The John Kender Diet For Vegetarians And Vegans
Vegetarian or Vegan?
We’ve marked foods containing animal products with an asterisk (*) so vegans can spot them quickly. Where possible, look for a vegan alternative rather than simply removing the food — the aim is to give you more workable choices, not a progressively sadder shopping basket.
Shopping List For Vegetarians (And Vegans) On The John Kender Diet
The John Kender Diet is a simple eating approach designed to help reduce hair-pulling urges by avoiding certain foods and choosing alternatives that may work better for you. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can still follow the diet — this page gives you practical swaps and a shopping list to make getting started easier.
Protein:
Rice Milk (try Vanilla Rice Dream)
Rice Cream (it’s not Ice Cream!)
Rice Butter (I can’t believe it’s not butter OR soy!)
Low-fat peanut butter
Provolone and Swiss cheeses*
Skimmed Milk*
Kefir*
Live and unsweetened yoghurt*
Egg product*, such as Egg Beaters*
Cream cheese, sour cream*
Low carb, High Protein Shakes
Essential Vitamins, Minerals, and Oils:
High Potency Multiple Vitamins and Minerals
Calcium Soft Chews
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
St. John’s Wort
Valerian Root or Melatonin (for insomniacs)
Lavender and Peppermint aromatheraputic oils.
Getting Enough Protein
Removing or reducing particular foods doesn’t mean missing out on protein. Vegetarian and vegan alternatives can make the John Kender Diet much easier to follow, including suitable protein shakes and plant-based options. Use the shopping list below as a starting point and adapt it to foods you already enjoy.
Eat as many raw and natural foods as you can. Balance protein with carbs; if you eat an apple, include some cheese or a glass of rice milk; if you have spinach, throw some pepper and rice butter on it!
Many vegetarian soy-free products are available, made from rice, almonds, and oats.
Gradual Changes
It's best not to transform your entire diet overnight. Try a few swaps, notice how you feel and, importantly, notice whether your hair-pulling urges change. Keeping things simple makes it much easier to discover what seems helpful for you.
Use Sparingly
Fruits and Vegetables:
Oranges (Tangelos, tangerines, oranges)
Apples
Kale
Spirulina
Spinach
Brussels Sprouts
Raspberries
Blueberries
Kiwi
Cherries
Lettuce
Cabbage
Tomatoes (Without seeds – Taking the time to scrape out and discard the seeds pays off)
Bananas (Plantains too!)
Mushrooms, lots of mushrooms!
Onions (red onions are great!),
Garlic
Lemons & lime –
Make a fruit smoothie everyday for breakfast!
Squash
Aubergine (Eggplant)
Peaches
Grapes
Strawberries
Broccoli
Watermelon, Melons
Papaya
Guava
Mango
Ginger Root (great for anti-inflammation or headache relief)
Pineapple
Pears
Asparagus
Peppers
Carrots
Low-carb bread (found in most supermarkets, look around!)
Wheat pasta
Wheat flour tortillas (no corn tortillas!)
**Make sure the above products are NOT whole-grain, if you are a lash/brow puller!**
Beer, Ales, and Lagers
Sunflower Oil
Sea salt
Avocados
Asian noodles
Sauces and spices, such as marinara, salad dressing, and salsa
Vinegars
Rice
Sugar substitute:
Stevia
For fun:
Carob
Granola and yogurt chips
Stay away from:
Soy! It’s hard, I know: No tofu, soy burgers, soy cheeses, soy products!
Sugars and sweeteners, and products with sweeteners like Diet Coke
Glucose
Eggs and egg yolk (that’s okay, we don’t eat much of that anyway, nyah nyah)
Caffeine
Corn products, such as popcorn, corn tortillas, tortilla chips
Tomato seeds
Nuts (especially peanuts…throw away that trail mix, guys)
Alfalfa sprouts (noooo! but they’re so good in a vegan sandwich!)
Whole grain products, like bread (oh no! – buy low-carb or granary bread)
Legumes (such as beans and lentils)
Butterfat
Fatty or oily fish (such as tuna, herring, salmon, catfish, mackerel, and sardines)
(For those who are “fish-vegetarians”- the following fish are lean and okay to eat: cod, halibut, turbot, flounder, haddock, sole, monkfish, red snapper, sea bass)
Crustaceans and shellfish (Lobster, crab, prawns, shrimp, mussels, clams, etc.)
Grapefruit
Gin – there go my weekends 
Peas
Chocolate
Anything with aspartame/asparagines
Anything with nitrites
Anything with MSG, including Chinese food, although I think most Chinese food restaurants no longer serve food with MSG – Check first!
*vegans omit
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