Acne-Safe Grocery List

Acne Safe Grocery List

by Emily Linehan on July 14, 2022

As discussed in my recent blog ‘Are These Foods Triggering Your Acne’, some foods we consume have the power to significantly trigger acne breakouts. Although there is no one-size-fits-all diet to clear acne as each person is different, eating a whole-foods based, Paleo-style diet is a great place to start as you can easily search for recipes and inspiration based on these diets. There are also apps based on the nutrition plan you choose to follow, like AIP or Paleo, that are great resources for helping you get started!

It may sound a bit overwhelming so I’ve created this Acne Safe Grocery List and have included some of my favorite recipes to help you navigate your next trip to the supermarket. In addition, you may find that utilizing an app like AnyList (this is the one I use) can help with getting your acne-safe list organized to make your next trip to the supermarket a breeze!

**Please click HERE to download the printable, PDF version**

Vegetables

Aim for 5-6 servings of vegetables daily
Buy enough to have a vegetable with each meal
If it doesn’t have a peel, buy organic
Eat foods from every color of the rainbow
Try a new vegetable every week
Here are some of our favorites to keep on rotation:

- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Brussel Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Collards
- Swiss Chard
- Kale
- Spinach
- Lettuce: romaine, spring mix, butter lettuce, etc.
- Bitter Greens: arugula, endive, radicchio, fennel, dandelion greens
- Herbs: parsley, cilantro, etc.
- Jicama
- Carrots
- Zucchini and Summer Squash
- Green Beans
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Peppers
- Radishes
- Artichoke
- Beets
- Avocado
- Tomatoes
- Ginger Root
- Bean Sprouts

Be sure to add alliums: onions, green onions, leeks, scallions, shallots, garlic
Mushrooms: shiitake mushrooms, reishi mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, white mushrooms, oyster mushrooms
Skip the “super greens” (Spirulina, Chlorella, Algae, Seaweed, Kelp, all sea-based greens)

Vegetable Carbs

Sweet potatoes, Yams
White potatoes (in moderation)
Plantains
Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash
Kabocha Squash
Spaghetti Squash
Pumpkin

Meat/Protein

Fish (wild or organic salmon, cold water fish like anchovies, sardines, or herring at 2-3 times a week)
Organic/Free-Range Chicken & Turkey
Grass-fed Beef & Bison
Natural, Organic Lamb & Pork
Organ Meats, liverwurst
Chickpea Tofu (Here is a recipe my vegan clients love!)

Fruit

Aim for 2-3 servings of fruit daily
If it doesn’t have a peel, buy organic
Eat organic berries when in season
Include fresh lemon juice and organic lemon peel in dressings/marinades
Avocados are a fruit and they also qualify as healthy fats
Here are some of our favorites to keep on rotation:

- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Kiwi
- Cherries
- Pears
- Apples
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Plums
- Papaya
- Bananas
- Lemons
- Limes
- Grapefruit
- Oranges
- Coconut
- Mangos
- Grapes

Minimize consumption of:

- Pineapple
- Melons
- Dried Fruits

Whole Grains

Brown rice, wild rice
Quinoa
Rolled or Steel-Cut Oats (make sure the label says gluten-free)
Buckwheat
Millet
Gluten Free Bread (My favs are Bread SRLY, Barely Bread, Schar)
Soba Noodles

Beans/Legumes

Lentils (all colors)
Kidney Beans
Pinto Beans
White Beans
Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas
Black Beans
Split Peas
Aduki Beans

Crackers/Chips

Brown rice crackers
Nut crackers
Blue corn chips in small amounts (with sea salt)
Brown rice chips
Grain free chips/snacks (like Siete brand)

Fats, Oils, and Butters

Avocado
Extra virgin olive oil (organic/cold-pressed)
Flaxseed oil (cold-pressed/dark container)
Avocado oil (cold-pressed)
Walnut oil (cold-pressed)
Coconut oil (cold-pressed)
Miyoko’s Cultured Vegan Butter
Kite Hill Plant Based Butter

