What is The Feingold Diet?

The Feingold Association researches brand name foods to create lists of products free of the unwanted additives.  We collect this information and publish our Foodlist & Shopping Guide — a collection of more than 13,000 brand name products we have researched and are acceptable for you to use.

Yes, if you are willing to make all of your food from scratch and not use any processed foods or commercial household or personal care products, and not eat out at restaurants.

The PDF Foodlist & Shopping Guide is included in the materials that are provided on the Feingold Diet.  It can be purchased  separately as a PDF or printed book. Click here to see details on how to order.  

While it’s best to stick with foods at home for the first few weeks, we recognize that families are very busy, and can’t always be at home to cook.

As more and more people are dealing with allergies and sensitivities, restaurants, resorts and amusement parks (including Disney parks) are responding to this need.

Astonishingly, the company that makes and sells the chemical is in charge of deciding if it is safe for consumers to use!

Our Fast Food and Restaurant Guide will help you find the best options at many of the major chains. (It covers only restaurants in the United States.)  This Guide is available in PDF form or paper form.

The Feingold Handbook is your guide to using the  Feingold Diet — to show you how to have success as quickly and easily as possible.

It contains the best ideas and solutions that have been found by parents like yourself since the Association was formed in 1976.

Some of the topics covered in the Handbook are:

• Using the Diet for different ages

• Gaining your child’s cooperation

• Meal suggestions

• How to keep a Diet Diary

• Better foods at bargain prices

• How to substitute ingredients

• Tips and time-savers

• Holiday ideas

• Working with your child’s teacher

• How to handle parties, soccer games, etc.

• Getting help from the relatives

• Doctors, dentists & counselors – how to get their help

• How to deal with a reaction

• Other additives to consider

• What about gluten and casein?

We have collected many delicious Feingold-friendly recipes and compiled them into our cookbooks.  Whether you are new to the Feingold Diet or have been eating additive-free for a while, these recipes will quickly become some of your go-to meals.  We have included recipes for beverages, breakfast foods, snacks, main dishes, breads, soups, sides, desserts and shortcut recipes like multiple-use and money-savings mixes that are ready to go when you need them.  To order our cookbooks click here.

Many families use the diet while their child is taking medication and find that they can achieve the same results with a smaller dose.  It isn’t an ideal way to test out the diet, but you have to eat anyway, so you might as well provide your family with healthy choices.  This is one of the topics we cover in the Feingold Handbook.

No, not at all. The diet was actually designed for a woman who had a terrible case of hives. Dr. Feingold put her on a diet that removed several things: artificial colors, artificial flavors, aspirin and a group of foods we refer to as “salicylates.” He was amazed to learn that not only did the hives clear up, but her behavior changed from angry to normal. As long as she didn’t eat the above things she did not fight with her family and co-workers. As he began using the diet with children he saw many cases where their behavior quickly improved. Parents also reported major changes in a child’s schoolwork and in many other areas. Over the years Dr. Feingold found that many other problems improved when people stopped eating things like food dyes. The Feingold Association continues to collect feedback from families who have reported a wide range of improvements.

Most food dyes, artificial flavorings and fragrances, as well as the three preservatives we eliminate are made from petroleum! What’s more, they are legally permitted to be contaminated with toxins like lead, mercury and arsenic. Most humans don’t do well when they eat petrochemicals!

So why are we only seeing problems with them in recent years? In years past most children only consumed them occasionally — usually at holidays and parties. But today they are being added to more and more foods and nonfood products, and in much larger quantities. Synthetic dyes and flavorings are more like drugs than like foods, and in both cases, the dose determines the outcome

Between the 1950s and today, the use of food dyes in the United States has increased 500%!

At one time (in the days before “rainbow cake”), cereal was beige, orange juice was made from fruit, a soda drink was an occasional treat, and if your mother made you take vitamins, they didn’t taste good.