Can you blame your psoriasis flare on the doughnut you had for breakfast, or credit your clear skin to your ugly green smoothie? The answer is probably no: For most people there is little evidence that specific foods are directly responsible for causing or preventing psoriasis flares.
But that doesn’t mean your breakfast choices don’t influence your flare risk. It tends to come down to inflammation, one of the hallmarks of psoriasis, and the overall impact of a diet high in inflammatory or anti-inflammatory foods.
“Although psoriasis is not directly caused by any specific food you eat, some people with psoriasis report an improvement in symptoms when they follow an anti-inflammatory diet or avoid certain triggers that might be individual to them,” says Alix Turoff, RDN, a nutrition consultant and the owner of Alix Turoff Nutrition in New York City.
But an anti-psoriasis diet isn’t just about limiting foods that can worsen inflammation, it’s also about eating foods that can counter inflammation. “Most anti-inflammatory foods are those that we typically categorize as ‘healthy’ in general — they tend to be minimally processed and packed with vitamins and minerals,” says Turoff. “Berries, avocado, fatty fish like salmon, olive oil, nuts and seeds, and whole grains are all great anti-inflammatory foods to incorporate into your diet whether you have psoriasis or not.”
If you're not sure how to get more of these ingredients into your breakfast, check out the inspirational ideas below.
Note: Before you make any major changes to how you eat, Turoff suggests getting cleared by your physician. Ask about eliminating any suspected trigger foods from your diet as a test to see if your symptoms improve.
Next up video playing in 10 seconds
6 Easy Snacks for Your Anti-Psoriasis Diet
Oatmeal With Walnuts and Berries
A whole-grain cereal like oatmeal in the morning is a great option for someone with psoriasis. Adding the right toppings (and avoiding the wrong ones) can make oatmeal even better.
Mushroom, Pepper, Onion, and Egg Scramble
Adding garlic and turmeric to the scramble means extra flavor — and an anti-inflammatory boost. “Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has a long history of use in traditional Indian medicine as a treatment for inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis,” says Mascha Davis, MPH, RDN, a Los Angeles–based registered dietitian-nutritionist and the author of Eat Your Vitamins.
Just a note: This scramble includes peppers, which are nightshade vegetables. Some people with psoriasis say consuming nightshades worsens their symptoms. If nightshades seem to be a psoriasis trigger for you, leave them out or swap in another veggie.
Avocado Toast on Sprouted-Grain Bread
If you don’t have celiac disease but still believe gluten is a psoriasis trigger for you, talk to your doctor about eliminating gluten from your diet temporarily to see if your symptoms improve, says Turoff.
Smoothies With Berries, Greens, and Hempseeds
If you like to start your day the smoothie way, keep it up. “Smoothies are great because you can load them up with anti-inflammatory foods such as berries, greens like spinach, and seeds or nut butter,” says Turoff.
Mediterranean Breakfast Plate
Consider creating a Mediterranean breakfast plate for your a.m. meal, like this idea from the blog The Mediterranean Dish: Slice up some tomatoes and cucumber to eat alongside hard-boiled egg. (One caveat though: Tomatoes, like peppers, are a nightshade vegetable, which some people with psoriasis say is a trigger food for them.)
Low-Fat Greek Yogurt With Blueberries, Chia Seeds, Cinnamon, and Walnuts
Greek yogurt not only fits in with a Mediterranean style of eating (as long as dairy isn’t a psoriasis trigger for you), it also makes the perfect base for anti-inflammatory toppings like berries, walnuts, and cinnamon. “This breakfast is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and bursting with potent antioxidants, offering anti-inflammatory properties to help keep psoriasis symptoms at bay,” says Davis.
Tofu Veggie Scramble With Smoked Salmon, Avocado, and Whole-Grain Toast
The Takeaway
- Certain foods may influence psoriasis flares due to their inflammatory or anti-inflammatory properties.
- Breakfasts featuring anti-inflammatory ingredients include oatmeal with berries and walnuts, avocado toast, smoothies with berries and spinach, and a Mediterranean breakfast plate.
- Incorporating berries, avocados, fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, seeds, and whole grains into your diet is recommended, as these foods are generally considered healthy and can counter inflammation.
Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN
Medical Reviewer
Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN, is the director of health promotion for Memorial Hospital in Carthage, Illinois. She is also licensed as an exercise physiologist and certified in lifestyle medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Her experience includes corporate wellness, teaching for the American College of Sports Medicine, sports nutrition, weight management, integrative medicine, oncology support, and dialysis.
She earned her master's in exercise and nutrition science at Lipscomb University.
Andrew has served as a president and board member of the Nashville Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She was recently elected a co-chair of the fitness and medicine group in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
