The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) is a diet aimed at people who suffer from autoimmune diseases. These include lupus, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and rheumatoid arthritis.
The goal of this diet is to reduce symptoms caused by these diseases, such as inflammation, pain, bloating, gas, etc.
It can sometimes be challenging to find recipe ideas for those who follow this diet, so this article has compiled a list of delicious breakfast ideas that are completely AIP-friendly!
What Is The AIP Diet?
A good immune system works to produce antibodies, and these attack any harmful cells in your body.
Unfortunately, those with autoimmune disorders have immune systems that actually attack healthy cells, rather than fight off infections. Some of these disorders include lupus, psoriasis, and type 1 diabetes.
These disorders can lead to an array of uncomfortable symptoms, such as fatigue, abdominal pain, brain fog, and infection, among others.
Some health professionals also believe that damage to a person’s gut barrier, also known as a ‘leaky gut’, can also lead to the development of these kinds of diseases. Certain foods are believed to cause damage to this gut barrier, leading to a ‘leaky gut’.
The AIP diet, therefore, focuses on removing these foods and replacing them with nutrient-dense, healthy whole foods that are known to have gut-healing properties and can reduce these uncomfortable symptoms.
Understanding what can and can’t be eaten on this diet can be tricky, so this article is going to provide you with a list of some wonderful AIP-friendly breakfasts!
Foods You Shouldn’t Eat On The AIP Diet
The AIP diet requires you to eliminate quite a few foods from your diet. Some of these include grains such as bread, rice, wheat, barley, rye, pasta, and breakfast cereals.
You must also eliminate legumes or foods derived from them, such as lentils, beans, peas, nuts, tofu, tempeh, and mock meats.
Nightshade vegetables should also be avoided, such as peppers, potatoes, eggplants, and tomatoes.
Eggs and dairy products should also be avoided, as well as nuts, seeds, processed vegetable oils, refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, and food additives.
What You Should Eat On The AIP Diet
The AIP mimics the paleo diet in the sense that it focuses on healthy, whole foods that have not been processed.
Therefore, foods that are encouraged are minimally processed meats, such as fish, organ meat, poultry, and grass-fed/pasture-raised animals.
All vegetables, except for algae and nightshade vegetables are encouraged, as well as probiotic-rich foods, non-processed vegetable oils, natural sweeteners, and bone broths.
The Elimination And Reintroduction Phase
When deciding to adopt this diet, the first step is the elimination phase. This is when you eliminate all foods and medications that are known to cause inflammation of the gut.
During this time, all of the foods mentioned above will be eliminated to make room for unprocessed, healthy whole foods that are kinder for the gut.
Once an improvement in symptoms has been present for some time, a slow, re-introduction phase begins. This is done in order to reintroduce the foods that don’t cause symptoms back into a person’s diet.
Individuals should do this using one type of food at a time, and they should consume it for a few days to see if symptoms come back. If they don’t then they should be able to add that food back into their diet.
If certain foods cause symptoms to return, then they should be completely eliminated from their diets.
These banana pancakes are perfect for the weekend when you’ve got a little time to spend creating a delicious morning meal.
Those who follow the AIP diet will know that grains are not allowed, so it can be hard to find the appropriate flour. This recipe uses a combination of tiger nut flour, cassava flour, and tapioca starch to create the pancake mix.
If you’re on the AIP diet, you may be missing those warm bowls of oatmeal on those cold winter mornings.
It can really be hard to find an alternative, but this cauliflower ‘oatmeal’ will really hit the spot.
In this recipe, cauliflower florets are blended in order to create that oat consistency, and it is mixed with creamy coconut milk, apples, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and maple syrup.
This warm, sweet breakfast is perfect and comforting, you won’t even realize it’s not real oats!
Sometimes you need a healthy breakfast that you can gobble up on the go. That’s exactly what these AIP breakfast bars are, and they’re also incredibly healthy – a much better option than any store-bought bars (see also ‘My Favorite AIP Store-Bought Snacks‘).
The base of these bars is tiger nuts, which are filled with fiber, so they’re bound to keep you full until lunchtime!
Make a huge batch of these, and save them as snacks and breakfast options throughout the week!
The base of this smoothie is a delicious mix of red beets (see also ‘15 Awesome Paleo Beets Recipes For Paleo Lovers‘) and bananas along with creamy coconut milk for extra flavor and a nice consistency.
Carob powder is also added for that chocolate flavor needed in all things red velvet, and a dollop of coconut cream finishes it off!
Starting your morning with this green detox juice will really set you up for a good day. This juice is made with kale, apple, celery, lemon, mint, and ginger.
All of these ingredients are wonderful for detoxing the body, which is something that individuals with autoimmune disorders should do often!
The AIP diet has a strict ‘no bread’ rule, so you may be missing the taste (and smell!) of perfectly toasted bread (see also ‘AIP And Paleo Blueberry Lemon Muffins‘).
This recipe uses some sliced sweet potatoes to act as toast for a base of creamy guacamole.
You’ll no longer miss your classic avo’ on-toast breakfast once you try this recipe!
While chicken for breakfast may sound odd, on the AIP diet you need to be flexible, as your food options can sometimes be limited.
Besides, this casserole is truly delicious and packs a great amount of healthy nutrients your body needs in order to thrive.
This casserole consists of chicken, spinach, onion, and cauliflower. You’ll be jumping out of bed in the morning once you know you’ve got this waiting for you. The best part is it’s also a perfectly acceptable meal for lunch and dinner too!
Raspberries are a great source of antioxidants and vitamin C, both of which are wonderful for the immune system. They are also very low in sugar, which follows the AIP guidelines (see also ‘How To Make Easy AIP Brownies‘).
Instead of regular flour, this recipe uses tiger nut flour, and coconut flour, along with some gelatin. This last ingredient works as a great substitute for eggs, which also aren’t allowed when following this diet.
You can have some of these for breakfast, and take some with you to work or school for a tasty snack!
This egg-free one-pan meal is super easy to make and can work as a breakfast, lunch, or dinner option.
Some ground beef, sweet potato, kale, red onion, radish, cilantro, avocado, and salsa are all added together to make this scrumptious breakfast that’s filled with healthy nutrients to set you up for an amazing day.
Final Thoughts
The AIP diet is specifically aimed at individuals who suffer from autoimmune diseases. It revolves around consuming unprocessed, whole foods that are nutrient-dense and will provide the body with the appropriate vitamins and minerals it needs in order to thrive.
Knowing what meals to prepare can be tricky on this diet, but this article has done the work for you and has provided you with a list of 12 delicious AIP-friendly breakfasts that are super simple to prepare!
We hope this article has provided you with a good amount of information on the AIP diet, and what you can and can’t consume on it.
Hi, my name is Jenna Lane and I have been following the paleo diet for almost three years.
I am a dietary specialist and help my clients find the right diets for them.
Unfortunately, I can only take on so many clients at a time. Though, thanks to the internet, I can upload my knowledge onto this website and help more people around the world!
That is my aim with this website, so please peruse it and learn. Dieting doesn’t have to be tough - you just need to find the right one for you.
