Before discussing the two day tannin-free menu, I need to explain that wheat, spelt, oats, and rice contains minimal amounts of tannin but not enough to trigger a reaction or symptoms (in me, anyway). However, flaking, puffing, or sprouting wheat or spelt seems to make those minimal amounts of tannin more readily available for digestion and therefore causes a slight reaction and symptoms (in me, maybe not in people less sensitive to tannin). So for the elimination diet, if you want to eat breakfast cereal, it is important to make sure you only eat regular porridge oats or shredded wheat for breakfast to be on the safe side.
Lemon also contains a small amount of tannin but doesn’t trigger symptoms for me. I think the tannin is in the rind, not in the juice. Also, lemon juice neutralizes tannins.
Cereals
Almost all breakfast cereals contain something with tannin in. Most have barley added (high in tannin), and muesli includes seeds, nuts, and dried fruit. So there are very few tannin-free options for breakfast cereal.
Plain oats (or porridge) and shredded wheat (nicer with hot milk) are tannin-free.
Toast
Toast made with homemade tannin-free bread (recipe on page 8), unsalted butter (only use the varieties mentioned below), and honey.
If you have toast during the elimination diet, make sure there are no bread crumbs from other types of bread in the toaster (to be on the safe side). You won’t have to be so meticulous after the test if you do prove to have a tannin intolerance. But it is essential to avoid any contamination during the elimination diet while determining whether or not you are tannin intolerant.
I use unsalted butter and honey for toast (you can add Himalayan salt if you prefer salted butter). All shop-bought vegetable spreads contain something with tannin. There are a few recipes online for homemade vegetable spread you could try if you replace the ingredients with tannin-free ingredients. For the diet, I would use unsalted butter for convenience.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are tannin-free, but you should peel them to be on the safe side for the elimination diet.
Bacon
If you are a meat-eater, you could have bacon, but only if you can find some without preservatives, same with ham, etc. I would avoid it for the elimination diet.
Flapjacks
(See tannin-free recipes page).
Pancakes
Pancakes with fresh (not bottled) lemon juice and sugar or golden syrup.
Make sure you use a brand of flour that is 100% flour with no additives, not even vitamins, as some might come from a source that contains tannin. I use organic wholemeal and white spelt flour from health food shops. Supermarket flours always seem to have something added.
(See tannin-free recipes page).
Drinks
Freshly squeezed Orange juice, grapefruit juice, and hot water with freshly squeezed lemon are all fine. Instead of tea or coffee, I usually drink hot water with a splash of milk; it sounds bland, but I’m used to it now.
Having to avoid things like tea, coffee, and chocolate can sound very daunting and depressing, but if you prove to have a tannin intolerance, you won’t have to avoid tannin all of the time if you follow the same system I use. I avoid tannin 4 – 5 days a week and allow myself to eat tannin 2 -3 half days per week).
Yoghurt
Natural yogurt, with or without honey/sugar. I use Yeo Valley Organic Natural yogurt. I’ve tried other non-organic yogurts but they seemed to give very mild tannin symptoms. Maybe it is just the particular live cultures they use. Only use organic natural yogurt during the test.
Butter
I use Tesco’s own brand ORGANIC UNSALTED butter, or Yeo Valley UNSALTED butter. I’m not sure why other unsalted butter gives me slight tannin symptoms; I think it must be ferments or something that doesn’t have to be listed in the ingredients.
I add Himalayan salt myself.
Salt
Some Himalayan salt contains additives, so read the ingredients properly. Health food shops usually only sell pure Himalayan salt.
You will find further information about how to follow the two day tannin elimination diet on the following pages: Introduction, Lunch and Dinner, Recipes and Snacks, and Miscellaneous Points and Reminders.