Search a food and see all three verdicts at once — including the foods where these diets flatly disagree, and where cooking changes the answer. Tomatoes are excluded on AIP but unrestricted on low-FODMAP; garlic is AIP-approved but a major fructan source; eggs are removed on AIP elimination while being useful for Hashimoto's.
| Food | AIP (autoimmune protocol) | SIBO / low-FODMAP | Hashimoto's / thyroid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken (thigh or breast) | Generally allowed — Unprocessed poultry is allowed through every AIP phase. | Generally allowed — Plain meat contains no FODMAPs. Watch marinades with garlic or onion. | Generally allowed — Neutral, useful protein. Nothing here interacts with levothyroxine. Chicken thigh nutrition |
| Broccoli | Generally allowed — Not a nightshade, grain, legume, nut or seed — allowed on elimination. | Depends — portion or preparation — Low-FODMAP at roughly 3/4 cup of heads; larger servings add fructans. | Depends — portion or preparation — Contains goitrogenic glucosinolates. Relevant mainly in large raw intakes with low iodine status. Raw vs cooked: Cooking (steaming or boiling) deactivates much of the goitrogenic activity, so cooked portions are the easier default. Hashimoto's foods to avoid |
| Cauliflower | Generally allowed — Allowed on AIP elimination. | Usually avoided — High in mannitol, a polyol that is poorly tolerated in most low-FODMAP phases. | Depends — portion or preparation — Goitrogenic raw; normal cooked portions are not a practical concern. Raw vs cooked: Cooking lowers goitrogenic compounds, but the mannitol content — the SIBO issue — does not change with cooking. SIBO diet guide |
| Brussels sprouts | Generally allowed — Allowed on AIP elimination. | Depends — portion or preparation — Low-FODMAP at about 1/2 cup; fructans climb quickly above that. | Depends — portion or preparation — Goitrogenic raw; cooking reduces the effect substantially. Raw vs cooked: Roasted or steamed sprouts are the usual thyroid-friendly form. Hashimoto's foods to avoid |
| Kale | Generally allowed — Allowed on AIP elimination. | Generally allowed — Low-FODMAP in normal servings. | Depends — portion or preparation — The 'healthy' food people miss: raw kale in large daily amounts (green smoothies) is goitrogenic. Raw vs cooked: Cooked kale loses much of its goitrogenic activity. Daily large raw servings are the pattern worth changing. Hashimoto's foods to avoid |
| Cabbage | Generally allowed — Allowed on AIP elimination. | Depends — portion or preparation — Common cabbage is low-FODMAP at around 3/4 cup shredded. | Depends — portion or preparation — Goitrogenic raw; cooking reduces the effect. Raw vs cooked: Cooked cabbage is the simpler choice if you eat cruciferous vegetables daily. Hashimoto's foods to avoid |
| Soy (tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy milk) | Usually avoided — Legume — excluded on AIP elimination. | Usually avoided — Galactans; firm tofu is better tolerated than soy milk or edamame. | Usually avoided — Can reduce levothyroxine absorption. If you eat soy, keep intake consistent and separate it from your dose by about 4 hours. Hashimoto's foods to avoid |
| Tomatoes | Usually avoided — Nightshade — removed during elimination, reintroduced later in stages. | Generally allowed — Low-FODMAP in normal servings; common tomatoes are unrestricted. | Depends — portion or preparation — No blanket rule. Some people with autoimmune thyroid disease report nightshade sensitivity — test individually rather than eliminating on principle. AIP diet food list |
| White potatoes | Usually avoided — Nightshade — excluded on elimination (sweet potato is the usual swap). | Generally allowed — Low-FODMAP and generally unrestricted. | Depends — portion or preparation — Fine for most people; only relevant if you have tested a nightshade sensitivity. AIP diet food list |
| Bell peppers | Usually avoided — Nightshade — excluded on elimination. | Generally allowed — Low-FODMAP in normal servings. | Depends — portion or preparation — Only restricted if you have identified a personal nightshade sensitivity. AIP diet food list |
| Garlic | Generally allowed — Allowed on AIP elimination. | Usually avoided — High in fructans. Garlic-infused oil gives the flavour without the FODMAPs. | Generally allowed — No thyroid-specific concern. FODMAP food list |
| Onions | Generally allowed — Allowed on AIP elimination. | Usually avoided — High in fructans, including the white part of spring onion. Green tops are fine. | Generally allowed — No thyroid-specific concern. FODMAP food list |
| Eggs | Usually avoided — Excluded during elimination; egg yolk is a common early (stage 1) reintroduction. | Generally allowed — No FODMAPs. | Generally allowed — Actively useful: a practical source of selenium, iodine and vitamin D. Space them from your levothyroxine dose like any food. Hashimoto's nutrients guide |
| Cashews | Usually avoided — Nuts are excluded on elimination; typically reintroduced at stage 2. | Usually avoided — High in galacto-oligosaccharides even in small servings. | Generally allowed — Neutral in moderation. AIP diet food list |
