The following
is a list of foods that are allowed (legal)
and foods that are not allowed (illegal)
while following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet™, as outlined in the book,
Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall. The SCD™ is a progressive
diet and the
introduction
of many of these foods should be delayed until healing has taken
place, please read the book "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" for further
information.
Some general guidelines are, no grains (i.e. rice, wheat, corn, oats,
etc.), no processed foods, no starchy vegetables (i.e. potatoes, yams,
etc.), no canned vegetables of any kind, no flour, no sugar, no sweeteners
other than honey and saccharin, and no milk products except for homemade
yogurt fermented for 24 hours, prepared according to the instructions
in the book.
List compiled by Kim Hesche
Click on the letters below for other sections of the list.
Food |
Legal / Illegal |
Note |
| Tabasco sauce | See note | Only the original red Tabasco sauce, labeled 'McIlhenny Company Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce' is legal but as with all manufactured products check the ingredients. The other Tabasco styles all have sugars and gums added. |
| Tagatose | Illegal | |
| Tamari | Illegal | It is made from soy |
| Tamarind | Illegal | See, Tamarind |
| Tangerines | Legal | |
| Tapioca | Illegal | It is a starch, therefore illegal. |
| Tapioca Flour | Illegal | |
| Tarragon | Legal | |
| Taro | Illegal | It has much too much starch in it and is very similar to potatoes. |
| Tea | Legal | Ordinary black tea
is legal but should be made weak. |
| Thyme | Legal | |
| Tofutti cheese | Illegal | |
| Tofu | Illegal | It is made from soy |
| Tomato juice (canned) | Legal | Should only have salt added. Also see Tomato Juice - canned |
| Tomato paste (canned) | Illegal | |
| Tomato purée (canned) | Illegal | |
| Tomato sauce (canned) | Illegal | |
| Tomatoes | Legal | Canned tomatoes are illegal. |
| Triticale | Illegal | |
| Turbinado | Illegal | It is liquid cane sugar, therefore it is illegal. |
Turnips |
Illegal | In the most recent printing of BTVC (Ninth Printing - May 2002), turnips were moved from the 'allowed' list to the 'not allowed' list. |
| Vanillin | Legal | But not in concentrated form see Vanillin |
| V8 Juice | Illegal | It has tomato paste listed as an ingredient. Elaine has listed tomato paste as being illegal. It is also made from concentrate and has added sugar. |
| Vegetables (canned) | Illegal | Canned vegetables are not permitted; they must either be fresh or frozen. |
| Vegetable stearate | Legal | I believe that stearate is always a fat (stearic acid) so vegetable stearate would be a fat from some vegetable like coconut, etc. -- Elaine |
| Vinegar | Legal | Red and white wine vinegar also white and cider vinegars are allowed but check the label for added illegals. Balsamic vinegar is not allowed as it has added sugar. However you can make your own legal balsamic vinegar substitute see scdrecipe |
| Vodka | Legal | Only have it occasionally. |
| Walnuts | Legal | Nuts sold in mixtures are not allowed, as most are roasted with a starch coating. Nuts should only be used as nut flour, in recipes, until diarrhea has subsided. |
| Walnut oil | Legal | Doesn't withstand heat very well |
| Wasabi | Legal | As long as it is in its natural state and hasn't had fillers added by a manufacturer |
| Water chestnuts | Legal | But avoid if you are a beginner on the diet see Water chestnuts |
| Watercress | Legal | |
| Watermelon | Legal | |
| Wheat | Illegal | |
| Wheat germ | Illegal | |
| Wheat Grass | See note | Wheat Grass |
| Wild rice | Illegal | |
| Wine | Legal | Very dry wine is legal. See, Wines for more information on dry wines. |
| XanGo | See note | See XanGo |
| Xanthum Gum | Illegal | |
| Xylitol | Illegal | Sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol are all sugar alcohols and are not SCD™ legal. They fall under the category of indigestible carbs and sugars, and so allow companies to label things 'sugar free', even though they are providing nutrition to the bacteria that live in your digestive tract. |
| Yams | Illegal | |
| Yoghurt (commercial) | Illegal | Eating commercial yoghurt
is not permitted. Commercial yoghurt may be used as a starter for
making homemade yogurt. For directions for making yoghurt see, How to make yoghurt |
| Yoghurt (homemade) | Legal | See, yoghurt for instructions on how to make legal yoghurt. |
| Yucca Root | Illegal | |
| Zucchini | Legal | Also known as Courgette |
Click on the letters below for other sections of the list.
