Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsMeal Plan OverviewGrocery ListPreparation PlanFoods That Can Affect the ThyroidDietary ConsiderationsWhat Is Thyroid Disease?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Meal Plan Overview
Grocery List
Preparation Plan
Foods That Can Affect the Thyroid
Dietary Considerations
What Is Thyroid Disease?
While there is no specific diet for thyroid disease, eating well means focusing on balanced meals full of whole foods, including fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, and lean proteins.
Anunderactive thyroidcan slow down your metabolism (the process in which your body converts the food you eat into energy) and causefatigue,constipation, and weight gain. Choosing more nutritionally dense foods and exercising can help you feel more energized, support a healthy weight, and stay on top of your health.
1:267 Quick Nutrition Tips for Thyroid Wellness
1:26
7 Quick Nutrition Tips for Thyroid Wellness
This 5-day meal plan provides healthy amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fats to optimize your health and support a healthy weight. Depending on your body’s fullness or hunger, you may omit a snack or add one.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll be enjoying throughout the week. The meal plan is designed for two people. Detailed prep instructions are below.
Andrey Zhuravlev / Getty Images
Review the list and cross out items you already have on-hand to save you time and money at the supermarket.
Do your best to buy everything you need in one trip. Substitutions are noted where you can omit or swap an ingredient in order to avoid unused food and food waste. At home, prepare what you can to save time on weekdays. See detailed instructions below.
This plan is designed for two people. In some cases, where noted, a recipe needs to be doubled or halved.
Use sturdy Tupperware and Mason jars to keep pre-chopped veggies and leftovers fresh. Store ingredients that weren’t used where they belong, like your pantry or the fridge.
Shopping Day(You can split these tasks into 2 days if needed)
Monday Breakfast Prep:
Monday Lunch Prep:
Monday Dinner Prep:
Monday
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Snack/Dessert:
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday Breakfast Prep:
Thursday Dinner Prep:
Thursday
Friday Breakfast Prep:
Friday
Certain foods have been found to affect the thyroid.Goitrogensare compounds in plant-based foods released when raw cruciferous veggies like kale and broccoli are digested. They can inhibit your body’s ability to use iodine, which is necessary for thyroid hormone production.
Goitrogens can cause issues if you have an iodine deficiency, one of the main causes of hypothyroidism. However, cooking these vegetables can help deactivate goitrogens, minimizing their impact. If you have an iodine deficiency, your healthcare provider will work with you to correct it.
Isoflavones in soy may interact with your medications and affect the thyroid.Talk to your healthcare provider about possible interactions and confirm whether you should follow asoy-free diet.
This meal plan is entirely soy-free, and all recipes, although they contain cruciferous veggies, are cooked, reducing the potential for goitrogens being released when the food is digested. While there is a reasonable amount of evidence to show iodine benefits thyroid health, excessiveiodineconsumption can worsen thyroid disease.
In some cases, if you receiveradioactive iodine therapy, you may be asked to follow a low iodine diet for several weeks before getting your treatment to increase its effectiveness.
The relationship between thyroid disease, metabolism, and body weight is highly complex. Those with underactive thyroids often burn fewer calories at rest, while those with overactive thyroids tend to burn more calories at rest.
Here are a few healthy diet tips to follow when you have thyroid disease:
Are there foods you shouldn’t eat if you have thyroid disease?Possibly. Soy, for example, may hinder the absorption of certain thyroid medications.Cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables can alter iodine levels when eaten raw. However, cooking these vegetables can negate these effects.Iodine-rich foods like kelp may have a negative impact on some people with thyroid disease. Talk to your healthcare provider to find out if there are any foods you need to avoid.
Are there foods you shouldn’t eat if you have thyroid disease?
Possibly. Soy, for example, may hinder the absorption of certain thyroid medications.Cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables can alter iodine levels when eaten raw. However, cooking these vegetables can negate these effects.Iodine-rich foods like kelp may have a negative impact on some people with thyroid disease. Talk to your healthcare provider to find out if there are any foods you need to avoid.
Possibly. Soy, for example, may hinder the absorption of certain thyroid medications.
Cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables can alter iodine levels when eaten raw. However, cooking these vegetables can negate these effects.
Iodine-rich foods like kelp may have a negative impact on some people with thyroid disease. Talk to your healthcare provider to find out if there are any foods you need to avoid.
There are several types of thyroid diseases that can cause your thyroid to make too little or too much of the thyroid hormones.
Thethyroidis a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck that makes hormones that control your body’s most important functions, including breathing, heart rate, weight, digestion, and mood.
Some of the different thyroid diseases include:
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include weight gain, fatigue, dry skin, and sensitivity to cold.Thyroid hormones heavilyinfluence your metabolism, body temperature, and appetite regulation. Having an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) slows down your body’s processes, which can lead to weight gain.
Summary
While there is no specific diet for thyroid disease, abalanced dietwill help you manage weight and achieve your nutrient goals. Adietary supplementisn’t usually necessary in most cases, but discuss this with your healthcare provider.
The goal is to be prepared with a healthy meal plan and plan ahead to lighten your workload throughout the week. It’s OK if the plan doesn’t go exactly as outlined. Feel free to modify steps to fit your personal needs and cooking style. Scheduling cooking time is helpful for some people, and you may find that it helps you follow the meal plan too.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Babiker A, Alawi A, Atawi M, Alwan I.The role of micronutrients in thyroid dysfunction. Sudan J Paed. Published online 2020:13-19. doi:https://doi.org/10.24911/SJP.106-1587138942
Bajaj JK, Salwan P, Salwan S.Various possible toxicants involved in thyroid dysfunction: A review.J Clin Diagn Res. 2016;10(1):FE01–FE3. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2016/15195.7092
Duntas LH, Jonklaas J.Levothyroxine dose adjustment to optimise therapy throughout a patient’s lifetime.Adv Ther. 2019;36(Suppl 2):30–46. doi:10.1007/s12325-019-01078-2
National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hypothyroidism.
American Thyroid Association.Low iodine diet.
Medline Plus.Thyroid diseases.
National Cancer Institute.Dictionary of cancer terms: hypothyroidism.
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