This is a list of always acceptable foods

This is a basic list of always acceptable ingredients. This originally came from Lynne on the Feingold list and I have tweaked with it. For more information about many brand name products that are acceptable please see http://www.feingold.org/

Feingold members do not get any perks for referring others. We just want the world to be a little bit healthier.

To be acceptable products may not contain artificial coloring (food coloring), artificial flavoring, BHA, BHT, or TBHQ. Many products have hidden petroleum products in the food or the packaging. Manufacturers do not have to state these products on their ingredients. That's where the Feingold list comes in.

They have a big book of brand name, pre-prepared products that have been researched and proven to not include these chemicals.

My blog will only include items that are always (or usually) safe. These items do not generally have hidden ingredients.

I strongly encourage you to consider the Feingold list so you'll have more options but this is a great place to start and I hope you can see some wonderful changes in your family.

Baby food:
Ingredient labels on baby food jars are generally clear

Dairy products...see note at the bottom of this list

Fruits and Veggies:
Fresh, frozen or dried plain fruits and veggies
Canned fruit where the only ingredients are the fruit, water and sugar or the juice of the fruit in the can.
Canned Vegetables where the only ingredients are: vegetables water and salt, calcium chloride is ok

Meat and Fish, Protein:
Any fresh or frozen uncured meats, (no purple USDA stamp, no added solution).
Any fresh or frozen plain fish (check carefully on salmon for red dye)
Any fresh or frozen plain poultry that says "minimally processed" and has no added solution, flavors or broth.
Any fresh eggs
Unshelled, uncolored nuts (shelled nuts can be preserved)

Grains:
Any whole grain or flour
Any enriched white or brown rice
Any dried beans
Uncolored, unflavored popcorn kernels
Any plain white or yellow cornmeal
Most any plain pasta (the only ingredients in most should be enriched flour (durham, semolina, plus the vitamins and eggs or egg yolks)


baking supplies and sweeteners:
Any pure unflavored honey
Any unflavored white cane sugar, granulated or powdered
Any pure 100% Maple Syrup
cocoa powder
olive oil
Any dry mustard
Any flour, baking powder, baking soda
Any Arrowroot powder
Any pure vanilla extract listing only vanilla and alcohol, or whole vanilla beans. (or other pure extracts)
Single spices (not spice blends)

Most plain water; bottled or tap, unflavored seltzer water or naturally sparkling mineral water.

Acceptable non-food items:
White vinegar
Any dishwasher detergent (because dishwasher rinses well)

Any white or clear unscented cleaning or dishwashing liquid (check ingredients for dyes and fragrances)

Any Laundry detergent without added dyes and fragrances, often known as "free and clear"
Plain, unscented toilet paper, tissues, paper towels and napkins.
plain white or foil cupcake liners
most food wraps (plastic wrap, wax paper, foil) are OK
white, adult acetaminaphen (like Tylenol or Datril)
Any Hydrogen Peroxide
plain, unmedicated band-aids
homemade toothpaste (baking soda and/or essential oils, bentonite clay, stevia)

A note...
"Until now, any brand of plain whole milk was acceptable, as you wrote. However, the Feingold Association has recently been receiving reports of reactions to milk from people who previously tolerated it. We can no longer consider "any whole milk" acceptable and are researching milks one brand at a time, according to an alert we sent out August 25, 2010. A reader wanting to use the Feingold Program to treat any sort of symptoms really needs to become a member and get the Foodlist and other materials."

This was a comment from Sheila and I'm reposting it as a blog post to make sure readers see it. I'll also be changing the always acceptable list. It's always sad when something as used as whole milk is no longer always acceptable. We buy our milk raw and unadulterated from a local dairy. I would suggest calling around to your local dairies or finding their numbers to read the codes at your local store if you need something acceptable.

And, as I've said several times, please consider joining the Feingold association. I feel like I know what I'm doing but when I stray from the list, I see infractions. I'll be a lifetime member. At less than $7 per month for the whole family, a food guide, fast food guide, and suppliment guide, monthly newsletters with updates on foods and current issues, and a very active chat room, I feel like it's a very good choice for most families.