A candida overgrowth cleanse can feel like a death sentence when it comes to meal planning—that is, if you don’t have the right recipes on hand.
The days of starchy fruit and veggies, grains, sugar and dairy may be (temporarily) gone, but you don’t have to live off chicken and broccoli either. In fact, you can even eat dessert on a candida cleanse as long as you use the right ingredients.
These 15 candida-friendly recipes are not only full of flavor, but they also contain the essential nutrients that are needed for healing your gut.
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Why These Recipes Are Candida-Friendly
All of the recipes on this list are considered candida friendly because they’re:
- Sugar-free (including dried and fresh fruit)
- Grain-free
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Free from sugar alcohols
- Free from common allergens such as corn, soy, peanuts
Since sugar feeds candida and promotes yeast overgrowth, it should be removed from your diet when trying to rebalance your gut. This includes grains, starchy vegetables, dairy and sugar alcohols.
It’s also recommended that you avoid common allergens, such as soy and gluten, when it comes to healing candida, as these foods have been linked to intestinal inflammation and the development of chronic digestive issues, such as leaky gut.
On top of avoiding foods that promote excessive yeast overgrowth, you’ll also want to look for recipes that contain ingredients that are beneficial for killing off candida, such as coconut oil and garlic.
That’s because coconut contains a nutrient called lauric acid and garlic has an active compound called allicin, both of which provide antifungal action against candida growth. Other ingredients, such as wild salmon, lemon, cruciferous vegetables, and many more, are all great choices to make your recipes candida friendly.
15 Candida-Friendly Recipes
From creamy chicken alfredo to coconut flour pancakes, these candida-friendly recipes are so satisfying you’ll forget you’re eating for a healthy gut.
Note: While the majority of these recipes are ideal for candida overgrowth, some may require small substitutions to make the ingredients 100% candida friendly. In this case, the appropriate modifications will be listed in the recipe description.
Italian Salmon with Tomato Sauce
Most fish and shellfish should be avoided on a candida diet because they contain heavy metals (such as mercury) that worsen gut health. However, wild salmon is an exception because it’s a smaller fish that doesn’t absorb as many toxins.
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Italian Salmon with Tomato Sauce
Spiced Zucchini Beef
This spiced zucchini beef recipe is full of flavorful, anti-inflammatory herbs such as fennel, turmeric and cumin. It takes minimal time to prep and cook, and makes an ideal lunch or dinner. To kick this recipe up a notch and make it even more candida friendly, add an additional antifungal herb, such as garlic.
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Spiced Zucchini Beef
Paleo Kale Chips
Nothing can replace the taste of golden brown potato chips, but these Paleo kale chips do have the same satisfying crunch. These Paleo kale chips are seasoned with paprika, and make the perfect replacement for popcorn on movie nights. Keeping a few batches of these kale chips on hand will ensure you always have something to reach for when a snack food craving hits.
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Paleo Kale Chips
Coconut Flour Pancakes
Coconut flour is the perfect vitamin and mineral rich alternative to regular flour, regardless of whether you’re following a candida diet or not. Because it’s more dense than most baking flours, coconut flour can be tricky to cook with. However, the ratio of ingredients in this recipe yields the perfect fluffy and light pancakes.
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Coconut Flour Pancakes
Recipe Modification:
- Omit raw honey. Replace with a pinch of green leaf stevia for sweetness, if desired.
Zesty Coconut Lime Muffins
These Zesty Coconut Lime Muffins are another candida-friendly recipe you’ll want to keep in your pantry for when a snack craving strikes.
Now, this recipe calls for a small amount of applesauce (2 T). As you may already know, fruit isn’t typically recommended on a candida diet—especially starchy fruit such as bananas. This is because the sugar in fruit feeds yeast, which can prevent candida from clearing up. However, in most cases, minimal amounts of low sugar fruits such as berries, apples, and pears are permitted.
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Zesty Coconut Lime Muffins
Recipe Modification:
- Replace raw honey with a pinch of green leaf stevia for sweetness, if desired.
