Meals for avoiding heartburn
April 20, 2023 11:51 AM Subscribe
I've been getting increasingly bad heartburn and I need some help with recipes and meals that won't seek revenge on me at night.
I've tried a few google searches, but just get listicles with options like "Eat bananas!" or "Lasagna! Instead of tomatoes just use extra cheese!". All my favorite foods are very acidic which is definitely contributing to this problem.
I'm a lazy cook and work late so I don't want to be putting something complicated together. Cucumbers with hummus on toast is the kind of speed I'm aiming for. I'll use the instant pot once a week if there's a good stew or soup that would help that i can reheat for a few days.
Also - I'll eat anything with a salad dressing on it, but again all my favorites are vinegar based. What is a heartburn friendly salad dressing??
I've tried a few google searches, but just get listicles with options like "Eat bananas!" or "Lasagna! Instead of tomatoes just use extra cheese!". All my favorite foods are very acidic which is definitely contributing to this problem.
I'm a lazy cook and work late so I don't want to be putting something complicated together. Cucumbers with hummus on toast is the kind of speed I'm aiming for. I'll use the instant pot once a week if there's a good stew or soup that would help that i can reheat for a few days.
Also - I'll eat anything with a salad dressing on it, but again all my favorites are vinegar based. What is a heartburn friendly salad dressing??
I have chronic, chronic acid-reflux: GERD - my stomach doesn't close properly at the top.
Over the last few years I drilled down on it and have found the following guidelines have freed me from heartburn/acid reflux to such an extent that I can sleep! on! my! stomach! (which I had not done in years - I slept sitting up, basically.) The guidelines have required substantial change but to be free of the pain has been worth it.
YMMV, natch.
1. Don't eat as much (like really, I eat about half of what I used to per meal now. I was used to eating bigger portions, but I didn't have to.)
2. Don't eat less than three hours before going to bed.
3. Don't drink booze (this has been the least fun part.)
4. Avoid HFCS containing foods when at all possible.
5. In fact, one serving of something sugary a day is gonna be plenty.
5a. I also cut way back on bread - note, I really like baking. Or, more precisely, I really like eating baked goods. After no booze this has been the second biggest not-fun. I eat about one serving a week of wheat-made stuff: pasta gets lumped into that (and right around the time I perfected a Mac-n-cheese strategy!)
I tried all kinds of different meals, special alkaline waters and the ubiquitous pills and none of them really, truly helped until I just plain old ate less and especially less sugars (breads and alcohol.) This was my solution for my issues, yours might be different so take this with a pinch of salt. Or sugar, you know, whatever works for you.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:56 PM on April 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
Over the last few years I drilled down on it and have found the following guidelines have freed me from heartburn/acid reflux to such an extent that I can sleep! on! my! stomach! (which I had not done in years - I slept sitting up, basically.) The guidelines have required substantial change but to be free of the pain has been worth it.
YMMV, natch.
1. Don't eat as much (like really, I eat about half of what I used to per meal now. I was used to eating bigger portions, but I didn't have to.)
2. Don't eat less than three hours before going to bed.
3. Don't drink booze (this has been the least fun part.)
4. Avoid HFCS containing foods when at all possible.
5. In fact, one serving of something sugary a day is gonna be plenty.
5a. I also cut way back on bread - note, I really like baking. Or, more precisely, I really like eating baked goods. After no booze this has been the second biggest not-fun. I eat about one serving a week of wheat-made stuff: pasta gets lumped into that (and right around the time I perfected a Mac-n-cheese strategy!)
I tried all kinds of different meals, special alkaline waters and the ubiquitous pills and none of them really, truly helped until I just plain old ate less and especially less sugars (breads and alcohol.) This was my solution for my issues, yours might be different so take this with a pinch of salt. Or sugar, you know, whatever works for you.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:56 PM on April 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
Red wine and chocolate are known to create heartburn as well.
posted by mhoye at 12:57 PM on April 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by mhoye at 12:57 PM on April 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I appreciate people taking the time to answer, but I already know what causes it I'm really only looking for recipes!
posted by Dynex at 1:04 PM on April 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Dynex at 1:04 PM on April 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
Heartburn triggers vary widely. For a lot of people, dairy causes heartburn, and so do cucumbers (such as my dad). So I think that is part of the issue, here. Could you make a list of what you know are your trigger foods, or food groups? Then people could be more specific with their recipe suggestions.
