Short answer: An anti-inflammatory grocery list fills most of your cart with vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts, oily fish and extra-virgin olive oil, and keeps sugary drinks, processed meats and refined snacks for occasional buys. The list below is sorted by store aisle, with cheaper swaps and notes for AIP, low FODMAP and Hashimoto's.
Free tool: AIP, low-FODMAP and Hashimoto's food checker — check any food against AIP, low-FODMAP and Hashimoto's side by side.
Medical disclaimer: This list is general information, not medical advice, and no food treats an inflammatory disease. If you have a food allergy, celiac disease, kidney disease, or take blood thinners or thyroid medication, check changes with your clinician. Seek care promptly for hot, swollen joints, fever, or blood in your stool.
| Food Group | What to buy | Budget swap | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh produce | Leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, berries, citrus, apples, avocados | Cabbage, carrots, onions and bananas are usually the cheapest per portion | Aim to fill about half the cart here |
| Frozen | Berries, spinach, peas, broccoli, mixed vegetables, plain fish fillets | Frozen in place of fresh for anything you won't eat within a few days | Choose packs with no sauce or added sugar |
| Canned and jarred | Beans, lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, salmon, sardines, mackerel | Dried beans and lentils cost even less | Pick "no salt added" or rinse before use |
| Grains | Oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley, wholegrain bread and pasta | Oats and brown rice bought in large bags | A whole grain should be the first ingredient |
| Fish, poultry and meat | Salmon, trout, sardines, chicken, turkey, eggs | Canned fish and eggs give the most protein per dollar | Keep bacon, ham, salami and hot dogs occasional |
| Dairy and alternatives | Plain yogurt, kefir, cheese in small amounts, unsweetened fortified soy drink | Large tubs of plain yogurt, flavoured at home with fruit | Sweetened yogurts can carry a lot of added sugar |
| Nuts and seeds | Walnuts, almonds, chia, ground flaxseed, pumpkin seeds | Buy unsalted nuts in bulk and freeze them | A small handful a day is a typical portion |
| Oils and condiments | Extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, mustard, tahini | One large bottle of olive oil for everyday cooking | Check sauces and dressings for added sugar |
| Herbs and spices | Turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, oregano, rosemary, black pepper | Dried herbs last months and cost little per use | Add flavour without extra salt |
| Drinks | Water, sparkling water, tea, coffee | Tap water and loose tea | Keep sugary soft drinks occasional |
This basket follows a Mediterranean-style pattern. In a meta-analysis of 17 trials, Mediterranean diets lowered the inflammatory markers hs-CRP and IL-6 compared with control diets, although results varied between trials (Schwingshackl and Hoffmann, 2014). The PREDIMED trial found fewer major cardiovascular events when high-risk adults ate this pattern with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts (Estruch et al., 2018). Benefits come from the whole pattern over time, not from any single item on the list.
The general list includes foods that some diets remove. Use this table before you shop if your clinician has asked you to follow one of these approaches.
| Item | AIP | Low-FODMAP | Hashimoto's / thyroid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oats, rice, wholegrain bread | Avoid during elimination (grains) | Oats and rice in measured portions; most wheat bread is high | Fine; choose certified gluten-free if you avoid gluten |
| Beans, lentils, chickpeas | Avoid during elimination (legumes) | Small portions of rinsed canned lentils or chickpeas only | Fine |
| Garlic and onion | Allowed | High; use garlic-infused oil and spring onion greens | Fine |
| Tomatoes and peppers | Avoid during elimination (nightshades) | Common tomatoes and red peppers are low | Fine |
| Walnuts and almonds | Avoid during elimination (nuts) | Walnuts are low; almonds only in small portions | Fine |
| Eggs | Avoid during elimination | Fine | Fine |
| Yogurt and cheese | Avoid during elimination (dairy) | Choose lactose-free yogurt and hard cheeses | Keep calcium-rich foods away from your levothyroxine dose |
| Tofu and soy drink | Avoid during elimination (legumes) | Firm tofu is low | Soy can affect levothyroxine absorption; keep timing consistent |
| Broccoli and cabbage | Allowed | Common cabbage is low; broccoli in moderate portions | Normal cooked portions are generally fine |
| Coffee | Usually excluded during elimination | Moderate amounts are usually tolerated | Wait after your tablet before drinking coffee |
| Salmon, sardines, sweet potato | Allowed | Allowed; sweet potato in moderate portions | Fine |
For portion sizes, check the Monash University FODMAP app, which publishes lab-tested servings. For medication spacing, use the levothyroxine timing checker and our guides to levothyroxine and coffee and levothyroxine and vitamins. The full AIP shopping list is in our AIP diet food list, and you can check single foods with the free AIP / low FODMAP / Hashimoto's food checker.
