No matter what type of diet you’re trying to follow, most diets require you to give up or severely limit the foods you love the most. The candida diet is no exception. The candida diet is the cornerstone of treating a condition known as candidiasis. Candidiasis is an overgrowth of typically benign yeast, Candida albicans, in the digestive tract. This condition often occurs due to a variety of external factors, but the main causes tend to be overuse of antibiotics, birth control, steroids, and diets high in sugar and processed foods. These external factors cause an imbalance in the digestive system and the candida diet helps to restore this balance. The candida diet eliminates sugar and yeast-laden foods, glutinous grains, fruit, cheese, and processed foods that are thought to exacerbate yeast infection. There are many other foods that are also omitted from the diet. So is it possible to still enjoy your favorite foods when there are so many limitations on this diet? With a little creativity, you can.

Tacos are one of my favorite foods that traditionally don’t work for the candida diet. From the taco to the shredded cheese, many traditional taco toppings are simply offensive to candida’s diet. So how do we make a tasty taco that is yeast-free and therefore suitable for this diet?

The first step is to make or find yeast-free and gluten-free taco seasoning. There are many taco seasoning packets at the store, but most of them have ingredients that are not allowed on the diet, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), yeast extract, citric acid, and sugar. If you want to use a store-bought taco seasoning packet, read the label carefully. You may be able to find a yeast-free variety at your local health food store or Whole Foods. I have found that it is much easier to create my own taco seasoning mix using yeast-free spices from my pantry. A mix of chili powder, cayenne pepper, sea salt, black pepper, and onion powder does the job just as well as any store-bought variety.

The second step is to make or find yeast-free and gluten-free tortillas. There are a variety of gluten-free tortillas on the market. They are usually available at your local health food store, Whole Foods, or Trader Joe’s. The most common type that is yeast and gluten free are brown rice tortillas. However, in my experience, these don’t seem to work as well for tacos, as they fall apart very easily under the weight of the taco filling. There are other gluten-free options, but these usually contain yeast or some other prohibited ingredient for candida dieters. I have found it easier and tastier to make my own. There are some great recipes online for gluten free tortillas. Do a search and be sure to substitute non-yeast ingredients for problem ingredients.

The third step would be to prepare yeast-free and gluten-free taco garnishes. This is the easiest and most fun part. Once you’ve seasoned the meat and a taco, you can pile on the ingredients. Although things like cheese and sour cream are off limits, you can still make a great taco. Some of my favorite toppings for yeast-free tacos are tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, homemade salsa, plain unsweetened yogurt, and canned organic beans.

For more information on living yeast-free on the candida diet, visit Yeast-Free Living.