Some Ideas for Foods You Can Eat on the Budwig Diet
One of the biggest surprises for people starting the Budwig Diet is just how much they can eat.
If you’re coming from a more traditional Western diet, the Budwig Diet may seem rather restrictive at first. In reality, only a relatively small number of foods are excluded. The diet encourages you to eat a much wider variety of foods than most people were eating before.
This isn’t a complete list of every permitted food, but it gives you a good idea of the types of foods that form the basis of the Budwig Diet. Eat a wide variety rather than relying on just a few foods. The foods you include are just as important as those you avoid.
Grains and Cereals
- Amaranth
- Barley (whole grain)
- Brown rice
- Buckwheat
- Millet
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Rye
- Spelt
- Whole wheat
- Wholemeal bread (a little)
Vegetables
Choose a wide variety of naturally grown vegetables.
- Leafy vegetables
- Root vegetables
- Stems and shoots
- Brassicas
- Potatoes
- Fresh herbs
- Vegetable stock
Raw salads are excellent, but vegetables can also be lightly cooked. Dr Budwig mentions boiling, although steaming is equally suitable.
Fruit
Fresh fruit of all kinds.
Pulses
- Beans
- Peas
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Fresh and dried pulses
- Beansprouts
Nuts and Seeds
- Whole flaxseed
- Sprouted seeds
- Nuts
- Pumpkin seed oil
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
Fermented Foods
- Sauerkraut
- Sauerkraut juice
- Fermented pickles
- Lacto-fermented vegetables
- Traditionally fermented soy products
- Traditionally fermented soy sauce
Dairy Foods
Dr Johanna Budwig specifically recommended several cheeses. These must be traditionally made rather than the plastic-wrapped, rubbery supermarket versions. They should only be eaten in small amounts.
Traditional cheeses
- Brie
- Camembert
- Cheddar
- Emmental
- Goat’s cheese
- Gouda
- Jarlsberg
These cheeses are good sources of vitamin K₂. Choose cheese from naturally grass-fed animals whenever possible. Around 50 g per day is generally recommended, preferably at breakfast or lunch.
Essential dairy foods
- Quark
- Cottage cheese
- Strained Greek yoghurt
These are essential foods because they are used to prepare Budwig Cream.
Oils
- Cold-pressed flaxseed (linseed) oil
- Extra virgin organic coconut oil (for making Oleolux)
Drinks
- Green tea (freely)
- Black tea (occasionally, without milk or sugar; a little honey is acceptable)
- Wine or Champagne (up to one glass a day)
- Herbal tea
- Freshly squeezed juices. These should have some ground flaxseed added to mitigate the fruit sugars
Other Foods
- Raw honey
- Nutritional yeast (yeast flakes)
- Herbs
- Spices
Nutritional yeast has a pleasant, cheese-like flavour and should not be confused with brewer’s yeast tablets or yeast supplements.
A Note on Whole Grains
The Budwig Diet traditionally includes whole grains such as wheat, oats, rye, barley, spelt and rice.
However, there is increasing discussion about the possible health effects of modern grains. If this interests you, Loren Cordain’s Wheat: Humanity’s Double-Edged Sword is worth reading as background. Wholegrains in a high-fibre diet are usually tolerated well. Some people will find they do better on some grains than others.
Grains are more a “fill you up if still hungry” food than a staple on this diet.
Remember that this is only an introduction to the foods permitted on the Budwig Diet. Once you begin preparing Budwig meals, you’ll quickly discover there is far more variety than most people expect.