You don't need to read every line. Four checks cover most of it:
Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and trout provide the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA. Walnuts, flaxseed and chia provide ALA, a plant omega-3 the body converts to EPA and DHA only in small amounts (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements). EPA and DHA are involved in the body's inflammatory signalling, although effects on disease depend on the person and the outcome studied (Calder, 2017).
The American Heart Association advises one to two seafood meals a week, especially oily fish (Rimm et al., 2018). Canned salmon and sardines make that affordable. If you take blood thinners, ask your clinician before adding fish oil supplements.
Anti-inflammatory eating doesn't need speciality products. These choices keep costs down:
This is an example, not a prescription. Adjust amounts for your appetite, household and clinician's advice.
| Food Group | Example amount | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetables (fresh and frozen) | 2.5–3.5 kg, at least five kinds | Covers vegetables at most meals |
| Fruit | 1.5–2.5 kg, including a bag of frozen berries | One to three portions a day |
| Oily fish | 2 portions (for example 1 fillet of salmon, 1 can of sardines) | Matches the AHA's one to two seafood meals a week |
| Beans and lentils | 2 cans or 250 g dried | Fibre and plant protein for 3–4 meals |
| Whole grains | 1 bag of oats plus 1 bag of brown rice or quinoa | Lasts more than a week |
| Nuts and seeds | 150–200 g | A small handful most days |
| Extra-virgin olive oil | Top up when below a quarter of a bottle | Your main cooking and dressing fat |
A grocery list works best tied to a menu. Pick meals from our 30 anti-inflammatory recipes, and read the anti-inflammatory diet guide for the reasoning behind each food group. If you have Hashimoto's, the Hashimoto's 7-day meal plan comes with its own shopping list, and the Hashimoto's hub collects the thyroid guides.
Prefer not to build the list by hand? The Nutrtion.io app creates a 7-day meal plan around your condition and the foods you avoid, then sends that week's grocery list to Apple Notes or Messages in one tap. The list comes from your meal plan, not from your blood work, and the app does not scan barcodes or labels in the shop. To compare it with other tools, see our anti-inflammatory diet app guide.
Vegetables, fruit, beans and lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds, oily fish, extra-virgin olive oil, herbs and spices. Processed meats, sugary drinks, refined snacks and foods high in added sugar are kept occasional rather than banned.
Oats, dried or canned beans and lentils, cabbage, carrots, onions, bananas, frozen vegetables and berries, canned sardines or salmon, and eggs usually cost the least per portion.
For the vitamins tested, frozen produce was similar to fresh and often better than fresh produce stored in the fridge for several days. Choose plain frozen vegetables without sauces.
You don't need to leave anything off completely. Buy processed meats, sugary drinks, sweets, refined snacks and fried convenience foods less often, and check sauces and yogurts for added sugar.
Yes, for most people. Follow any diet your clinician has advised, such as gluten-free or AIP, and keep coffee, calcium, iron, soy and high-fibre meals away from your levothyroxine dose. Use the condition table above to adjust.
Schwingshackl and Hoffmann, Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases (2014); Estruch et al., New England Journal of Medicine (2018); Calder, Biochemical Society Transactions (2017); Li et al., Journal of Food Composition and Analysis (2017); Rimm et al., Circulation (2018); USDA and HHS, Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 (2026); Elsayed and Nelson, American Family Physician (2026); US Food and Drug Administration, Nutrition Facts label guidance; NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Omega-3 fact sheet. Compiled by the Nutrtion.io Editorial Team from the sources cited.