Salads are good news for those with chronic heartburn or GERD - if you have the right salad dressing and ingredients, that is. High-fat foods are a known trigger for acid reflux, so the National Heartburn Alliance recommends avoiding creamy salad dressings, as well as oil and vinegar.
Leafy Greens
GERD sufferers should make a point of eating salad every single day… mind you skip the acidic tomatoes and onions though. However, leafy greens—such as baby spinach, arugula, mesclun mix, and romaine lettuce—can be tossed in a fresh bowl or stuffed in a sandwich for their anti-inflammatory prowess.
Add the following foods to your meal planning to manage symptoms of acid reflux: Green, leafy vegetables: They're low in fat and sugar and help reduce stomach acid. Examples include green beans, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, lettuce and cucumbers.
Avocado: Despite being high in fat, avocados are rich in healthy fats, which can settle your stomach and prevent acid reflux symptoms.
Green vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, leafy greens, peas, cucumbers, and Brussels sprouts are known to prevent and alleviate acid reflux. In addition to being very low in fat, these vegetables are also high in alkaline content. The low pH offsets the high pH of the stomach acid.
Some people with GERD find that the yolk of the egg aggravates their symptoms. The good news is that you can easily enjoy just the egg whites. To avoid butter and oil, eat just the white of a hard boiled egg. A light scramble in a little bit of butter or coconut oil is another option.
Foods to Eat on an Acid Reflux Diet
Noncitrus fruits: Apples, bananas, blueberries, and strawberries are safe bets.
Is yogurt a good choice? Yogurt that is not too sour is also excellent for acid reflux, because of the probiotics that help normalize bowel function. Yogurt also provides protein, and soothes stomach discomfort, often providing a cooling sensation.
A 100% whole grain bread is a particularly healthy choice for people with acid reflux. Rather than containing only whole wheat, it can include other whole grains, so it provides a broader spectrum of nutrients.
Lettuce, celery and sweet peppers – These mild green veggies are easy on the stomach – and won't cause painful gas. Brown rice – This complex carbohydrate is mild and filling – just don't serve it fried. Melons – Watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew are all low-acid fruits that are among the best foods for acid reflux.
Foods with high water content
Foods with high water contents can help dilute stomach acid and ease acid reflux. Leafy greens, such as lettuce and spinach, are made up primarily of water as are celery, cucumbers and zucchini. In fact, celery, iceberg lettuce and cucumbers contain 95 percent water.
Foods That Help Reduce Acid Reflux
Root vegetables, like carrots and beets. Green vegetables, including broccoli, cucumbers or green beans. High-fiber foods, such as oatmeal and brown rice. Alkaline foods – which have a higher pH and are the opposite of acidic foods – including melons, cauliflower and bananas.
Saturated fats such as butter, cream and cheese, can be especially bad for acid reflux, so try to ensure that the fats you eat are healthier unsaturated ones, such as avocado or walnuts.
Tomatoes
Cooking tomatoes won't reduce the acidity enough to prevent acid reflux either, so next time you are making pizza sauce, trying whipping up some fresh pesto instead, and try to limit (or eliminate) tomatoes from your diet.
Drinks such as ginger tea, certain fruit and vegetable juices, and plant-based milks may benefit people experiencing acid reflux and heartburn. Avoiding citrus juices, carbonated beverages, and alcohol can also help to reduce symptom frequency and severity.
Yes, drinking a glass of cow's milk can help control acid reflux symptoms and may immediately relieve heartburn. This is because milk can temporarily buffer stomach acid. However, the fat in milk can trigger acid production and make heartburn worse.
Bananas. This low-acid fruit can help neutralize stomach acid by coating an irritated esophageal lining. And not only are bananas alkaline, they're also rich in pectin — a soluble fiber that helps keeps food flowing nicely through the digestive tract.
Milk and dairy products are high in fat and tend to make heartburn worse. When you have frequent GERD symptoms, like heartburn, eating high-fat dairy products like cheese can aggravate your symptoms.
Potatoes — either boiled or baked and prepared without high-fat toppings — are a good option to help you prevent acid reflux.
The high levels of monounsaturated fats in extra virgin olive oil have been found to reduce acid reflux and inflammation in the esophagus. Additionally, compounds found in the oil can help strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter, which is responsible for keeping stomach acids from flowing back up into the esophagus.