For someone who used to eat peanut butter by the spoonful as a snack, it was a big blow to have to remove peanut butter from my diet. But, never fear, there are some great nuts and seeds that you can eat on a low histamine diet, and with a little creativity, you won’t feel like you’re missing out. Who knows, you may even find a new favorite among them.
In this guide, we’ll explore the nuts, seeds, and nut alternatives that you can include in your diet, even with histamine intolerance. Knowing which nuts and seeds work best with a low histamine diet can make a world of difference in maintaining a balanced, enjoyable, and symptom-free diet.
Low Histamine Nuts & Seeds
All these nuts and seeds listed below are featured on the ‘TLH YES List,’ making them suitable for individuals with histamine intolerance. They have a SIGHI rating of 0 and are widely recognized as safe by other reputable sources.
- Brazil Nuts
- Chestnut
- Chia Seed
- Hemp Seed
- Psyllium
- Pumpkin
- *Tigernut (a tuber, nut substitute)
A quick comment about Tigernut. Tigernut is a tuber and when ground down forms a flour that can be used to make Tigernut butter, a wonderful Peanut butter substitute. Learn more about Tiger Nuts in this blog post.
For all the advice I share here about which foods fall into the YES, NO, and MAYBE categories for a low histamine diet, I depend on the Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI) histamine food compatibility list. This list is a widely trusted and respected resource, often referenced by many other histamine food guides.
Maybe Nuts & Seeds
The nuts and seeds on the ‘TLH MAYBE’ list are moderately suitable for those with histamine intolerance. These nuts and seeds have a SIGHI rating of 1. Sometimes, consuming these nuts and seeds in small, infrequent amounts can be tolerated. You might experience mild symptoms, or perhaps none at all. It’s really about personal testing—introduce them slowly and see how your body responds to determine what you can comfortably tolerate. If you find that a particular nut or seed is well-tolerated, you can then add it to your
Quick Note about the nuts and seeds with a “*” (macadamia and pistachio). These are nuts that SIGHI gave a 0 to but other credible low histamine foods lists disagree with how well they are tolerated by those with histamine intolerance.
Foods that are Histamine Liberators are indicated with an “(L)” after the food item.
- Almonds
- Cashews (L)
- Hazelnut (L)
- Macadamia*
- Pine Nut
- Pistachio*
- Sesame
High Histamine Nuts & Seeds
The ‘TLH NO’ list includes nuts and seeds that are unsuitable for individuals with histamine intolerance (SIGHI levels 2 and 3). These nuts and seeds are either high in histamine, promote histamine release, or act as DAO blockers. Regular consumption of these items is often linked with significant symptoms and poor tolerance, frequently leading to severe reactions.
- Peanuts
- Sunflower Seeds (L)
- Walnuts
Recipes Featuring Low Histamine Nuts & Seeds
Got a hankering for a recipe that uses low histamine nuts and seeds? Try some of these Truly Low Histamine recipes below.
PEACH AND COTTAGE CHEESE BOWL WITH HONEY AND NUTS
APPLE MINT & TIGER NUT BUTTER CRISPS
CLASSIC PESTO WITH A LOW HISTAMINE VEGAN MAKEOVER
Low Histamine Food List
For a complete list of foods high in histamine, foods low in histamine, and “maybe” foods that fall in between; check out my blog post LOW HISTAMINE DIET FOOD LIST MADE SIMPLE: KNOW YOUR FOODS
