Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (2024)

by Lindsay Cotter

Dairy-FreeGluten-FreeNightshade-Free

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Find a list of the best gluten-free, easy nightshade free recipes to include in your nightshade free diet! You’ll find everything from breakfasts to lunches and dinner recipes that are so nutritious and full of flavor you’d never guess they’re nightshade free.

Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (2)

Table Of Contents

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  • What Are Nightshades?
  • Common Nightshade Ingredients
  • Simple Nightshade Alternatives
  • Are Nightshades Inflammatory?
  • The Best Easy Nightshade Free Recipes
    • Nightshade Free Recipes for Breakfast
    • Lunch Options
    • easy Nightshade Free Dinner Recipes
  • Commonly Asked Questions About Easy Nightshade Free Recipes
  • More Nightshade Free Resources

What Are Nightshades?

Nightshades are the edible part of flowering plants. The nightshade family contains over 2,000 varieties of plants, though most aren’t actually eaten as food.

Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (3)

Unlike other plants, those in the nightshade family produce toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids. Glycoalkaloids help protect the plants against insects, disease, and animals. However, the toxic compounds can also be toxic to humans and can aggravate specific health conditions such as autoimmune diseases.

Common Nightshade Ingredients

Below is a non-exhaustive list of common nightshade foods. Keep reading to find more nightshade ingredients.

  • Potatoes (excluding sweet potatoes)
  • Potato Starch
  • Tomatillos
  • Tomatoes
  • Ashwagandha
  • Eggplant
  • Bell Peppers
  • Goji Berries
  • Jalapeños
  • Paprika
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Chili Powder
  • Chipotle Chili Powder
  • Curry Powder
  • Garam Masala
  • Hot Sauce
  • Ketchup
  • (Most) Barbecue Sauces
  • Red Pasta Sauce

Tip – Also be careful when buying foods that contain Modified Food Starch or Vegetable Starch Starch. These are often made from potatoes unless specified, like corn starch.

Simple Nightshade Alternatives

*Always consult a doctor with any specific questions or concerns and before altering your diet.

  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Cassava
  • Cauliflower
  • Polenta
  • Zucchini
  • Butternut Squash
  • Broccoli
  • Beetroot
  • Radishes
  • Celery
  • Cucumber
  • Carrots
  • Pomegranates
  • Herbs (Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Cilantro)
  • Vinegar
  • Mustard
  • Turmeric
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Coconut Aminos

Are Nightshades Inflammatory?

As mentioned, all nightshades contain chemical compounds known as alkaloids, one of which is solanine. Solaline is a naturally occurring glycoalkaloid poison.

Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (4)

As a result, people with an intolerance or allergy to solanine may experience negative side effects like inflammation. The area of inflammation can vary from person to person. For instance, some may experience inflammation in their gut while others may feel it in their joints.

The Best Easy Nightshade Free Recipes

These recipes below are also dairy-free and contain anti-inflammatory properties and nutrients!

Nightshade Free Recipes for Breakfast

Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (5)
Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (6)
Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (7)
  • Healing Breakfast Porridge (Anti-inflammatory/AIP-Option)
  • Immunity Boosting Smoothies (Anti-inflammatory)
  • Mango Coconut Protein Bars
  • Sheet Pan Turmeric Scrambled Eggs (If eggs are tolerated)

Lunch Options

Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (8)
Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (9)
Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (10)
  • Mango Avocado Salad with Melon Dressing (Anti-inflammatory)
  • Spaghetti Squash Pasta with Nomato Sauce (Anti-inflammatory)
  • Broccoli Salad (dairy free option) with Air Fryer Fish (Anti-inflammatory)
  • Green Goddess Chicken Wraps with almond flour or coconut flour tortillas

easy Nightshade Free Dinner Recipes

Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (11)
Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (12)
Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (13)
  • Pan Seared Salmon with Avocado Gremolata (Anti-inflammatory and Rich in Omegas)
  • Coconut Milk Chicken (Omit Cayenne)
  • Healthy Teriyaki Chicken
  • Mushroom Risotto (Dairy-Free Option)

Commonly Asked Questions About Easy Nightshade Free Recipes

How do you cook without nightshades?

Try replacing nightshade-containing ingredients with nightshade free foods that contain similar flavor profiles.

What is the diet with no nightshades?

The nightshade free diet is one that restricts nightshades.

Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (14)

More of Our Favorite

More Nightshade Free Resources

  • Nightshade Free Diet Guide
  • What Are Nightshades

Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (15)

Jump To Comments

More recipes you’ll love!

