Guide to Low-Histamine Cooking and Food Preparation

Are you on a journey to reduce your histamine load and feeling unsure about how to adjust your daily food preparation?

I’ve been there too and, along the way, I’ve picked up a few helpful tips. In this guide, I’m sharing some basic strategies for cooking low-histamine meals and following a low-histamine diet. At the end of the article, you’ll also find a few of my favorite low-histamine recipes.

If you’d like to learn more about my personal journey with histamine intolerance and explore the topic in greater depth, be sure to check out my previous article: My Experience with Histamine Intolerance, Diet, and Everything Beyond.

If you’re worried that a low-histamine diet will be miserable, let me offer some encouragement. In my experience, having this challenge to tackle actually helped me diversify my diet, discover new foods, and learn healthier cooking methods.

Histamine Food Lists

You won’t find a detailed list of low- and high-histamine foods in this article. That’s because I believe we all experience symptoms differently, and these lists tend to be quite subjective. I don’t want to discourage you from eating healthy foods that you might tolerate well.

However, there are some general guidelines, particularly around foods where histamine levels can be scientifically measured, especially in animal proteins. From what I’ve learned, we can only accurately detect high histamine levels in certain cases, like when foods have begun to spoil.

It’s also important to understand that food affects histamine in the body in different ways. According to the Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI), there are five groups of foods that influence histamine levels:

• Histamine-containing foods – such as certain meats, cheeses, and fermented foods.
• Other biogenic amines – like some fruits and legumes, which is why you’ll see them on high-histamine lists.
• Histamine liberators – such as alcohol, nuts, shellfish, cacao, bananas, citrus, and tomatoes.
• Diamine oxidase (DAO enzyme) inhibitors – including alcohol and certain medications.
• Foods that increase intestinal permeability – like hot spices, alcohol, and I would add lectins here as well.

On the flip side, some foods have anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine properties. Interestingly, this can sometimes be true of foods that are considered high-histamine. Confusing, right?

Important reminder: Histamines are essential neurotransmitters that support many vital functions in the body. It’s only when histamine levels become excessive that we need to manage them.

My Favorite Approach to Naturally Reducing Histamine

If you try to eliminate everything, you’ll find there’s not much left to eat. My favorite approach to lowering histamine in food, which I learned from HealingHistamine.com, is to prepare and combine foods wisely. Avoid including all five histamine-triggering food groups in the same meal, and always pair them with foods from the anti-inflammatory or natural antihistamine categories.

If you prefer to stick to a low-histamine food list for simplicity, that’s okay, but make sure it’s temporary. Cutting out too many healthy foods long-term can do more harm than good.

I went through a phase of eliminating almost everything, but I wouldn’t do it that way again. I didn’t know better at the time, and my fear of allergic reactions only made things worse.

Low Histamine Diet: General Guidelines

These guidelines primarily apply to those with DAO enzyme degradation disorder. For mast cell activation disorder, the approach is similar but may require more complexity.

We’re all unique, and the root causes and context of our histamine intolerance likely differ, so we won’t all react the same way.

Factors like stress, trauma, hormonal imbalances, and nutrient deficiencies play a major role in how you experience histamine intolerance and react to certain foods.

Focus not only on reducing histamines but also on lowering overall inflammation in your body. Histamines and other stressors are more manageable when your “inflammation bucket” isn’t overflowing.

For this reason, instead of eliminating high-histamine foods entirely, it’s sometimes more helpful to consider the context. Take raspberries, for example: they’re often listed as high histamine, but they’re also rich in quercetin, which has anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties. Personally, I’ve felt perfectly fine eating raspberries, despite their place on many high-histamine lists.

It’s all about dose and context. It may not be that you can’t eat certain foods at all, but rather that you should consume them in small amounts, not daily, and alongside anti-inflammatory, antihistamine foods.

Additionally, how food affects you can depend on your environment. Eating while relaxed on vacation or sharing a meal with loved ones may affect you differently than if you’re stressed, rushing, or feeling anxious about what you’re eating.

It’s important to work with a healthcare provider to identify the root cause of your histamine intolerance and take a holistic approach to manage it.

Cooking Low Histamine Recipes: Food Groups

Animal Protein

Freshness is key when it comes to animal protein. Most histamine-related food poisoning occurs from consuming spoiled or canned animal products, especially fish.

Quality also matters. Choose animal products from producers who prioritize humane and natural farming methods over industrial practices. For beef, opt for grass-fed and grass-finished. For chicken, look for pasture-raised. For fish, prioritize wild-caught, but be mindful of sustainability before purchasing.

Always select fresh meat and other products from a trusted source.

Frozen meat is fine, as long as it was flash-frozen by a reliable producer and the cold chain wasn’t interrupted.

When thawing, use cold water and keep the meat in its original packaging, as this speeds up the process. It’s also better to buy smaller portions of meat or fish for quicker thawing.

