This is general advice if you are going to follow an acid reflux diet. Eating large meals and eating just before bedtime is not recommended when following an acid reflux diet. You are also supposed to avoid fatty and/or spicy foods. All of this clothing can lead to increased production of stomach acid that can enter and cause damage to the esophagus. This is particularly true if the closing muscles are not working as they should. The consequence is that you end up with permanent heartburn.
There are many foods to consider when discussing an acid reflux diet. There are foods that should be avoided, foods that can be consumed in moderation, and foods that one can definitely have. The first section of the acid reflux diet will deal with foods to avoid:
Fruit – Lemon, orange juice, lemonade, cranberry juice, tomato, and grapefruit juice
Vegetables – Mashed potatoes, raw onions and French fries
Meat – Ground beef or chuck, chicken nuggets, marbled sirloin, buffalo wings
Dairy: milkshake, sour cream, ice cream, and regular cottage cheese
Grains – Spaghetti with sauce and macaroni and cheese
Beverages: wine, liquor, all coffee, either regular or decaf, all tea, either regular or decaf
Fats/oils: creamy salad dressings, salad dressings with oil and vinegar
Sweets/desserts: chocolate, shortbread, high-fat cookies, brownies, donuts, potato chips, and corn chips
The following list of foods are considered safe foods if you follow an acid reflux diet:
Fruit: fresh apple, dried apple, banana, apple juice, pineapple, papaya (these help neutralize stomach acid)
Vegetables: carrots, baked potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, peas, green beans
Meat: extra lean ground beef, skinless chicken breast, London broil, fish with no added fat, egg whites, egg substitutes
Dairy: feta or goat cheese, fat-free sour cream, fat-free cream cheese, low-fat tofu
Grains: cornbread, multigrain or white bread, whole grain crackers, bran or oatmeal cereal, pretzels, brown or white rice, rice cakes
Drinks – Mineral water
Fats/oils – low-fat salad dressings
Sweets/desserts: fat free cookies, red licorice, jelly beans, baked potato chips
The following foods should be eaten in moderation when following an acid reflux diet:
Fruit: low-acid orange juice, peaches, apple cider, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, dried cranberries, grapes
Vegetables – cooked onion, garlic, leeks, spring onions, sauerkraut
Meat: lean ground beef, eggs scrambled in butter, chicken salad, fried eggs, tuna salad, fried fish, beef or pork sausage, ham
Dairy: yogurt, frozen yogurt, 2% or skim milk, low-fat cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese
Grains: granola cereal, garlic bread, muffin
Beverages: non-alcoholic wine, non-alcoholic beer, cola, lager, root beer
Fats/Oils – Ketchup
Sweets/desserts – low-fat cookie
This isn’t an exhaustive list of foods you can eat and avoid on an acid reflux diet, but it’s a start. When you find that your reflux disease is somewhat under control, you may be able to slowly add a food from the forbidden list to see how you will react to it. If your acid reflux worsens, then you should avoid that food forever.