| Almonds | Usually avoided — Nut — excluded on elimination, stage 2 reintroduction. | Depends — portion or preparation — Around 10 nuts is usually tolerated; larger handfuls add GOS. | Generally allowed — Neutral in moderation. FODMAP food list |
| Brazil nuts | Usually avoided — Nut — excluded on elimination, stage 2 reintroduction. | Depends — portion or preparation — Not a major FODMAP source; keep to a moderate portion. | Depends — portion or preparation — The densest common selenium source. One to two nuts a day covers requirements; more can push you toward excess selenium. Selenium and Hashimoto's |
| Coffee | Depends — portion or preparation — Removed on elimination; a common stage 3 reintroduction. | Generally allowed — Black coffee is low-FODMAP; the milk you add may not be. | Depends — portion or preparation — Coffee within an hour of levothyroxine measurably reduces absorption. Wait 30–60 minutes after your dose. Levothyroxine and food timing |
| Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt) | Usually avoided — Excluded on elimination; some fermented or ghee forms return at stage 3. | Depends — portion or preparation — Depends on the product: hard aged cheese and lactose-free milk are fine; milk, soft cheese and yoghurt carry lactose. | Depends — portion or preparation — No blanket rule, but calcium from dairy or supplements binds levothyroxine — separate by about 4 hours. Hashimoto's diet plan |
| Wheat and gluten grains | Usually avoided — All grains are excluded on AIP elimination. | Usually avoided — Wheat, rye and barley are major fructan sources. | Depends — portion or preparation — Coeliac disease is more common with Hashimoto's and should be tested for before removing gluten. Outside coeliac disease the evidence is mixed. Gluten and Hashimoto's |
| Beans, lentils and chickpeas | Usually avoided — Legumes are excluded on elimination. | Usually avoided — Galactans. Small canned, rinsed portions are sometimes tolerated later. | Generally allowed — Neutral, and a useful iron and fibre source. Separate iron-rich meals from your dose. FODMAP food list |
| Quinoa | Usually avoided — Treated as a grain on AIP; late (stage 4) reintroduction. | Generally allowed — Low-FODMAP in normal servings. | Generally allowed — A practical gluten-free carbohydrate if you are trialling gluten removal. AIP diet food list |
| Sweet potato | Generally allowed — Allowed on elimination and the standard white-potato replacement. | Depends — portion or preparation — Low-FODMAP at about 1/2 cup; mannitol rises in larger servings. | Generally allowed — A useful carbohydrate with no thyroid-specific issue. Hashimoto's diet plan |
| Salmon (wild-caught) | Generally allowed — Allowed on elimination. | Generally allowed — No FODMAPs. | Generally allowed — Supplies omega-3s, vitamin D and selenium — one of the easiest additions. Salmon nutrition |
| Seaweed and kelp | Not covered by this diet — Not specifically restricted; sea vegetables are generally permitted. | Not covered by this diet — Not a recognised FODMAP concern in normal servings. | Usually avoided — The most under-recognised risk on this list. Kelp can deliver thousands of micrograms of iodine per serving, and excess iodine can worsen autoimmune thyroid disease. Iodine and Hashimoto's |
| Bone broth | Generally allowed — An AIP staple. | Generally allowed — Fine if made without onion or garlic. | Generally allowed — No thyroid-specific concern. Gut health diet plan |
| Turmeric | Generally allowed — Root spice — allowed (seed-based spices are not). | Generally allowed — Low-FODMAP in culinary amounts. | Generally allowed — No thyroid-specific concern at food-level intakes. Anti-inflammatory diet |
| Avocado | Generally allowed — Allowed on elimination. | Depends — portion or preparation — Low-FODMAP at roughly 1/8 of a whole avocado; sorbitol rises above that. | Generally allowed — Neutral, useful fat source. FODMAP food list |
Not at normal intakes. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables contain glucosinolates that can interfere with iodine uptake, but the effect has only been documented at very high raw intakes combined with low iodine status. Cooking deactivates much of that activity, so cooked portions are the practical default.
Because the diets are solving different problems. AIP removes possible immune triggers. Low-FODMAP for SIBO removes fermentable carbohydrates. Hashimoto's nutrition focuses on iodine balance, selenium, iron and levothyroxine absorption.
Almost never. Pick the one that matches your current problem, run it for a defined period, then reintroduce foods one at a time while logging symptoms.
For most people, yes — eggs supply selenium, iodine and vitamin D. Eggs are excluded during AIP elimination, which is where the confusion comes from.
Soy can reduce levothyroxine absorption. The usual advice is to keep intake consistent and separate it from your dose by about four hours, then retest thyroid labs as your clinician directs.