Gut-Healing Bone Broth
As mentioned above, bone broth is one of the best foods for healing the gut lining, regulating regular bile secretion, and reducing gut inflammation. In addition to L-glutamine, bone broth contains gelatin, which further prevents and repairs intestinal damage.
A candida-friendly diet may not permit coffee, but who needs caffeine when you can start your morning off with the energizing and gut healing nutrients in a steaming hot cup of bone broth?
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Gut-Healing Bone Broth
Creamy Eggplant Spinach Dip
You’ll love this grain-free, dairy-free version of spinach dip so much that you won’t believe it’s healthy. Made with gut-healing ingredients such as bone broth, this recipe is not only flavorful, but helpful for healing candida.
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Creamy Eggplant Spinach Dip
Cream of Broccoli Soup with Coconut Milk
This cozy Cream of Broccoli Soup recipe is full of ingredients that help fight candida, such as garlic, onion, and bone broth. Ready in 25 minutes, this soup is filling and satisfying thanks to the healthy fats from the full-fat coconut milk.
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Cream of Broccoli Soup with Coconut Milk
Coconut Crusted Avocado Fries
Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes are out of the question in the early stages of healing candida, which is why you’ll rejoice once you try these avocado fries.
Best of all, this recipe contains plenty of flavorful, gut-healing ingredients such as shredded coconut, garlic powder, and onion powder, making them a candida-friendly snack you’ll want to eat often.
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Coconut Crusted Avocado Fries
Onion Frittata with Avocado
Since eggs are an ideal source of protein for promoting gut healing, why not make a few different kinds of frittatas? This Onion Frittata with Avocado is a simple recipe that tastes amazing the way it is, but can also be modified to suit your taste buds with other gut-healing ingredients and herbs, such as bone broth and garlic.
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Onion Frittata with Avocado
Greek-Style Lamb Burger
This Greek-Style Lamb Burger is perfect for the beginning stages of healing candida, especially when a craving hits for a juicy burger. Although this lamb burger is served bunless, it’s no less satisfying. You may also want to make a side of Coconut Crusted Avocado Fries to go with your lamb burger to make the perfect candida-busting, gut-healing meal.
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Greek-Style Lamb Burger
Crockpot Curry Chicken
Thanks to the slow cooker, you can come home to warm, aromatic, candida-friendly dishes any day of the week. If you enjoy Indian food, this Crockpot Curry Chicken recipe is guaranteed to be a favorite when you’re following a candida diet (and even when you’re not).
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Crockpot Curry Chicken
Apple Cinnamon Bread
You’ll forget about the refined, sugar-laden baked goods that are restricted on a candida diet once you give this Apple Cinnamon Bread recipe a try. Made from almond flour, this bread offers a protein and healthy fat boost and can be served as a dessert, taken as a mid-afternoon snack, or eaten for breakfast.
Note: This recipe allows you to choose an alternative nut butter to almond butter, but it’s best to stick to almond butter because others, such as peanut butter and cashew butter, can contain high amounts of mold, which worsens candida and overall gut health.
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Apple Cinnamon Bread
Easy Cauliflower Turmeric Burgers
Another candida-friendly burger recipe for good measure. (Who doesn’t love burgers?)
These Easy Cauliflower Turmeric Burgers are the perfect way to use up extra cauliflower, and give you an excuse to sneak extra candida-fighting foods into your diet, such as garlic, coconut oil and onion.
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Easy Cauliflower Turmeric Burgers
Idiot-Proof Paleo Yogurt
This candida-friendly recipe list wouldn’t be complete if it didn’t include a probiotic-rich food to promote gut health. While dairy sources of probiotics are best avoided in the early stages of healing candida, this two-ingredient Paleo yogurt made from coconut milk is the perfect alternative to cow’s milk yogurt.
All you need is canned coconut milk and a probiotic starter culture (preferably vegan to avoid dairy), which most health food stores carry.
Recipe: PaleoHacks | Idiot-Proof Paleo Yogurt
(You’ll Also Love: 55 Cozy Bone Broth Recipes)
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