Which Foods Are Often Avoided With Hashimoto's?

If you have Hashimoto's, it probably doesn't take long before you come across lists of foods you are supposedly not allowed to eat.

No gluten. No dairy. No soy. No sugar. No processed foods.

Sometimes it can feel like there is almost nothing left to eat.

And if you're already dealing with fatigue, bloating, weight changes or brain fog, it's completely understandable to wonder:

“Are there foods that make my Hashimoto's worse?”

But the answer isn't as black and white as many online lists make it seem.

Which Foods Are Often Avoided?

There are several foods and food groups that are commonly mentioned in discussions about Hashimoto's.

The most common include:

gluten;
dairy;
soy;
highly processed foods;
foods high in added sugar;
and sometimes certain vegetables because of so-called goitrogens.

But being commonly avoided doesn't automatically mean that you need to avoid them.

That distinction matters.

Gluten

Gluten is probably at the top of almost every list about Hashimoto's and food.

Gluten is found naturally in grains such as wheat, barley and rye.

Some people with Hashimoto's choose to avoid gluten because they feel better without it.

However, for people with Hashimoto's who do not have celiac disease, there currently isn't enough evidence to recommend a gluten-free diet routinely. A recent systematic review found no significant effect of a gluten-free diet on TSH, FT3 or FT4, and the certainty of the evidence was very low.

If you have celiac disease, that's different. A strict gluten-free diet is necessary.

So:

Hashimoto's does not automatically mean you need to go gluten-free.

Dairy

Dairy is another food group frequently mentioned as something people with Hashimoto's should avoid.

But again, context matters.

If you don't have lactose intolerance, a milk allergy or another clear reason to avoid dairy, there isn't a general rule that everyone with Hashimoto's needs to eliminate it.

If you consistently notice bloating, digestive symptoms or other changes after certain dairy products, however, that pattern may be worth discussing with a healthcare professional.

Soy

Soy sometimes gets a bad reputation when it comes to thyroid conditions.

But soy is not automatically a food you need to avoid because you have Hashimoto's.

What can matter is how much you consume and when you consume it, particularly if you're taking thyroid medication.

Soy products can affect the absorption of levothyroxine. That's why it's better to discuss medication timing with your doctor or pharmacist rather than automatically eliminating soy from your diet.

Sugar and Highly Processed Foods

This is a little different.

You don't need to think of every food containing sugar as a "Hashimoto trigger."

But a diet that consists mainly of highly processed foods, lots of added sugar and relatively few nutrient-rich foods is obviously different from a varied diet containing vegetables, fruit, protein, fibre and healthy fats.

So rather than asking:

“Can I eat this one cookie?”

it may be more useful to ask:

“What does my overall eating pattern look like?”

What About Broccoli, Cauliflower and Other Vegetables?

You may have read that certain vegetables should be avoided with Hashimoto's because they contain so-called goitrogens.

That sounds complicated, but it doesn't mean that broccoli or cauliflower are automatically bad for your thyroid.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts can generally be part of a healthy diet.

You don't need to remove nutritious vegetables from your diet simply because you have Hashimoto's.

The Problem With Long "Forbidden Food" Lists

Perhaps this is the most important part.

If you remove another food every time you experience a symptom, your list can eventually become very long.

First no gluten.

Then no dairy.

Then no soy.

Then no sugar.

Then no potatoes.

Before long, you may spend more time thinking about what you can't eat than what your body actually needs.

That can also create unnecessary stress around food.

And food isn't only about what you should avoid.

It's also about what your body needs.

Look at Your Own Patterns

That doesn't mean food can't influence how you feel.

It absolutely can.

Maybe you notice that you're hungry much sooner after a certain breakfast. Or that a particular meal leaves you feeling bloated. Or that your energy drops much faster after some meals than others.

Those patterns can be worth paying attention to.

Not because you need to immediately label a food as "bad", but because they can help you understand what works for your body.

So: What Should You Avoid With Hashimoto's?

There isn't one universal list of foods that everyone with Hashimoto's needs to avoid.

Have celiac disease? Then gluten needs to be strictly avoided.

Have a food allergy or intolerance? Avoiding the relevant food may be appropriate.

But if you have Hashimoto's without a specific allergy, intolerance or other medical reason, you don't automatically need to eliminate a long list of foods from your life.

A varied, balanced eating pattern is generally a much better foundation than continually adding new foods to a "do not eat" list.

And perhaps that's a better way to think about food with Hashimoto's:

Not: “What am I no longer allowed to eat?”

But:

“Which foods work well for my body?”

That's a much more personal question — and perhaps the more interesting one.