Nightshade-Free AIP Chili Recipe (Paleo, Whole30) (2024)

FAQs

Can you eat chilli on AIP? ›

This cozy and comforting Paleo chili recipe is filled with ground meat, and a ton of veggies to fill your belly. It's a Whole30-friendly chili, and AIP compliant too with no tomatoes and no beans. This great Paleo meal prep recipe is easily made in an Instant Pot, slow cooker or stovetop.

While this class of vegetable includes Paleo-friendly foods, certain compounds in nightshades may cause gastrointestinal issues for some people.

This juicy turkey is naturally dairy free, gluten free, soy free, paleo, refined sugar free, nut free, grain free, and autoimmune protocol (AIP) friendly.

Well, yes, it is a pod-like fruit and considered part of the legume family … but when we talk about tamarind in the AIP world, we're just talking about the pulp of the outer pod that's made into tamarind paste – that IS compliant.

All chili peppers contain natural compounds called capsaicinoids. These are what give the spicy fruit its anti-inflammatory properties. Chili pepper is widely considered to be a powerful anti-inflammatory spice, so be sure to include a dash in your next dish.

Traditional applications: Peppers are used whole (bell peppers, jalapenos) or as seasonings (cayenne, red pepper flakes). How to sub it: Use vegetables such as zucchini and yellow squash instead of bell peppers or eggplant and safe seasonings like ground ginger instead of spicy peppers and pepper-based seasonings.

These are NOT Nightshades:

Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) Green Peppercorns (Piper nigrum) Long Pepper (Piper nigrum) Sichuan Pepper.

Even less is known about the effects of nightshades on other autoimmune diseases. However, there may be some connection between increased intestinal permeability, or leaky gut, and autoimmune conditions like celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis ( 15 , 16 ).

Symptoms of nightshade intolerance can include bloating, gas, heartburn, joint pain, and changes in mood. These symptoms typically occur several hours to days after consuming nightshades and can last for several days.

Like grains, beans and lentils also contain anti-nutrients such as lectins and phytates that can irritate an already-inflamed digestive tract. They also contain high amounts of fiber that can irritate some people's intestines. These are foods to avoid on AIP (particularly during elimination phase).

Why is cumin not allowed on AIP? ›

Since cumin is derived from seeds, it is not included in AIP before a reintroduction period (for more information about the science behind this guideline, see my post The WHYs Behind the Autoimmune Protocol: Nuts and Seeds).

In Core AIP, all grains, grain-like seeds, and gluten are eliminated including oats, wheat, chia, quinoa and rice.

While you might be inclined to believe that it's caffeine that's eliminated here, it's actually the coffee bean itself! The name bean is misleading, however, because coffee is technically a seed of the Coffea plant. So, that means, like other seeds, coffee is eliminated in the temporary elimination phase of the AIP.

Apple-Cider Vinegar—I recommend having at least one vinegar on hand to add to your meals, and this is an all-around standout. Other flavorings occasionally called for in AIP recipes—balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, cooking wine.

Also avoid: all peppers (jalapeno, serrano, etc.); spices in the nightshade family (paprika, cayenne, chili powder, curry, red pepper, etc.); NSAIDs (Advil, aspirin, etc.)

The autoimmune protocol eliminates nightshades, so bell peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes are all out. To substitute for these, try: Eggplant: zucchini or yellow squash.

An AIP diet avoids all processed foods, alcohol, additives, refined sugars, coffee, tea, oils, and certain medications. In the elimination phase, a person will also avoid foods such as grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, and nightshade vegetables, but they may reintroduce these later.