out forever?

  • Hi Teresa,
    There is a few brands of liquid stevia that are alcohol free: NuNaturals + Pure Mountain Botanicals. As for vanilla, there is a brand called Singing Dog Vanilla that is alcohol free. You could also buy a couple vanilla pods and simple scrape the inside.

    I’d give it 2 – 3 months before you add back in red apples. They do not have to be banished forever. 🙂

    • Perfect thank you and I am so happy to be able to have a source! Your knowledge is awesome.

      • Aww thanks Teresa. I’m happy to have you here!!❤️

• What’s peoples experience with nut butters?

  i had almond and coconut today my sinusitis seemed to get worse … does the nuts have natural sugars in that feed the bacteria

  • When using nut butters, make sure that they are good quality, all natural (nothing added) and that they are kept in the fridge after opening. Nuts can go rancid very quickly and do tend to be moldy. If you notice you react when having nut butter, i’d suggest staying away for now.

• Thank you so much for such a comprehensive list!

  • You’re welcome. I hope it helps!

• Is tapioca flour on the no list? I found gf bread but that’s the main ingredient. I learned tapioca is from starchy cassava. I’m trying to find any kind of carbs, but even plantains are starchy.

  • Hi Michelle, Tapioca flour (and cassava) are actually on the yes list and should be fine in moderation. You should check out my cassava flour tortilla recipe. They’re soo good and really satisfy that bread craving! I hope this helps.

• Hi Chloe,
  Great question, Soy and soya should be avoided so I’d suggest organic unsweetened coconut milk. You could also use almond or hemp milk too as long as their unsweetened. Hope this helps!

• mushrooms!?? why? any scientific sources for this? in so case, which?
  so many mushrooms are great medicines and sources of protein and low carb for vegetarians.
  Ayur vedic sources will list mushrooms as bad, but Chinese and Japanese medicine dont!!

  • On my website I share the protocol that I used to restore my health naturally from candida overgrowth, which included avoiding mushrooms while healing. But always do what feels right for you! Wishing you health and wellness.

    • If there is no evidence that avoiding mushrooms have an effect on candida (which is the truth) it is sad to have it on the no-list, as mushrooms are such a great medicine and source of protein for vegetarians. Especially since this protocol is only for non vegetarians which is really sad when there actually is a solution.. Exept from that.. great work!!

      • Thank you! Although I can appreciate where you are coming from, I can only speak to what worked for me, which included avoiding mushrooms. But please do keep us posted on how it works out for you!! 🙂

        • sure.. but my question then for everybody out there is.. where did you get the info on way mushrooms was not going to work for you? i mean in this scientific time sources for information are the greatest of gold.. and i am sure you didn’t eat them, and that worked for you, but maybe you could have.. it would be great to see some sources 🙂

• Hi! Can you analyze this bread flour for someone on an anti-candida diet? Garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, whole grain sweet white sorghum flour, fava bean flour. (Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour)

  • I’d say everything looks okay besides the potato starch. Unfortunately, most gluten free flour mixes contain potato starch which is a bit of a pain. When a recipe calls for gf flour, i usually substitute it with brown rice flour and arrowroot or tapioca starch using a 2:1 ratio. So if the recipe called for 1 and 1/2 cups gf flour, I’d try 1 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup arrowroot or tapioca starch (or a combo of them both). I hope this makes sense.

• Hi Alison, really struggling with my energy levels. I usually eat very clean, but with a lot of rice, oats, sweet potatoes and potatoes to fuel my very active lifestyle. On your list is sweet potato i notice? is that okay?

• … thought maybe the solution was to go keto whilst sticking to the Candida diet but I’ve read this can be worse! I workout nearly everyday (wieghtlifting, running, crossfit) and constantly trying to gain weight (not loose it) – any suggestions?

  • Hi Daniel,
    Sweet potato should be okay in moderation. Besides energy levels, do you have other symptoms of candida overgrowth? If so, and without knowing much else, in general there’s also an element of healing for people with candida. So, I’d suggest shifting some of your intense exercise to something more gentle like yoga, Qigong or walking. Does that make sense.

    But if you are still trying to keep weight on while following a candida diet, try nuts and seeds/nut and seed butters (everything but cashews, pistachios and peanuts are ok). Try animal protein at each meal, avocados are great and also using good quality oils like coconut, olive and avocado oil in cooking and feel free to use hemp or flax oil as finishing oils. I hope this helps!

• Hope your well, is there anyome in London who u would recommend i see or speak to about Candida.
  Also is Soya yogurt dairy free ok to eat.

  • Hi! I believe i do have a London contact, let me confirm and i’ll get back to you with that shortly. As for soy, it’s recommended to avoid soy while doing a candida cleanse. Look for coconut based yogurt, specifically unsweetened So Delicious Brand. I’m not sure if that’s available where you are located.

• I have seen a lot of things online saying tofu and edamame is ok. Can you please tell me why it’s on yo ur list to avoid? Is it becomes sometimes they are fermented?? Thanks

  • Hi Adam, there are a couple reasons why it’s recommended to avoid soy while following a candida diet. Soy contains one of the highest amounts of pesticides of any other food. It’s also high in phytoestrogens which can lead to hormone imbalances (mainly a high level of estrogen). The best kind of soy to eat would be fermented like miso, tempeh or natto but as you mentioned, it’s best to avoid fermented foods in the beginning stages of a candida diet. I apologize for the delayed response and hope that this helps!

• Why is erythriyol a no?

  • Great question. It’s recommended to use xylitol (birch sourced) instead because erythritol is typically derived from corn.

• hi, i was wondering what you would suggest to someone who is doing bodybuilding and who is very active, and need carbs as a source of energy to full the body?would you suggest a diet rich in protein?

  • Hi, I get this question quite a bit. Not everyone on a candida diet needs to cut out all grains. Some do just fine with gluten free grains such as brown rice, quinoa, amaranth and teff in moderation. You could also rely on sweet potato, rutabaga and cassava as well. I always think balanced is best.
    Hope this helps! 🙂

• What about eating chia seeds? And coconut milk made fresh?

  • Hi! Chia seeds are great and so is unsweetened coconut products (coconut milk, cream, dried, fresh, flour, etc.!) Enjoy 🙂

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• Hello,

  Thank you for creating this list, very helpful. Curious about a couple things though, why are mushrooms off limits? Also, is it possible to season food with Coconut Aminos?

  • Great questions! coconut aminos are a great alternative while on a candida diet. It’s recommended to omit mushrooms for the first 90 days of a candida cleanse because of their close relation to fungi. Some protocol say it’s okay, so always do what feels right for you.

    I’m happy you are finding the list helpful! Good luck on the diet 🙂

• I was not feeling well for over a year. Finally I went to a Functional functional Medicine doctor and she diagnosed me with candida. I had never heard of it before but, want to share my symptoms in case someone is having a hard time being diagnosed.

• Lumps along my shins, lump under my left armpit, constant clogged throat, bruises and large lumps in my breast. Tired no energy and didn’t feel like myself at all. Two weeks being treated with supplements and diet changes I’m almost back to normal.

  • Thank you for sharing your experience. I’m glad to hear you are feeling better!

• I have struggled with candida for a long time. I do pretty well with the diet but my sensitive body can NOT deal with the die off so I don’t do well with any of the treatments. I do clay and charcoal and probiotics daily to help. Any ideas?

  • Hmm, maybe easing into the diet is a better option for you. Epsom salt baths might feel nice as well as taking a magnesium supplement. Good luck!

• Can I have organic, GF oats?

  • Hi Lori,
    It’s recommended to wait about 60 days before incorporating oats.

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