Iodine is a mineral naturally present in many foods, most commonly seafood. While it is present in only trace amounts in your body, iodine is required to form thyroid hormones in the body. While you typically need iodine in your daily diet, your physician may recommend eating a low-iodine diet if you experience a condition like thyroid cancer or need to take a radioactive iodine test to determine how your body uses iodine. Only start a low-iodine diet under your physician's supervision.
Foods to Avoid
Because lack of iodine led to more common development of thyroid growths known as a goiter, manufacturers began adding iodine to salt. Because salt is widely used in your daily diet, this reduced the incidence of goiters. However, when you are attempting to follow a low-iodine diet, you must avoid iodized salt, salt substitutes, kelp, sea salts and seasoned salt. This can be challenging because iodized salt is added to many prepared restaurant meals. For this reason, low-iodine diets rely on you preparing most of your own foods. You also can request that no salt be added to your dishes at a restaurant.
Breads and Cereals
Many commercially baked goods contain iodate conditioners, which are used to achieve a desired texture when baking. While you should avoid commercially prepared baked goods like biscuits, muffins and other breads on a low-iodine diet, you can make your own breads at home. You also can eat bread choices like flour, oatmeal, pasta, noodles, barley and shredded wheat.
Protein Sources
All seafood sources contain some element of iodine. This includes fish and shellfish products, which may typically serve in some part as a protein source in your daily diet. However, there are other protein sources you can include that do not contain iodine. You can eat fresh cuts of meat in about 6 oz. servings on a daily basis. Examples include chicken and red meat. You also can eat egg whites and most beans, with the exception of soybeans, because they are high in iodine.
Snacks
Because many pre-packaged snacks contain iodine, it can be difficult to determine which snacks are safe. Examples of low-iodine snacks include fresh fruits and juices, fresh raw vegetables, popcorn, nuts without salt and unsalted peanut butter. You also can eat unsalted crackers and homemade bread or muffin products that do not contain added salt.
