HSV Meal Plans

When I first tried managing my dietary proteins, I found it frustrating. I put a lot of hope into becoming symptom-free from herpes by eliminating all foods containing arginine. However, I soon discovered it was impossible to go that route because I couldn't eliminate the foods from my diet containing arginine. After all, they were very healthy for me. Furthermore, I enjoyed them. For example, I love blueberries and walnuts.

 

For a time, I referred to my Comprehensive L-Lysine Verses Arginine Food Ratio Guide, which is a fantastic tool for looking up foods, especially those I didn't eat often. Still, I wanted something to refer to when I didn't have the time or energy to look up foods to concoct a meal. So, what to do?

 

As a creature of habit (which most of us are), eating the same foods over and over again was normal for me. I decided to print out my guide and circle those foods. To my dismay, I discovered many foods I ate weekly were way too high in arginine, like bread, walnuts, and blueberries. So, I decided to nix most bread from my diet (bummer, I love bread) and eat way fewer walnuts and blueberries unless I ate them with plain, organic yogurt. Plain yogurt has plenty of lysine to counteract arginine. Out of the acceptable foods list, I chose foods I wanted to try to round out my diet. 

 

Then, out of that newly organized list, I created menu plans. Having a menu of foods to choose from out of the common foods I ate regularly proved much easier for me to follow than counting food ratios all of the time. My menu plans also helped me remember food combinations I could make or quickly grab without worrying whether I was getting too much arginine or too little lysine. In other words, I could eat the foods on my menu plans without worrying about triggering a breakout from what went into my mouth.

 

My HSV Menu Plans (directly below) show you how to combine foods to create delicious, HSV worry-free meals. ​Please don't feel you have to use them. They're just healthy suggestions for whenever you don't want to give much thought to meal planning. 

 

 

Breakfast

 

  1. Eggs & Bacon
  2. Quiche with Zucchini, Mushrooms & Cheese
  3. Cheese Omelet
  4. Organic Coffee with Half & Half
  5. Egg & Potato Hash (browned in Coconut Oil and Butter)
  6. Boiled Eggs with leftover Meat (red)
  7. A Steamer made with organic Milk, with Honey to taste and a dash of Nutmeg or Cinnamon
  8. Plain, organic Yogurt and Mixed Fruit
  9. Toast with Butter and Cottage Cheese

 

 

Lunch

 

  1. Lettuce, Egg, Celery & Cottage Cheese
  2. Cauliflower (browned in Butter) with Baby Spinach
  3. Kale, Chicken & Avocado
  4. Tuna & Spinach with Mayonnaise Dressing
  5. Baby Spinach, Sprouts, Celery & Beets (raw, not canned)
  6. Bacon, Egg, Kale & Avocado
  7. Lettuce, Spinach, Sprouts & White Mushrooms
  8. Dark Leaf Lettuce with Parmesan Cheese
  9. ​Cut Veggies & Avocado Dip

 

 

Dinner

 

  1. Lettuce Wrapped Chicken Sandwich (no bread)
  2. ​Beans & Hot Dogs (no bread)
  3. ​Egg Drop Soup with Green Salad
  4. ​Baked Potato, Beets (or Beet Greens) & Roast Beef 
  5. Red Potato, Asparagus & Wild Caught Salmon
  6. Sweet Potato, Zucchini & BBQ Chicken 
  7. ​Turnip Greens, Corn (cut off the stalk) & Pork Chops
  8. ​Asparagus, Mushrooms & Fish 
  9. Campbell's Turkey Noodle Soup & Green Salad​

 

NOTE: All meat portions should be 3-6 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand).

 

 

Okay Fats

 

Avocado, butter, virgin coconut oil, margarine, mayonnaise (a small amount), ranch (regular), and French (low-fat) dressings

 

While the meat of a coconut is an HSV trigger because of its high arginine content, coconut oil doesn't contain the food's amino acids. It's safe to add one teaspoon of coconut oil 3-5 times each week to already-cooked foods, smoothies, and turmeric tea.

 

So that you know, mayonnaise contains approximately the same amount of lysine as arginine, which is why you should use only a little.

 

 

Okay Beverages

 

Organic and decaf coffee with whipped cream or a half and half (once daily), organic milk, green tea, lemon water, lime water, and pure water (no tap). It's okay to occasionally use rice and almond milk. ​

 

 

Snacks & Desserts

 

You can live with herpes and still eat your cake or pie too. However, when eating foods containing high amounts of arginine, you'll want to counteract it with foods high in lysine or take a lysine supplement.

 

Also, when you snack (and we all do), ensure your snacks are healthy, which keeps your blood sugar and mood stable. It's best to reach for a bit of protein or fat (or both) between meals. Desserts can be included along with breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

The HSV Meal Plans PDF

Back to Herpes Simplex Virus.