About Lindsay

Hi, y’all, I’m Lindsay Cotter, a Nutrition Specialist with a focus onGluten-Freeeating. I love creating delicious nourishing food that anyone can enjoy.

Have a question? Use ctrl+f or ⌘+f on your computer or the “find on page” function on your phone browser to search existing comments!

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Rate & Comment

    • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (22)Lindsay Cotter

      Just emailed you! <3

      Reply

  1. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (23)Emily

    I’ve tried to sign up to get the ebook from this meal plan, it’s not working. Thanks for any help.

    Reply

    • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (24)Lindsay Cotter

      Hi Emily! Which ebook are you referring to? Happy to help!

      Reply

  2. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (25)Chris Biggins

    Hi there: I see potato starch on the food list but that is a nightshade. It’s also a tricky problem dealing with gluten-free groceries. I’ve been having better luck with Schar brand Walmart items with this. There is an additional issue/ingredient to watch: “Modified Food Starch” can be just as bad as “spices” when it comes to nightshades. Maybe 25% of the time it means “potato starch” and the ingrates don’t say it. “Spices” might have paprika, jalapeno, etc., which is just as evil.

    Reply

  3. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (26)Brownlie

    Thank you so much Lindsay. Its no often I come across a blog that makes literal good, healthy bread and not some healthy but “unappetizing” meals, breads and things like that. Kudos to you! Thanks a lot, I give my thanks on behalf for all my gluten free people!

    Reply

    • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (27)Lindsay Cotter

      Oh thank you brownlie! I appreciate your support.

      Reply

  4. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (28)Jen

    Thanks for directing me over here, Lindsay. When you’re inflamed and in pain it’s hard to get going so this helps SO VERY MUCH. Blessings to you.

    Reply

  5. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (29)Pravin Shah

    “I love recipes where you will get to eat delicious food with some health benefits attached to it.

    This recipe’s specialty is that this meal plan of anti-inflammatory recipes has nightshade-free options to help reduce inflammation in your body, which is simply amazing. “

    Reply

  6. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (30)Kiffany

    Hi Lindsay, thanks for the wonderful article! I recently started making my own gluten free breads, desserts and things like that. Do you have any advice on how to get those soft and tasty? For me that’s the hardest part of gluten free cooking and buying breads like that is very expensive. Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (31)Lindsay Cotter

      sure! Have you checked out my homemade vegan bread? I found that xanthan gum gives it a nice texture. I also have 2 almond flour breads that are grain free!

      Reply

    • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (32)Gwen

      Yes I agree Kiffany! This is the hardest part of making gluten free anything really. As gluten free breads and things are not as soft and fluffy. One thing that does work better though is if you were to buy box mixes like with King Arthur Bread Company which makes organic and healthy flours and mixes. There desserts mixes are better than regular flours sets!

      Reply

  7. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (33)Amy Jones

    OMG. This is what I’ve been looking for! This anti-inflammatory gluten-free meal plan are not only full of delicious recipes, but also include foods that are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Thank you so much for sharing this!

    Reply

  8. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (35)julie

    We have big time coconut and tree nut allergies, any ideas for replacing those?

    Reply

    • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (36)Lindsay Cotter

      Sure thing! Which recipes? I find cassava root flour and oat flour or bob’s redmill 1:1 flour is a great nut flour substitute. Instead of almond butter, I use sunflower seed butter. Instead of coconut oil, cold pressed grapeseed oil or avoccado oi or butter. 😛

      Reply

  9. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (37)Brenda

    Hi, I’m very new to all of this. I have thyroid issues ( hypothyroidism) I have gut leak and I am needing anti inflammatory foods….I am in need of all of these remedies. I’m just starting to do research on these diets. How do I get started? What steps should I do first because this is a lot to take in and understand…thanks.

    Reply

    • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (38)Lindsay Cotter

      Hi Brenda. So sorry to hear this! my best advice is to see a holistic nutritionist. I also have a healing foods meal plan that might help. https://www.cottercrunch.com/healing-recipes-meal-plan/

      Are you in the states? Dr.Axe is also very good!
      https://draxe.com/leaky-gut-diet-treatment/

      Reply

    • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (39)Ren

      Hello Brenda! I’m sorry to hear what you are dealing with. I know I have dealt with this before. I used to stay in a higher elevation and before I moved to a lower one I did a lot of diet research. One of the things I found was some thing called the GAPS diet. Its supposed to help leaky gut. I would visit a nutritionist as well to help. I wish you the best luck!

