It is practical for you to be aware of what foods you eat and look for a cause and effect relationship to your headaches. Most offending foods and seasonings will cause a headache shortly after you eat them. So-called "hot dog headaches" are an example of this. These are actually caused by nitrites contained in the hot dog meat.

As a general rule, consider foods that contain caffeine, chocolate, nitrites (preserved meats), fermented foods, alcohol, etc. possible triggers. Also, artificial sweeteners, such as Nutrisweet or Equal contain a substance called aspartame, which can cause headaches.

Alcohol itself is a trigger and includes fermented alcoholic beverages such as beer and red wine. MSG (monosodium glutamate) is also common trigger and has other names, including "hydrolyzed protein" or "natural flavoring".

Caffeine is a special issue. Excessive use of caffeine will provoke headaches but so will the sudden stopping of caffeine, which causes the so-called "caffeine withdrawal headache". Interestingly, caffeine is often used as part of a a treatment strategy. More is said in the medication section of this web page.