GAPS Diet Non-Fibrous Vegetables
Confused what vegetables are allowed on the GAPS Diet and when? What are GAPS diet non-fibrous vegetables? Here is a straightforward list, stage by stage. And take a peek at our family favorite GAPS Weekly Meal Plan (picky eater approved!!)
Why Eat GAPS Diet Non-Fibrous Vegetables?
Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride, founder of the GAPS diet, recommends following the “GAPS Introduction Diet” for the deepest level of healing. Temporarily removing fibrous vegetables can help give the digestive system a break and allow faster healing of the gut.
What Vegetables Are on the GAPS Diet?
In short, pretty much all vegetables that are lower in starch. While the initial stages of the introduction diet recommends the temporary removal of fibrous vegetables, they can be added back in as the digestive system heals. For some, re-introducing fibrous veggies can take place within just a few days or weeks, depending how quickly you move through the first 6 stages of GAPS Intro and move onto “Full GAPS”.
GAPS Diet Non-Fibrous Vegetables
On the GAPS introduction diet, you can include these non-fibrous vegetables right away on Stage 1, according to Becky Plotner’s book GAPS, Stage by Stage, With Recipes:
- Artichoke (globe)
- Asparagus
- Beet tops (with stems removed until digestion heals)
- Beets
- Bok choy
- Broccoli (stalks removed until digestion heals)
- Brussel sprouts
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Chard (leaves only)
- Collard leaves (without the stems, which can be added later as digestion heals)
- Cucumber (start with seeds and skin removed until digestion heals)
- Daikon radish
- Fermented vegetables like sauerkraut are added to soups or meat stock and cooked for 30 minutes until soft. This kills the probiotic properties but leaves behind a whole host of beneficial enzymes which aid in building microbiome foundation.
- Garlic
- Green onions
- Kale (leaves only – stems are more fibrous and should be added later as digestion heals)
- Kohlrabi
- Kohlrabi leaves
- Leeks
- Lettuces (all varieties)
- Mushrooms
- Mustard greens
- Patty pan squash (a summer squash; start with peels and seeds removed until digestion heals)
- In the case of winter squash, this is very bio-individual. Some need to wait for Full GAPS, but many can introduce winter squash right at stage 1
- Peas
- Pumpkin (peeled and de-seeded until digestion heals)
- Radishes
- Radish tops
- Ramps (wild harvested onion)
- Red onions
- Rutabaga
- Rutabaga leaves
- Spinach
- Turnips
- Turnip greens
- Yellow onions
- Yellow crookneck squash (a summer squash)
- White onions
- White scallop squash (summer squash)
- Zucchini
What Additional Foods Can I Eat On GAPS?
Different countries have different squashes and vegetables. The goal for Stage One is low fiber and low starch. When diarrhea and stomach pains resolve, you can add in the more fibrous parts of the vegetables, such as seeds and skins. Onions, garlic, zucchini, and pumpkin tend to be gentlest vegetables to start. Some people benefit from a period of no veggies, called “no plant GAPS” in more challenging cases. This post contains a complete list of foods allowed on the Full GAPS protocol.
GAPS Diet Meal Plan
Overwhelmed where to start and what to eat? How to get your family on board with a new way of eating? I find it VERY helpful, in the absence of emergency allergies or other dire situations, to:
- First, start with a whole foods approach to eating first (see this post for more info)
- Second, begin the FULL GAPS protocol (see this post for more info)
- Third, work your way backward to Intro, if needed (see this post for more info)
- Check out this GAPS Diet Weekly Menu for yummy inspiration for your family!
Resources
Posts
GAPS Diet Meal Plan
How to Start the GAPS Introduction Diet?
Foods Allowed on the GAPS Diet
How to Start an Ancestral Diet (without Overwhelm)?
What is the GAPS Diet? An Easier Explanation
Favorite book
GAPS, Stage by Stage, With Recipes
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
