The Six Introductory Stages of The GAPS Diet

The GAPS introductory phase has six stages. These are designed to significantly restrict the diet to allow the gut to start healing in preparation for the final Full GAPS phase, which has a much broader range of allowed ingredients.

The introductory stages involve very small additions to the allowed ingredients in each stage. This is a very important part of the whole process, which is intended to kill off a whole range of pathogenic bacteria in the gut to prepare it for a wider range of ingredients. This stage also starts opening the dietary routine to fermented foods. 

In the introductory phase, there is also a significant reduction of the amount of fibre in the diet, which is necessary for a short period of time whilst pathogenic gut bacteria are being reduced.

Stage 1

Vegetables – beetroot, broccoli heads, brussels sprouts, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, garlic, peas, pumpkin, spinach and onion.
Fermented cabbage- just the juice. Filtered water. Lemon or lime juice.
Teas – ginger root or turmeric. Small amounts of raw unheated honey.
Pepper corns, Salt and Coconut oil.

Stage 2 – everything from stage 1 plus

Fermented cod liver oil, fermented, fish, and gravlax. Raw egg yolks.
Broths, and casseroles made with boiled vegetables and meats
Fresh herbs. Ghee. Homemade whey, yoghurt, cultured or sour cream and Kefir.

Stage 3 – everything from stages 1 and 2 plus

Avocado – which can be eaten raw or added to soups starting with a very small amount, such as an eighth of a small avocado and increasing daily.
Pancakes – made with squash, pumpkin seed, butter, eggs, and a little salt. Start with one small pancake to test it.
Almond butter.
Eggs – soft boiled, fried or scrambled. Take with Ghee or Coconut Oil.
Other cooked vegetables – cabbage, celeriac, asparagus
Sautéed onion in lots of fat, vegetable or animal.
Fermented vegetables – such as sauerkraut. Start with a tablespoon and work your way up

Stage 4 – everything from stage 3 plus

Roasted, and baked meat and fish except barracuda – add gradually.
Cold-pressed Olive Oils – tart with a teaspoon increase if desired.
Freshly pressed juices, such as carrot, celery, lettuce or mint. Start with a teaspoon and increase slowly.
Walnut and almond flour.
Bread made with nut or seed flour.

Stage 5 – everything from stage 4 plus

Spices, such as cumin, coriander, fennel, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger and cardamom.
Stewed Apple with ghee or coconut oil. These oils are added to slow down the digestion and prevent a sudden increase in blood sugar levels.
New vegetables – lettuce and cucumber. Once you have tried those, you can include grated carrot, tomatoes and raw onion
Pecan nut flour

Stage 6 – everything in stage 5 plus

Raw fruits – gradually increase quantities from 15g. New fruits – pear, kiwi, raspberry, nectarine, apricot, all berries, overripe bananas, cherry, prunes, peach and ugli fruit
Brazil nuts – introduced slowly.
Raisins, coconut, milk, dates, black radish and capers.
Baked foods – such as muffins made with almond flour.