Avoid slow cooking—opt for faster cooking methods instead.

Pressure cooking is an excellent alternative for tougher cuts of meat that would otherwise require slow cooking. A pressure cooker can be your best friend in low-histamine cooking. Whether you use an Instant Pot or a manual pressure cooker, both work well, and you can even cook meat and chicken straight from the freezer.

Avoid marinating your meat.

As for leftovers, they should be avoided unless frozen immediately. If you do freeze them, reheat using a fast method—straight from frozen in a pan or oven.

Meat (Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Pork, etc)

Fresh or flash-frozen meat is generally safe to eat on a low-histamine diet.

However, matured, dry-aged, cured, marinated, or smoked meats (like sausages, salami, or smoked bacon) tend to be high in histamine.

Ground or finely chopped meat is also typically high in histamine unless it’s prepared fresh at home and cooked immediately.

While organ meats (offal) are considered high-histamine, they are incredibly nutrient-dense and may actually support histamine degradation. For example, histamine blockers are made from pork kidneys.

Eggs

Eggs are generally considered low-risk for those with histamine intolerance as long as they are fresh, well-cooked, and of high quality. Opt for pasture-raised, omega-3 enriched eggs when possible.

Always ensure that eggs are fully cooked, especially the egg whites, as that’s where most of the protein (and thus amines) are concentrated.

Some groups consider duck eggs to be a safer option than chicken eggs.

Fish, Seafood, Crustaceans, and Shellfish

When dealing with histamine intolerance, the safest way to eat fish is if it’s freshly caught—ideally straight from the fisherman, cleaned and prepared immediately. In my experience, good restaurants near water that serve freshly caught fish of the day can be a safe option.

If you have a trusted source for wild-caught, sustainably harvested fish that has been cleaned and flash-frozen immediately, you might tolerate it well. In this case, thaw the fish in cold water and cook it right away—avoid leftovers.

Canned fish is very high in histamine, as are other processed fish products like smoked, marinated, or pickled fish.

Shellfish are typically considered high in histamine.

Personal note: I used to love pairing seafood or shellfish with a glass of red wine at restaurants, but I quickly noticed that something wasn’t right when combining the two. In fact, this was when I first started experiencing symptoms of histamine intolerance, although I didn’t recognize them at the time.

Dairy Products

When choosing dairy, look for grass-fed, organic products from cows that produce A2 casein, or opt for goat, sheep, or buffalo milk—all considered to be better tolerated in some cases.

Dairy products like cream cheese, mascarpone, butter, and mozzarella tend to be well tolerated. Notice the pattern: the less protein a product has, the fewer amines it contains, as amines form on proteins.

The Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance considers raw milk low risk, but the Spanish Society of DAO Deficiency lists it as high in histamine. This highlights the importance of experimenting with what works for your body rather than strictly following any low- or high-histamine food lists.

Matured and aged cheeses, as well as blue cheeses, are generally high in histamine.

Fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir carry moderate risk and may depend on individual tolerance.

On a personal note, I found it helpful to eliminate dairy altogether. This can be especially beneficial for those who, in addition to having DAO deficiency, are also intolerant or sensitive to lactose or casein.

Why eliminate dairy? Reducing inflammation in your body decreases the overall stress your body has to manage. When your stress or inflammation “bucket” is low, your body is better equipped to tolerate histamines from external sources.

Cereals, Flour, Pastry, and Sweet Treats

Since this platform focuses on gluten-free, lectin-free, and sugar-free options, we’re talking about flours, grains, and sweets that align with the Plant Paradox program. For more information on the program, check out my article: The Plant Paradox: How to Reduce Chronic Inflammation and Improve Your Health.

In general, nut flours should be avoided, but flours like cassava, tapioca, teff, sorghum, sweet potato flour, and millet are considered low in histamine. Coconut and chestnut flours are typically well tolerated as well.

Sourdough and yeast-based pastries and breads can potentially be high in histamine, but this depends on various factors, such as what they are paired with and how much is consumed.

Fruits, Nuts, and Seeds

Citrus fruits are considered high in histamine, along with fruits like raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, and dry fruits. However, as always, context matters. The key is to choose fresh, organic, and not overripe fruits.

Coconut products—including coconut flour, flakes, water, and oil—are generally well tolerated. During my total elimination diet, fresh coconut meat became one of my favorite snacks.

Walnuts, cashews, and peanuts (the last two aren’t Plant Paradox compliant, anyway) are typically listed as high-histamine. However, macadamia nuts and chestnuts are usually well tolerated. Since some lists exclude all nuts, it’s important to test your personal tolerance.

As for seeds, sesame seeds appear on some high-histamine lists, while Nigella Sativa seeds are known for their anti-histamine properties.

Fermented Foods

Unfortunately, fermented foods are generally high in histamine and may not be well tolerated by those with histamine intolerance. However, the degree of intolerance can vary from person to person, so it’s important to assess your own reactions.