      Reply

  10. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (40)Sherry

    I am really liking your recipies alot. I have tried making the blueberry muffins and they were excellent – moist and flavourful and rose in the muffin tin nicely, not too dense, still light. The breakfast pizza also is excellent. I plan to work my way through your recipies one by one! Thank you! I am gf and need an anti-inflammatory diet for fibro condition as well.

    Reply

    • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (41)Cotter Crunch

      wonderful! Glad they are helping Sherry.

      Reply

      • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (42)Jess L

        Thank you for all the info and recipes, but I do have to question the use of tomatoes in your recipes…all of my many doctors are adamant about them being an extremely inflammatory food that anyone with inflammation should absolutely stay away from, as well as potatoes.

        Reply

        • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (43)Cotter Crunch

          Hi Jess. Thanks for the comment. Yes, I can totally see that. I think it really depends on your overall health to begin with. Tomatoes and potatoes are real food that are nourishing. But if you are dealing with certain food intolerances or allergies, then you might eliminate nightshades for bit. It can be tricky and there is no one size fits up. The reason I add in potatoes is because they can really help with adrenal function, which in return can calm the body back down. I am happy to update the meal plan with those notes though.

          Reply

  11. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (44)Devon Gerthe

    I love, love, love and appreciate all the time any energy it must have taken to creat such a wonder meal plan. The only thing that threw me is the list does not include eveytyhing needed. Was this list just stapels?

    Reply

  12. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (45)Gavin

    Thank you for the tips on taking care of my gut and all the recipes to help do so. There is a lot I need to do! (https://www.drlam.com/blog/microbiome-gut-flora/23823/)

    Reply

  13. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (46)Christine

    These recipes look amazing – I’ve done the beet salad one and it is excellent. I love the idea, but can you please warn us that the grocery list is not complete? I bought everything on the list, but find I have about half the ingredients. Maybe I missed something.

    Reply

    • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (47)Cotter Crunch

      Oh no, so sorry! I just used this as a guideline. But I will update for sure.

      Reply

      • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (48)Christine

        Please, I’m not really upset, and I’m a good enough cook to get creative with recipes. I was just so excited to find your blog (I still am!). On a scale of major things, it’s a 2 out of 10. I appreciate you doing this and putting these recipes out there for all of us. They all look amazing!!

        Reply

  14. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (49)رژیم غذایی

    Oily fish, like salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines, are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help reduce inflammation.

    Reply

    • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (50)Cotter Crunch

      great choices indeed!

      Reply

  15. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (51)Anna Wright

    Many delicious recipes you have shared with us, this makes more helpful for everyone visited your blogs, keep blogging with more recipes, love to follow you 🙂

    Reply

  16. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (52)What Is Hyaluronic Acid

    I like concept of your post. Very creative post. Best of luck and waiting for some new ideas. I am looking for such useful information and I found here a lot of it. Nice article and exactly what I need. Most of all I like the style. Great job, thanks.

    Reply

  17. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (53)Jody - Fit at 58

    So helpful Lindsay! That beet apple one was always looking good to me!

    Reply

  18. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (54)Kristy from Southern In Law

    So many delicious recipes! That beet apple salad recipe is going on my must make list for this week! I love anything with beets and I just bought a big ol’ bag of apples from the farmers market!

    Reply

  19. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (55)Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment

    I really try to stay gluten free, even though I don’t have celiac disease.. I like to make gluten free breakfast bars. They are perfect for a busy morning.

    Reply

  20. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (56)Cassie

    Everything–I mean EVERYTHING–here is calling my name! I would like to look into what foods are anti-inflammatory and what are not just to see what is the best for my health! Thank you so much for posting these recipes!

    Reply

    • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (57)Kelley

      Your website was one of my first on my search to start Gluten Free/Anti inflammatory diet or should I say
      my new way of life!!
      I was referred to a Rheumatologist and went through my medical history and blood tests and found nothing as they were looking for arthritis or autoimmune diseases…I have unexplained inflammation in my body.
      So, here I am searching on how to change my diet. I read your site and looking forward to trying out recipes.
      If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear back. Thank you for putting together great info and recipes.

      Reply

      • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (58)Lindsay Cotter

        Hi Kelley! Yes, always happy to help:) shoot me an email at [emailprotected] anytime you have questions or need suggestions

        Reply

  21. Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (59)SUSIE @ SUZLYFE

    I’ve never tried an anti inflammatory diet before, but I wonder if it would have changed anything for me when I was first really sick. Back then, you didn’t really do such things, anyway, but it does make me wonder if trying something like this might have helped at least with my level of comfort.

    Reply

    • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (60)Cotter Crunch

      I think it could! you’d just have to play with the fat intake. More supplementation maybe? I think grain free for a time period would really health with inflammation though. Flare ups.

