Below you will find a list of food family groups broken into three parts:
1. The Plant Kingdom
2. The Animal Kingdom
3. Exotic Food Taxonomy
I was given these very important and very helpful dietary taxonomy lists by an incredibly smart allergist/immunologist to assist in my rotating foods in order to avoid becoming sensitive to those foods I do tolerate as I have many food allergies. By rotating foods (eating a food once every few days or longer if possible as opposed to every day) you lessen the likelihood of your becoming sensitive to that specific food, and thus, losing it from your diet. The dietary taxonomy below will also help you identify those foods that are in the same food family. If you know you are allergic to one item in a food family, you may be allergic to more foods in that family or even the entire food family. However, many people have an allergy to only that one specific food, or they may be able to eat some members of the food family and not others. Then there are those who are allergic to the entire food family. You need to try each member of a family one week apart to see whether allergic symptoms develop – an immediate or delayed reaction can occur. Any change in how you feel physically or mentally may be from the food you tested. Another thing to be aware of is, if you are sensitive to a particular food, you may tolerate it by eating it in a form that you are not accustomed to. For example, if you are sensitive to pears and you recall that you have always eaten pears uncooked, you should test cooked pears as you may tolerate the pear in its cooked as opposed to uncooked form.
The Plant Kingdom
1. Mushrooms
2. Grass Family
a) bamboo
b) barley
c) wheat
d) rye
e) oats
f) rice
g) millet
h) sugar cane
i) sorghum
j) corn
3. Chinese Water Chestnuts
4. Palm Family
a) coconut
b) sago
c) date
5. taro, poi
6. Pineapple
7. Garlic Family
a) garlic
b) onion
c) leek
d) chives
e) asparagus
8. sarsaparilla
9. Banana
10. Ginger Family
a) ginger
b) turmeric
11. Arrowroot
12. Vanilla
13. black pepper
14. Walnut Family
a) walnut
b) pecan
c) hickory
15. Beechnut Family
a) beechnut
b) chestnut
16. Mulberry Fruit
a) mulberry
b) fig
c) breadfruit
17. Macadamia nut
18. Buckwheat Family
a) buckwheat
b) rhubarb
19. Spinach Family
a) spinach
b) swiss chard
c) common beet
d) sugar beet
20. pawpaw
21. Nutmeg Family
a) nutmeg
b) mace
22. Avocado Family
a) avocado
b) cinnamon
c) sassafras
23. Cabbage Family
a) cabbage
b) Brussel sprouts
c) broccoli
d) cauliflower
e) kale
f) collards
g) kohlrabi
h) mustard (all varieties)
i) turnip
j) rutabaga
24. Strawberry Family
a) strawberry
b) rasberry
c) blackberry
25. Apple Family
a) apple
b) pear
26. Plum Family
a) plum (incl. prune)
b) peach
c) apricot
d) almond
e) cherry
27. Gooseberry Family
a) gooseberry
b) currant
28. gum acacia
29. Peanut Family
a) peanut
b) pea (all varieties)
c) beans (all varieties)
d) lentils
e) licorice
f) gum tragacanth
30. Citrus Family
a) orange
b) grapefruit
c) lemon
d) lime
e) tangerine
f) citron
g) kumquat
31. tapioca
32. litchi nut
33. Cashew Family
34. maple sugar
35. grapes (all varieties)
36. Okra Family
a) okra
b) cottonseed
37. Chocolate Family
a) chocolate
b) cola
c) gum karaya
38. tea
39. papaya
40. Guava Family
a) guava
b) allspice
c) clove
41. Carrot Family
a) carrot
b) celery
c) parsnip
d) parsley
e) dill
f) fennel
g) anise
h) caraway
i) angelica
42. Ginseng
43. Blueberry Family
a) blueberry
b) cranberry
c) wintergreen
44. Persimmon
45. Chicle
46. Tomato Family
a) tomato
b) potato
c) eggplant
d) tobacco
47. Peppermint Family
a) peppermint
b) spearmint
c) horse mint
d) water mint
e) basil
f) lavender oil
g) rosemary
h) marjoram
i) sage
j) horehound
k) savory
l) thyme
m) Chinese artichoke
48. Sweet Potato
49. Coffee
50. Elderberry
51. Melon Family
a) melon (all varieties)
b) pumpkin
c) squash
d) cucumber
e) pickle
52. Lettuce Family
a) lettuce
b) endive
c) chicory
d) common artichoke
e) Jerusalem artichoke
f) sunflower
g) dandelion
h) cahmomile
i) goldenrod
j) safflower
The Animal Kingdom
1. Mollusks
A) Subfamily: Pelecypods:
a) clam
b) oyster
c) mussel
d) scallop
e) cockle
B) Subfamily: Gastropods:
a) snail
b) conch
c) abalone
C) Subfamily: Cephalopods:
a) squid
b) octopus
2. Crustacea
a) shrimp
b) lobster
c) crayfish
d) crab
3. Fish
4. Amphibia
frog
5. Reptiles
a) turtle
b) snake
c) alligator
6. Birds
a) duck
b) goose
c) grouse
d) prairie chicken
e) quail
f) peafowl
g) domestic pheasant
h) domestic chicken
i) guinea fowl
j) turkey
k) pidgeon
7. Mammals
a) opossum
b) rabbit
c) domestic guinea pig
d) muskrat
e) squirl
f) woodchuck
g) prairie dog
h) beaver
i) whale
j) dolphin
k) porpoise
l) wolf
m) bear
n) raccoon
o) lion
p) tiger
q) sea lion
r) walrus
s) seal
t) elephant
u) horse
v) pig
q) hippopotamus
x) camel
y) llama
z) deet
aa) elk
bb) moose
cc) caribou and reindeer
dd) giaraffe
ee) antelope
ff) domestic cattle
gg) bison
hh) water buffalo
ii) African buffalo
