IC Diet Cheat Sheet

This is the interstitial cystitis diet list that I go by. I got this list from my doctor when I was diagnosed in April of 2008. After I got over my worst flares I started to experiment with a few things on the avoid list. The breads and dairy don't seem to bother me. Neither does tea. However, for the most part I strictly go by this list. Especially when I eat out; you never know what restaurants use to cook with. I hope this helps!

AVOID:

• Beverages: Alcoholic beverages, decaf and regular coffee, decaf and regular tea, soda, carbonated drinks such as mineral water, Kool-aid, Gatorade, and fruit punch, juice made from off-limit fruit AND all juices containing citric acid
• Fruit: Apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, cranberries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pineapples, plums, strawberries, pomegranates, watermelon, cherries, and nothing that contains these items such as jello, pastries, etc.
• Vegetables: Onions (including dried onion), green, red, yellow, jalapeno and Serrano peppers, tomatoes and all items containing tomatoes such as: tomato sauce, tomato soup, tomato paste, ketchup, barbecue sauce.
• Seasonings: all seasonings containing citric acid (lemon pepper, season all, Mrs. Dash), salad dressing, vinegar, condiments, all foods containing MSG and preservatives, soy sauce, miso, artificial sweetener (Equal, Splenda), cayenne pepper and spicy foods (Mexican, Indian, and Chinese).
• Meats: canned, aged, cured and processed meats (spam, bologna, salami, SAUSAGE), meats containing nitrates or nitrites, smoked meats/fish (including anything barbecued), corned beef, anchovies, caviar, chicken livers
• Nuts and Grains: rye and sour dough bread, fava beans, lima beans, soy beans and tofuMilk
• Dairy: aged cheeses, sour cream, egg yolks, yogurt, chocolate

OKAY ITEMS:

• Beverages: Bottled water, tap water, caffeine free herbal teas: mint, spearmint, chamomile, and peppermint (hot or cold with sugar or honey), milk (without hormones)
• Fruit: honeydew melon, pears, prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, coconut, papaya, mango, blueberry muffins, jelly containing only these fruits with no citric acid.
• Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, peas, green beans, carrots, spinach, asparagus, potatoes, cabbage, leeks, corn, celery, lettuce, mushrooms, cucumber, eggplant, artichokes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and most beans (steamed, fried, baked, however be careful how you season them)
• Seasonings: salt/pepper, garlic salt or powder, fresh garlic, cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar, sage, cilantro, nutmeg, fresh herbs, can use olive oil as a salad dressing substitute
• Meats: chicken, fish, ground beef, steak meat, pork, turkey, beef or pork ribs, shellfish (be careful how it is seasoned)
• Nuts and Grains: pasta, white or brown rice, Mexican rice prepared with chicken broth, white or wheat bread, oatmeal, cereal, plain potato chips, white or corn tortillas, tortilla chips, plain crackers, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, bagels, bagel chips, peanut butter, pretzels
• Dairy: cottage cheese, butter/margarine, vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, white chocolate, cream cheese, feta, ricotta, string cheeses, mozzarella, cheddar and American cheese, caramel, *eggs are okay if they are cooked in something (such as a cake)
• Miscellaneous okay items: beef/chicken broth, pudding, white or yellow cake, pancakes, maple syrup