Before eliminating all fermented foods, consider how much, how often, and in what combinations you consume them.

Examples of fermented foods include sauerkraut, fermented vegetables, vinegar, soy products, tempeh, and olives. Balsamic vinegar is especially high in histamine, whereas apple cider vinegar and white vinegar may be tolerated in small amounts.

Fermented sauces, yeast extracts, and some probiotics are also high in histamine. However, as a side note, there are probiotics specifically formulated to support histamine degradation.

Vegetables and Fruits

Mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, eggplant, avocado, and citrus are typically considered high in histamine. While it may be helpful to eliminate them temporarily, it’s important to assess how they affect you personally. As mentioned earlier, dose and context are key factors.

Spices and Herbs

Navigating the world of spices can be tricky, as tolerance varies from person to person and depends on context. I recommend starting with fresh herbs and aromatics, then gradually introducing dried spices and powders.

The challenge with dried spices and powders is that they can harbor mold, which may trigger reactions, even if the spice itself isn’t high in histamine. To avoid this, always buy from trusted sources and choose high-quality spices.

Spices like curry powder, turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon appear on high-histamine lists, but I’ve personally reintroduced them into my diet, being mindful not to overuse them.

Beverages

Alcohol and fermented drinks, such as kombucha, are high in histamine. The world of teas can be confusing, and I personally don’t react well to most of them. However, my favorite teas—fresh ginger, lemon balm, and tulsi—work well for me. In fact, all three seem to have potent anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine properties.

Anti-Histamine Foods and Drinks

While I won’t provide an exhaustive list, I’d like to highlight a few powerful ingredients that can help clear excess histamine when following a low-histamine diet. From my experience, these are natural anti-histamines:

• Nigella seeds and oil (also called black cumin)
• Rosemarinic acid
• Perilla oil (contains rosemarinic acid)
• Pomegranate (both arils and peel extract)
• Ginger
• Tulsi (holy basil)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Good quality salt
• Water

Some vegetables known for their anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory properties include asparagus, fennel, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, garlic, ginger, dandelion greens, fresh artichokes, root vegetables, sweet potatoes, yams, and fresh herbs.

Fresh coconut is also a great low-histamine snack, while coconut oil and coconut milk are generally considered safe.

Low Histamine Cooking, Methods, and Tools

As mentioned earlier, it’s important to avoid adding unnecessary stress to your body, as this can trigger inflammation and worsen histamine intolerance. This includes being mindful of endocrine disruptors and toxic compounds that can be released from certain cooking methods and tools.

• Avoid nonstick cookware. Opt for stainless steel, ceramic-coated, or enameled pots and pans—just ensure they aren’t scratched.
• Replace nonstick and aluminum baking pans with glass, ceramic, cast iron, or stainless steel.
• Avoid browning or burning food. Stick to cleaner methods like sautéing, braising, steaming, boiling, or baking at low to medium temperatures.
• For foods that typically take longer to cook, use fast-cooking tools like a pressure cooker.
• Avoid slow cooking methods and smoking.
• Swap plastic containers for glass containers to store food.

When eating out, choose simple side dishes like grilled or boiled asparagus, broccoli, or baked sweet potato. For protein, go with freshly wild-caught fish or steak.

Emergency Anti-Histamine Help

Supplements, in general, should address your individual deficiencies and needs, which you will know if you work with a doctor and get the necessary tests to identify and work on the root cause of your histamine intolerance.

Fortunately, a few supplements can help when you don’t control how much histamine you get from food. My favorite histamine intolerance supplements are (For the SeekingHealth affiliate link; use discount code CLAUDIA10 for 10% OFF):

• Seeking Health’s Histamine Digest (Diamine oxidase): This patented enzyme, derived from porcine (pork) kidney extract, supports the healthy breakdown of histamine in many areas of your body – especially the small intestine, colon, placenta, kidney, appendix, testis, and prostate.
• Quicksilver Scientific Nanoemulsified HistaAid – Flavonoids to Help Maintain Healthy Histamine Levels.

My Favorite Histamine Food Compatibility List

The compatibility list compiled by the Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance is my favorite resource. It’s regularly updated and offers a detailed guide when you need clarity on a specific ingredient or food item.

However, always keep bio-individuality in mind, as we all react differently depending on where we are in our journey. The list also doesn’t account for factors like dose, context, or food combinations in real-life situations.

Low-Histamine Recipes

You will find the links to some of my low-histamine recipes and meal ideas below:

Comments or Questions

I hope this guide to cooking low-histamine recipes and a low-histamine diet was useful. Leave a comment below if you have any questions.

Please remember this is not medical advice. Work with a trained medical professional to identify the root cause of your histamine intolerance and get professional guidance.

*This post contains affiliated links, which means I get a small commission if you choose to purchase something via one of my links, at no extra cost to you.