Eating can be a challenge when you deal with heartburn frequently. It can seem like everything you eat triggers heartburn and indigestion. Maybe you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) causing frequent heartburn or just occasional heartburn symptoms. This diagnosis doesn’t mean you must eat bland and boring food for the rest of your life.
Keeping track of the foods you eat so you know which foods that cause heartburn to avoid, as well as avoiding certain types of common triggers, will set you on the right path toward avoiding your frequent heartburn.
Common Foods to Avoid for Heartburn
Certain foods are more likely heartburn triggers than others, and you should go out of your way to avoid them if you’ve been diagnosed with GERD. Spicy foods, citrus, tomato sauces, and vinegar are all likely to intensify heartburn symptoms.
Fatty and fried foods last longer in your stomach, increasing stomach pressure and forcing open the muscles keeping stomach acid out of your esophagus. You may also want to avoid onions, carbonated drinks, chocolate, caffeine, peppermint, and alcohol, as they can trigger heartburn symptoms.
What Can I Eat?
Don’t think that just because you can’t enjoy the above foods that all is lost. There are still many foods that don’t cause heartburn, including lean meat, fish, poultry, legumes, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. The secret is making them flavorful without adding too much fat or frying them.
Overly spicy food can often be a heartburn trigger, so be cautious when using hot sauce or cayenne or chili powder. Fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, oregano, basil, and rosemary are great ways to flavor your food.
Roasting is another fantastic way to add flavor—it makes vegetables sweeter: try it with sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, even Brussels sprouts. You can also broil, grill or sauté your food for added flavor—just be careful how much oil you use.
While tomatoes can cause heartburn while in sauces, they’re often less acidic when fresh. The same is true of other vegetables and fruits. If you find a food that causes heartburn, try eating it raw (if possible) to see if it affects you in the same way.
Meal Suggestions
For breakfast, you should avoid staple meats like ham or bacon, as the fattiness can be a heartburn trigger. Try low-fat yogurt with fruit or nuts, an omelet, oatmeal with cinnamon, or something else that doesn’t bother your stomach.
When you get to lunch, a salad can be a great option. Avoid dressings with too much oil or vinegar, as these can be hard on your stomach. A yogurt-based dressing or a light dressing might be a better option.
Eating while you have GERD can be a challenge, but by listening to your stomach and modifying your diet slightly, you can still eat what you love. Remember to keep a food journal and write down what foods cause you heartburn, and you can significantly reduce how much heartburn you have in your daily life.
