The Feingold diet is meant to help people with behavior or learning problems. It was developed by pediatrician Ben Feingold, former chief allergist at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco. Feingold found that people who are sensitive to aspirin also react to some foods and food additives. The diet eliminates these from your eating program.
Foods Sans Artificial Coloring
You can eat many foods found in the grocery store under the Feingold diet, but you need to avoid artificial coloring. For example, natural white cheddar-flavored cheese puffs are allowed, but orange-colored cheese puffs are not because of the artificial coloring used, according to the Feingold Association of the United States.
Foods Sans Artificial Flavors
Read labels to determine if foods have artificial flavor, and choose the foods that do not. For example, you can get chocolate cake mix that does not have artificial flavor in its ingredients, though many mixes add it. Many classic potato chip brands are allowed as well, including Lays and Lance.
Not all additives are eliminated on the program. Corn syrup, sulfating agents, monosodium glutamate, calcium propionate, benzoates and nitrates are all allowed, according to the Fenigold Association, though many people do better when these are eliminated as well. Eliminate the antioxidants BGA and BHT, notes Carolyn D. Berdanier in her book, "Handbook of Nutrition and Food."
Meat, Veggies and Fruit
All fresh or frozen fish, meats and vegetables are allowed on the Feingold diet. Fruit is another matter, however. Most apples are not allowed on the diet because of their salicylate content, which can cause unwanted effects in some people. However, you can substitute pears under this diet in recipes that call for apples, says Lisa S. Lewis in the book "Special Diets for Special Kids." Plants such as apples create a chemical that is similar to acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin, that can trigger problems, according to the Feingold Association. Like pears, bananas and limes are also low in salicylates. In contrast, melons, blueberries, and peaches are all high in salicylate content, according to the Salicylate Sensitivity website.
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