Seasonings, Spices/Herbs

Uniodized, Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt
Ginger
Turmeric
Cumin
Oregano
Cilantro
Parsley
Basil
Cayenne Pepper
Caraway
Mustard Seeds
Cardamom
Vanilla
Saffron
Bay Leaf
Thyme
Sage
Rosemary
Dill
Fennel

Condiments

Salsa
Natural Organic Mustard
Mayonnaise, made with olive oil or avocado oil (not canola oil)
Ketchup, low sugar
Vinegar: apple cider, rice and red wine; unfiltered
Balsamic Vinegar
Raw Hummus, made with olive oil (not canola oil)
Pesto, dairy free
Tahini
Horseradish
Sauerkraut
Coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute)
Tamari (GF soy sauce)
Olives

Dairy Substitutes

Here are some of my favorite acne safe dairy alternatives! This is not an exhaustive list, however please be sure that whatever alternative you choose does not contain soy!

Milk

Malk Organics (almond & oat milk)
Califia Farms Plant Milks (almond, coconut & oat)
Forager Project Plant Milks (cashew, coconut & oat)
Three Trees (almond & pistachio)
Milkadamia Macadamia Milk
Blue Diamond Almond Breeze
Kirkland Almond Milk

Coffee Creamers

NutPods
Oatly Barista Edition Oatmilk Creamer
Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss Plant Based Creamers (almond, coconut & oat)
Califia Farms Creamers (all types)
So Delicious Dairy Free Creamers (oat & coconut)

Yogurt

Culina Yogurt
Coconut Cult Yogurt
So Delicious Dairy Free Yogurt (oat & coconut)
Chobani Coconut Milk Yogurt
Kite Hill Almond, Greek & Coconut Milk Yogurt
CoYo Coconut Yogurt
Forager Cashew Milk Yogurt
Trader Joe's Cashew Yogurt

Ice Cream

So Delicious Dairy Free Ice Cream (cashew, oat, almond & coconut)
Halo Top Dairy Free
Cado Ice Cream
Oatly Frozen Desserts
Haagen Dazs Non-Dairy Ice Cream
NadaMoo! Ice Cream
CoolHaus Dairy Free

Cheese

Parmela Creamery Cheese
Daiya Cheese
Kite Hill Almond Milk Ricotta
Violife Cheeses
Siete Blanco Cashew Queso
Nooch It! Grated "Parm" Cashew Cheeze
Miyoko's Organic Cashew Milk Mozzarella
Trader Joe’s non-dairy cheeses

Butter

Milkadamia Buttery Spread
WayFare Dairy-Free Butter
Melt Organic Butter

Nuts, Seeds & Nut Butters

Raw and preferably sprouted (no peanuts)
Almonds
Walnuts
Macadamia Nuts
Hazelnuts
Pecans
Cashews
Brazil Nuts
Pistachios
Sesame seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Chia Seeds
Flax Seeds (ground only)
Hemp Hearts
Almond Butter
Cashew Butter
Pecan Butter
Walnut Butter

Be sure to check out my recipe for my favorite seed cycling smoothie here!

Sweeteners

Stevia (Sweet Leaf Drops is my personal favorite!)
Raw Honey, local is best
Coconut Sugar
Monk Fruit
Dates
100% Pure Maple Syrup (Grade B)
Dark Chocolate (80% Cacao & up)
Cacao Powder or Nibs

Beverages

Filtered water
Sparkling Water
Lightly flavored sparkling water, like Spindrift
Unsweetened Coconut Water
Kombucha
Green Tea, Oolong Tea, Black Tea
Matcha, with dairy/soy free milk
Herbal Teas, such as Chamomile, Peppermint, etc.
Dandelion Root Tea
Coffee, in moderation and with acne safe sweeteners/creamers

Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list, however I hope it provides some guidance for creating your acne safe nutrition plan! If you were surprised to see that some of your favorites didn’t make the list, I suggest you reference my recent blog where we dive into some of the most triggering foods for acne… you may be surprised by what you find!

xoxo, Emme