Getting Started with SCD Part 3: The Food

What happens after the intro diet?

This is going to largely depend on the severity of your symptoms and how you’re feeling, but you should be able to start adding some Specific Carbohydrate Diet allowable foods too your diet.

For the first month I kept things pretty limited. I ate a lot of plain chicken breast, bananas, and squash. I hadn’t really been a squash fan before I started SCD ( I had to call my mom to ask her how to cook one), but it’s surprising the things you will grow to like when you’re limited.

Breakfast consisted of SCD yogurt mixed with a mashed banana and a little honey. Lunch was usually chicken breast and some vegetables or fruit. Dinner was typically chicken breast, ground turkey or beef patties, or fish with cooked vegetables and mashed squash.

Part of the reason I was so limited was that I had to figure out how to cook everything. I wasn’t a stranger to the kitchen (except for the squash), but this was all new. Give yourself some time to figure things out. Yes, you might feel deprived and sometimes angry that you can’t have what everyone else is eating, but if you’re feeling better it’s all worth it!

Do I need to follow the diet 100%

Yes! I can’t stress this more. When you’re just starting out the only way to go is to only eat allowable foods. It’s the only way you can know the diet is working for you. You’ll be buying mostly whole foods that are single ingredients, but for the few things that aren’t – read labels meticulously.

Do I have to buy organic?

While I do encourage to buy what you can, I wasn’t the organic foodie I am now when I first started all of this. Don’t fret if you can’t afford grass-fed beef, pasture eggs, and organic broccoli. I wouldn’t want anyone to not give SCD a try because they were worried about breaking the bank. Do the best you can. If there’s some things you can afford or can splurge on every once in a while, go for it. Maybe try to find the highest quality you can that still fits your budget. The most important thing is that you are following the diet.

What if I don’t have time to cook?

It’s going to happen. You’re going to be hungry and there isn’t a thing around that you can eat. At home try to keep a few things on hand that are quick and easy. I always liked to have SCD-friendly tuna in the cupboard. Add that to a salad and it’s not bad. I also used to carry tuna pretty much everywhere I went. Usually I could manage a plain salad somewhere and then I would have the tuna to add to it.

On the go I always have LARA bars. If you’re new, LARA bars might be a little too much because they are primarily nuts. I never had a problem with raw nuts or veggies like carrot sticks so I could take those with me. If you’re sensitive to those things, maybe bring some applesauce (I’ve brought those pouches with me on trips many times) or hard-boiled eggs. It may take some trial and error, but you’ll find something that works for you.

I’m not going to lie though, you will need some kitchen time. Meal planning for the week is a huge time saver. If you know what you’re going to cook each day you can prepare yourself. I also used to make as much as I could ahead of time on the weekends.

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Next week I’ll be talking about dealing with the emotional and stressful aspects of sticking to the diet!

Any questions? Feel free to leave a comment or send me a private message!

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Sherry Lipp

Founder at Happy Gut For Life

Sherry is a Certificed Holistic Gut Practioner, author, and recipe creator. Sherry started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet in 2000 and has been creating delicious, grain and gluten-free recipes ever since. She is the author of the Don't Skip Dessert SCD cookbooks.