Understanding Nightshades🍅🥔🌱

Some of the most common edible nightshades include:

• Tomatoes
• White potatoes
• Bell peppers
• Chili peppers
• Jalapeños
• Cayenne peppers
• Eggplant
• Tomatillos
• Goji berries

Certain seasonings made from nightshade peppers are also nightshades, including paprika, cayenne and chili pepper.

Sweet potatoes are not nightshades, despite their name.

Tomatoes are probably the most familiar nightshade—and one of the hardest to avoid because they're used in so many everyday foods.

Tomatoes and tomato-based ingredients are commonly found in:

• Pasta and marinara sauce
• Pizza sauce
• Ketchup
• BBQ sauce
• Salsa
• Soups
• Chili
• Condiments and dressings

For someone following a nightshade-free diet, avoiding fresh tomatoes may actually be the easy part. Finding replacements for all those tomato-based sauces and condiments can be much harder.

White potatoes are members of the nightshade family. This includes common varieties such as russet, red, yellow and fingerling potatoes.

Potatoes naturally contain glycoalkaloids, including solanine and chaconine. Levels can be higher in potatoes that have turned green or begun sprouting, which is one reason green and heavily sprouted potatoes shouldn't be eaten.

And here's an important distinction:

Sweet potatoes are not nightshades. 🍠

Eggplant, also called aubergine, belongs to the Solanaceae family as well.

It's commonly used in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Asian dishes and comes in numerous varieties, shapes and colors.

If you're eliminating nightshades, eggplant is one of the vegetables you'll generally leave off the menu.

This category surprises a lot of people.

Bell peppers and chili peppers are nightshades, including:

• Red peppers
• Green peppers
• Yellow peppers
• Jalapeños
• Serrano peppers
• Cayenne peppers
• Habaneros
• Other Capsicum peppers

And don't forget about dried spices made from peppers. Paprika, cayenne and many chili powders can contain nightshade ingredients.

Black pepper is different. Despite its name, black pepper does not belong to the nightshade family.

Goji berries also belong to the nightshade family.

They may not show up in everyday meals as frequently as tomatoes, potatoes or peppers, but they're worth knowing about if you're carefully following a nightshade-free diet.

Nightshades naturally contain compounds called alkaloids. These compounds are part of the plants' natural chemistry and aren't, by themselves, a reason most people need to avoid nightshade vegetables.

Some people nevertheless report digestive discomfort or other symptoms after eating particular nightshade foods. Others eliminate nightshades temporarily as part of a structured elimination diet to determine whether particular foods affect their individual symptoms.

It's important not to assume that nightshades cause inflammation or autoimmune disease simply because they contain alkaloids. If you suspect a particular food is affecting you, it's better to evaluate your individual response than to assume the entire nightshade family is a problem.

Giving up nightshades doesn't mean giving up flavorful food.

There are plenty of nightshade-free alternatives:

• Use sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes 🍠
• Try cauliflower or cauliflower mash instead of potatoes
• Use zucchini or squash in place of eggplant
• Use carrots, beets, pumpkin or squash as bases for sauces
• Season foods with garlic, onion and fresh herbs instead of pepper-based spice blends

And if what you really miss is tomato sauce, ketchup, BBQ sauce or salsa, you don't have to settle for plain food.

This is exactly why Nada Mato exists.

Nada Mato creates tomato-free and nightshade-free alternatives to the familiar sauces and condiments traditionally made with tomatoes.

Instead of giving up the foods you love, you can use tomato-free alternatives for pasta, pizza, meatballs, BBQ, dipping and more.

Nada Mato Tomato-Free Pasta Sauce can replace traditional marinara or pizza sauce, while our tomato-free ketchup, BBQ sauces and salsa make it easier to enjoy familiar flavors without tomatoes or other nightshades. 🫙❤️

If you suspect certain nightshade foods are bothering you, keeping a food and symptom diary can help you identify patterns.

Some people also work with a physician or registered dietitian on a temporary elimination and reintroduction process. Rather than eliminating foods indefinitely, foods can be reintroduced systematically to help determine whether a particular food actually causes symptoms.

This is especially important if you're eliminating multiple food groups or making dietary changes because of a medical condition.

Tomatoes, peppers, white potatoes and eggplant appear in countless recipes, so starting a nightshade-free diet can seem intimidating.

But there are plenty of alternatives.

Carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, squash, cauliflower, zucchini, herbs and other nightshade-free ingredients can provide plenty of variety—and tomato-free sauces and condiments can bring some of your favorite familiar meals back to the table.

🍝 Missing Tomato-Based Sauces?

Explore Nada Mato's tomato-free and nightshade-free sauces and condiments for pasta, pizza, BBQ, dipping and more—without the tomatoes.