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.
So, if you want to fight your heartburn symptoms, here are the kinds of foods you'll want to incorporate into your diet: Dark leafy greens, like spinach or kale. Fruits like bananas, apples, and pineapples.
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.
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.
With regard to heartburn, cucumbers are an alkaline food and thus neutralize acid in the body by increasing the pH value.
Green Leafy Vegetables
Spinach, broccoli, kale, asparagus and Brussels sprouts are highly alkaline which are good for the gut and offer respite from acid reflux.
Lettuce and Celery
Reflux can make you gassy, so skip foods that can make that worse, like beans and dried fruit. Mild veggies like lettuce and celery are healthy, low in calories, easy on your stomach, and they won't cause more gas.
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.
While avocados are a very good-for-you food, thanks to its healthy fats6, if your diet is already packed with fat, eating high-fat avocados could bring about acid reflux (healthy nut butters may be a culprit here, too).
Foods to Eat on an Acid Reflux Diet
Noncitrus fruits: Apples, bananas, blueberries, and strawberries are safe bets.
Is Yogurt Good for GERD? Yogurt that is low in fat is generally safe to eat for those who have GERD. You should avoid eating yogurt that contains whole fat rather than low amounts of fat. Whole fat yogurt can be harder for you to digest and might trigger GERD symptoms.
Potatoes — either boiled or baked and prepared without high-fat toppings — are a good option to help you prevent acid reflux.
Is pasta good for acid reflux? By itself or with little sauce and cheese, pasta shouldn't trigger acid reflux. However, specific ingredients and toppings can lead to heartburn in people prone to it, such as heavy tomato or cream sauces, lots of garlic and spices, and carbonara (cream, cheese, and bacon).
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.
Any root vegetable like potatoes, mushrooms, turnips, and carrots will reduce symptoms since they have a low acidity. Herbs are also a great option to include in your diet.
The following foods may help reduce your acid reflux symptoms: Vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, leafy greens, potatoes and cucumbers are not only low in fat and sugar; they also help reduce stomach acid.
Some veggies that reduce heartburn include cucumbers, leafy greens, broccoli, green beans, potatoes, asparagus and cauliflower.
Whole grains — High fiber, whole-grains like brown rice, oatmeal, and whole grain breads help stop symptoms of acid reflux. They are a good source of fiber and may help absorb stomach acid. Lean protein — Low-fat, lean sources of protein also reduce symptoms. Good choices are chicken, seafood, tofu, and egg whites.