Your first goal should be to discover what foods you can eat. These should be foods that are not only ‘waistline friendly’, but they should also be foods you can eat without experiencing symptoms of acid reflux disease. Though everybody has their own ‘trigger’ foods to which their symptoms react, the following foods are generally considered to be suitable on their own or as ingredients in acid reflux disease diet recipes:
– Fresh apples
– Apple juice
– Bananas
– Baked potatoes
– Carrots
– Green beans
– Peas
– Skinless chicken breast
– Extra lean ground beef
– Egg whites
– Egg substitute
– White fish
– Feta or goat cheese
– Fat-free cream cheese
– Fat free sour cream
– Low fat soy cheese
– Multigrain bread
– Bran or oatmeal cereal
– Pretzels
– Corn bread
– Graham crackers
– Brown rice
– Rice cakes
– Jelly beans
– Red licorice
– Baked potato chips
– Water
– Herbal teas (not peppermint)
These are by no means all of the foods that are safe to eat for losing weight and avoiding symptoms of acid reflux disease. However, these are among the more popular and have the added benefit of being easy to find at the local grocery store.
Further to the foods that are considered quite “safe”, there are also foods that you may be able to enjoy in moderation without too much of a risk of an acid reflux attack. These include, but aren’t limited to:
– Low-acid orange juice
– Apple cider
– Peaches
– Strawberries
– Blueberries
– Dried cranberries
– Raspberries
– Grapes
– Cooked onions
– Leeks
– Sauerkraut
– Lean ground beef
– Scrambled eggs
– Ham
– Yogurt
– Milk (2 percent or lower in fat)
– Frozen yogurt
– Low-fat cottage cheese
– Mozzarella cheese (made with skim milk)
– Granola cereal
Though these are foods that are permitted in a typical acid reflux disease diet, they should be consumed with discretion. Moderation is very important for these foods. Not only do they have the potential to bring about acid reflux symptoms if consumed too frequently, but some can also be fattening if eaten too often.
As you discuss your diet with your doctor, you will soon discover that there are some foods that you will need to cut out altogether. The foods you’ll likely be told to avoid as they may aggravate acid reflux and can put inches on your waistline include the following:
– Orange juice
– Lemon
– Lemonade
– Grapefruit juice
– Cranberry juice
– Tomatoes
– Mashed potatoes
– French fries
– Raw onions
– Ground beef
– Steak
– Chicken nuggets
– Breaded and battered meats
– Buffalo wings or meats with spicy sauces
– Sour cream
– Milk shakes
– Ice cream
– Regular sour cream
– Alcohol
– Pasta with tomato or cheese sauce
– Creamy salad dressings
– Oil and vinegar salad dressings
– Coffee (caffeinated or decaffeinated)
– Tea (caffeinated or decaffeinated)
– Chocolate
– Potato chips
– Donuts
– Brownies
– Baked desserts
Tips for sticking to your acid reflux weight loss program:
1. Ensure you eat breakfast. Research has proven that people who eat breakfast are slimmer than those who skip breakfast. Try a bowel of bran or oatmeal cereal with skimmed milk topped with half a small banana sliced.
2. Eat small, but regular meals throughout the day to keep hunger at bay and so you don’t overload your digestive system. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner along with mid morning and mid afternoon snacks. Try having an apple, a rice cake topped with low sugar jam or a handful of pretzels for your snacks.
3. Keep your diet varied so you don’t get bored with what you’re eating. Ensure your fridge and cupboards contain acid reflux and weight loss friendly options so you have a choice, but aren’t tempted to stray back into old habits.
4. If you do slip and have something that’s either fattening or brings on your symptoms, don’t worry. Just get back to your new lifestyle as quickly as possible.
5. Don’t view these changes as a ‘diet’ – rather think about it as a conscious lifestyle choice. No food items should be ‘banned’, instead retrain your brain and tell it you’re choosing not to eat those items anymore. Diets often fail because we feel deprived; success will come when you’ve changed your mindset about what you eat.
As you get to know the foods you should and should not eat, you’ll be able to build recipes and then menus from all of the foods you’ll be including in your acid reflux disease diet. As you build your acid reflux disease diet habits, you’ll find that maintaining your weight loss and minimizing your symptoms will come much more naturally to you.
by Kathryn Whittaker