      Reply

      • Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (61)Kiki

        It’s so nice to finally find recipes that are diary free, gluten free and anti inflammatory. I suffer from an autoimmune disorde. I know having many restrictions makes it very difficult to find food that won’t cause flare ups. Is there other recipes that you have available for the dietary restrictions that I listed above, or for people with autoimmune disorders? Please let me know. Thank you in advance for your great healthy recipes.

        Reply

Easy Nightshade Free Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can I eat instead of nightshades? ›

Easy substitutions

Although it may seem daunting, there are some easy ways to replace nightshades in your diet. What is this? Potatoes – Root, tuber and starchy veggies like sweet potatoes, yams, carrots, parsnips, beets and squashes are all excellent swaps for the hundreds of potato varieties.

What is the diet where you don't eat nightshades? ›

Adopting a deadly nightshade-free diet can be a beneficial choice for individuals experiencing symptoms of intolerance or inflammation. While nightshade vegetables are nutrient-dense and can be a healthy part of a balanced diet for most people, they may cause discomfort and aggravate certain conditions for others.

What is a good nightshade-free substitute for peppers? ›

Alternatives to hot peppers:

I personally mostly swap tomatoes for carrots, potatoes for sweet potatoes, bell peppers for celery, and peppercorns for hot peppers (and I never cooked much with eggplant before anyway).

What are the symptoms of nightshade intolerance? ›

Symptoms of nightshade intolerance include gas, bloating, diarrhea, heartburn, achy joints and severe fatigue. Some people report less abdominal pain and acid reflux and improved bowel habits and even general well-being after removing nightshades from their diet.

How to detox from nightshades? ›

If you feel that nightshades could be the cause of your symptoms, try eliminating them from your diet for four to six weeks. Assess how you feel and if you've experienced any decrease of symptoms, keep a log of what has improved. Start bringing back one nightshade at a time for a few days and look for a reaction.

What are the five nightshades? ›

The most common edible nightshades are the tomato, potato, eggplant, bell pepper and chili pepper. Some diets claim that nightshades are inflammatory and should be avoided. This idea is rooted in the fact that nightshades are a large family of plants that contain a chemical compound called alkaloids.

How long does it take to eliminate nightshades? ›

If you suspect you may be sensitive to nightshades, don't eat them for two weeks. Then slowly introduce them back into your diet. Allow about three days between each one.

Why are nightshades bad for gut? ›

Other nightshades like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and peppers contain alkaloids, or a form of carbohydrate-binding proteins called lectins that can cause inflammation and digestive issues in some people. However, the levels are usually too small to affect most humans, Brown says.

Are there any potatoes that are not nightshades? ›

Nightshades belong to the Solanaceae family and include thousands of edible and inedible plants. Tomatoes (all varieties, and tomato products like marinara, ketchup, etc.) Potatoes (white and red potatoes. However, sweet potatoes are not nightshades.)

Are blueberries a nightshade? ›

There also fruit like blueberries, which are not nightshade plants but do contain solanine. Despite this, many such fruit and vegetables are safe to eat.

What spice is not a nightshade? ›

Indian long pepper and Grains of Paradise are two essential ingredients for building your no nightshade kitchen.

What spices contain nightshades? ›

Many herbs and spices are derived from nightshades, including cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, chili powder and paprika. Several condiments contain nightshade vegetables including hot sauce, ketchup, marinara sauce, salsa and baba ganoush (eggplant dip).

Is a sweet potato a nightshade? ›

Sweet potatoes are not nightshades. Even though sweet potatoes may seem similar to white potatoes, they actually belong to a completely different family of plants (called morning glories).

How do you eat nightshade vegetables safely? ›

If you still want to eat nightshades but would like to lower their alkaloid content, you can accomplish this by peeling your potatoes, limiting green tomatoes, and fully cooking these vegetables.

Who should not eat nightshade plants? ›

Nightshade foods contain solanine, a chemical that some people believe may aggravate arthritis pain or inflammation. However, the Arthritis Foundation (AF) says that this is untrue. That said, if a person feels that certain foods, such as nightshades, trigger their arthritis symptoms, they should avoid them.

How do you remove lectin from nightshade vegetables? ›

Pressure cooking also helps with removing lectins in nightshades and cucurbits. Whenever you use these vegetables in cooking, use a pressure cooker, especially if you didn't peel and deseed them. And even if you do, the extra step of pressure cooking will reduce lectins further.

Is mayonnaise a nightshade? ›

Well, first of all, mayonnaise is LOADED with paprika, the sneakiest of nightshades.

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