jj) sheep
kk) goat
Exotic Food Taxonomy
1. Pine nut
2. Grass Family
a) bamboo
b) millet
3. Chinese Water Chestnut
4. Taro Family (cook and eat like white potato)
a) taro (poi)
b) malanga
c) yautia
d) dasheen
e) ceriman
5. Lilly Family (onion)
a) asparagus
b) chives
c) leek
d) shallot
e) yucca
6. Yam Family (cook and eat like white potato)
a) yam
b) name
7. Banana Family
a) banana
b) plantain
8. Ginger Family
a) ginger
b) turmeric
c) cardamon
9. Arrowroot
10. Pepper Family
a) black pepper
b) white pepper
11. Chestnut
12. Mulberry Family
a) mulberry
b) fig
c) breadfruit
13. Macadamia Nut
a) rhubarb
b) buckwheat (does not contain gluten)
c) garden sorrel
15. Beet Family
a) beet
b) sugar beet
c) swiss chard
d) spinach
e) lambs quarters
f) tampala
16. Pigweed
(purselene, pusley)
17. Pawpaw
18. Nutmeg (mace)
19. Laurel Family
a) avocado
b) cinammon
c) sassadras
d) bay leaf
e) cassia
20. Chinese Lotus
21. Poppy seed
22. Cabbage Family
a) kale
b) collards
c) kohlrabi
d) mustard (+greens)
e) turnip
f) rutabaga
g) radish (+greens)
h) horseradish
i) watercress
23. Current Family
a) current
b) gooseberry
24. Carob Family
a) carob
b) gum acacia
25. Litchi nut
26. Bean Family
a) bean sprouts (various)
b) alfalfa
27. Flaxseed
28. Acerola
29. Cassava (tapioca is a starch derived from this plant)
(cassava, tapioca, yuca)
30. Cashew Family
a) cashew nut (whole or ground into butter)
b) pistachio nut
c) mango
31. Okra
32. Papaya
33. Prickly Pear
34. Pomegranate
35. Brazil nut
36. Myrtle Family
a) guava
b) allspice
c) clove
37. Carrot Family
a) celery
b) Chinese celery
c) bok choy
d) coriandor
e) cumin
f) parsley
g) parsnip
h) anise
i) caraway
j) dill
k) fennel
l) angelica
38. Blueberry Family
a) blueberry
b) huckleberry
c) cranberry
39. Persimmon
40. Olive
41. Tomato Family
a) eggplant
b) garden peppers
c) pimento
d) cayenne
e) chili
f) paprika
42. Mint Family
a) peppermint
b) spearmint
c) horse mint
d) water mint
e) basil
f) rosemary
g) marjoram
h) sage
i) horehound
j) savory
k) thyme
l) Chinese artichoke
m) pennyroyal
n) oregano
o) levender
43. Sweet Potato
44. Sesame (whole or ground into butter; Tahini = ground sesame seeds)
45. Elderberry
46. Lettuce Family
a) lettuce
b) endive (escarole)
c) chicory
d) Jersusalem artichoke
e) common artichoke
f) sunflower
g) dandelion
h) safflower
i) salsify
k) burdock
l) camomile
m) tarragon
n) yarrow
47. Seaweed
a) agar agar (fruit juices or other flavorings can be added to make this seaweek gelatin)
b) alaria
c) arame
d) dulse
e) hijiki
f) Irish moss
g) kombu
h) laver
i) wakame
48. Aramanth
49. Jicama
Very nice website. Easy to read and I’m particularly impressed with the long lists of foods that are so good for us – and groups in families for investigative purposes. I’m always telling people to eat as if they were living before the concept of packaged foods from a supermarket kidnapped us and to rotate, encompass and enjoy.
I also very much appreciate the lack of any flashing ads, etc. So much easier to read here. Great links to guide those at any stage. Good luck on your path.
Thank you so much for compiling this list. Yours is the best I’ve found yet. It is so valuable to us all; I wish more of us knew just how much.
I have a question: how is it that there are repeats in the Exotic Food Taxonomy list? For example the cashew family is in the family kingdom list alone but later in the exotic list it shows up with the pistachio and mango. Are there two cashew types? The two Cabbage families are different lists as well. I want to post this in the kitchen and wonder how I might reorganize it for an at-a-glance view. Do you think I could combine the lists in some concise way?
@Heather
The cashew is in the cashew botanical family along with mango and pistachio. As some consider the cashew itself an exotic food, that is why it is also listed in the exotic food taxonomy with the mango and pistachio. The same thing with the cabbage family. There are members of the cabbage food family that many consider to be exotic while others would say they are now more commonly eaten, hence the duplication of a few members of the cabbage family in both lists. You can combine the two lists. The exotic food list is more so people with food allergies can choose foods from the exotic list to add to their diet since these foods are less commonly eaten or rarely eaten, thus, they lessen the likelihood of their being allergic to that food since it is “exotic” and can add it to their food rotation.
This is for my father. He has Lymes, and I’m not quite sure about this
Are these foods things he SHOULD eat, or SHOULDN’T ingest?
Sorry for the ignorance, I’m just not quite sure. I don’t want to tell him to eat this, if he shouldn’t.
No carbs, no sugar, no dairy… is the usual rule of thumb.
Hey Jason!
Yes, many do follow that and it helps tremendously. I don’t avoid all carbs, but definitely no dairy, sugar, gluten and processed foods.
Thanks for sharing!