HSV Meal Plans

The following HSV-worry-free meal plans will help you avoid food-related HSV triggers as you continue learning to reduce herpes flares. Please don't feel you have to use them. They're simply healthy options for when you suspect your diet is causing outbreaks and you want to avoid HSV food triggers.

 

 

Breakfast

 

  1. Eggs and bacon (2-3 x weekly bacon max)
  2. Quiche with zucchini, mushrooms (1-2 white), and mild cheeses
  3. Cheese omelet
  4. Organic coffee with half-and-half
  5. Egg and potato hash (browned in coconut oil and butter).
  6. Boiled eggs with freshly cooked meat (red)
  7. A steamer made with organic milk, with honey to taste, and a dash of nutmeg (preferred) or cinnamon
  8. Plain, organic yogurt and low-arginine mixed fruit (apples, pears, peaches) 
  9. Toast with butter and cottage cheese

 

 

Lunch

 

  1. Lettuce, egg, celery, and cottage cheese
  2. Cauliflower (browned in butter) with kale
  3. Kale and freshly cooked chicken, or Lettuce-wrapped chicken 
  4. Tuna and spinach salad with mayonnaise dressing (not daily)
  5. Baby spinach, sprouts, celery, and beets (raw, not canned)
  6. Bacon, egg, kale, and half of an avocado
  7. Lettuce, kale, sprouts (a small handful), and white mushrooms
  8. Dark leaf lettuce with Parmesan cheese (a small amount)
  9. ​Cut veggies and avocado dip (don't eat avocado daily)

 

Eat spinach only 1-3 times per week (rotate with lettuce or kale), and avoid pairing it with mushrooms. 

 

 

Dinner

 

  1. Lettuce-wrapped chicken (a no-bread sandwich)
  2. ​Beans (1/2 cup, 1-2 times weekly) and a skinless baked or steamed potato (not purple)
  3. ​Egg drop soup with a green salad
  4. ​Baked potato, beets (or beet greens), and freshly cooked roast beef 
  5. Red potato, asparagus, and wild-caught salmon
  6. Sweet potato, zucchini, and roasted chicken 
  7. ​Turnip greens, corn (cut off the stalk), and pork chops
  8. ​Asparagus and fish 
  9. Homemade turkey/chicken and noodle soup and green salad​

 

Note: All meat portions should be 3-6 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand). Don't eat mushrooms with fish.

 

 

Snacking & Desserts

 

You can live with herpes and still eat your cake or pie. However, when eating foods containing high amounts of arginine, you'll want to counteract it with foods high in lysine or take a lysine supplement. Also, when you snack (and we all do), choose healthy options to keep your blood sugar and mood stable. It's best to reach for some protein or fat (or both) between meals. You can include desserts along with breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

 

 

Okay Fats

 

Okay Fats: Avocado, butter, coconut oil, margarine, mayonnaise (a small amount), Ranch dressing (regular), and French (low-fat) dressings

 

While coconut meat is an HSV trigger due to its high arginine content, coconut oil doesn't contain the amino acids found in the meat. It's safe to add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to already-cooked foods, smoothies, and turmeric tea 3 to 5 times a week. However, don’t drink turmeric tea daily.

 

Mayonnaise contains approximately the same amount of lysine as arginine.

 

Okay Beverages 

 

Organic and decaf coffee (1 cup daily) with whipped cream or half-and-half (once daily), organic milk, green tea (1-2 cups daily), lemon or lime water (HSV neutral), and pure water (primary beverage; no tap) are recommended. You can use rice and almond milk occasionally.​

 

 

Bon appétit!

 

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