posted by Mizu at 1:18 PM on April 20, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by Mizu at 1:18 PM on April 20, 2023 [5 favorites]
It’s been a few years, but I’m lazy and I remember a decent number of the recipes in this book being pretty manageable:
https://www.amazon.com/Dropping-Acid-Reflux-Diet-Cookbook/dp/0982708319/ref=nodl_
posted by jameaterblues at 1:30 PM on April 20, 2023
https://www.amazon.com/Dropping-Acid-Reflux-Diet-Cookbook/dp/0982708319/ref=nodl_
posted by jameaterblues at 1:30 PM on April 20, 2023
I have the same issue, and Italian foods have been a big part of the household diet... and most nights we're all about the quick and easy meals. So, we've been using pesto or light alfredo sauce in place of tomato sauce. White pizzas instead of traditional. Baked potato topped with broccoli and cheese, or beans. Last night was this really odd-sounding thing that actually turned out well -- pasta with sauteed veggies with creamed corn serving as a veggie and sauce. (Yes, I too think creamed corn is revolting, but this worked!) Ranch or parmesan salad dressings. Lots of other stuff, but I tend to space out when it comes to recalling meals; I'll check with Mrs. Blank later and throw in another comment, or MeMail you.
Also, hate to say it, but you may want to see a gastroenterologist for this. (I did.) Bad reflux can cause serious problems down the road, and a proton-pump inhibitor medication can make a huge difference. Between the diet changes and medication, I haven't had heartburn at all for months. See if the diet changes do the trick, and if not, maybe take that next step.
posted by martin q blank at 1:51 PM on April 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Also, hate to say it, but you may want to see a gastroenterologist for this. (I did.) Bad reflux can cause serious problems down the road, and a proton-pump inhibitor medication can make a huge difference. Between the diet changes and medication, I haven't had heartburn at all for months. See if the diet changes do the trick, and if not, maybe take that next step.
posted by martin q blank at 1:51 PM on April 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I usually have an issue after eating the typical acidic foods or greasy foods. Apparently red wine tomato sauce on pasta is a very bad idea. I find it easier to look at a list of foods that I can eat rather than a list of foods I can't and I'm a bit stumped.
posted by Dynex at 2:33 PM on April 20, 2023
posted by Dynex at 2:33 PM on April 20, 2023
Most of my meals now consist of fresh fruits and veggies:
- oatmeal with fruit and nuts every morning
- popcorn as a snack
- yogurt as a snack
- peanut butter as a snack
- hummus toast and an assortment of veggies for lunch
- coffee (your mileage may vary)
- sparkling water
- water with psyllium husk
- dinner: sandwiches, soups, pulled chicken wrap with yogurt-based dressing, lemon and garlic salmon. Usually with a cup of broccoli or peas.
I don’t know if this will resonate with you but I’ve retired the idea that I need to cook recipes…the pulled chicken is made in the crockpot and so are the soups. The salmon can be broiled from frozen in about 20 min. I steam my veggies. Peas can be eat frozen and are some how extra delicious that way.
posted by CMcG at 2:53 PM on April 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
- oatmeal with fruit and nuts every morning
- popcorn as a snack
- yogurt as a snack
- peanut butter as a snack
- hummus toast and an assortment of veggies for lunch
- coffee (your mileage may vary)
- sparkling water
- water with psyllium husk
- dinner: sandwiches, soups, pulled chicken wrap with yogurt-based dressing, lemon and garlic salmon. Usually with a cup of broccoli or peas.
I don’t know if this will resonate with you but I’ve retired the idea that I need to cook recipes…the pulled chicken is made in the crockpot and so are the soups. The salmon can be broiled from frozen in about 20 min. I steam my veggies. Peas can be eat frozen and are some how extra delicious that way.
posted by CMcG at 2:53 PM on April 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: RD/ chef/ food human chiming in with a clarifying question... Do you know your particular triggers? That might be why you're getting an explanation of GERD/ heartburn instead of quite so many recipes. I'd hate to give you a recipe that avoids a common trigger (ex: tomatoes) if that's not a trigger for you.
On review: sounds like tomatoes and wine/alcohol are a problem. Got it!
Re: salad dressings... It's complicated! A dairy-based dressing might trigger me but not Spouse. A fruit-based vinaigrette might be ok because you can replace a lot of the acid from the vinegar as your "water" component of the dressing vs vinegar. You can still add in a bit of lemon or vinegar for flavor and it might not trigger you, YMMV. Think raspberry or strawberry dressing, orange (mostly zest)-mustard-herb, or... I dunno, roasted red pepper-honey- orange. I also like sesame or peanut-based dressings (think a very thin satay sauce).
Some folks who don't do well with a tomato sauce on pasta might be fine with a roasted red pepper sauce or a roasted carrot or butternut squash sauce. Bonus points bc all of those can be turned into delicious hot or cold soups with the addition of stock or cream/dairy.
As far as meals go, I'm a big fan of sesame noodles or other recipes from Panda Cub Stories, very adaptable and fast.
Seconding watching portion size. For a lot of folks, since reflux is triggered by both foods AND portions (woo biology), so it can be beneficial to adjust foods and try to eat a little slower so you're working in favor of your body.
Happy eating!
posted by OhHaieThere at 3:55 PM on April 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
On review: sounds like tomatoes and wine/alcohol are a problem. Got it!
Re: salad dressings... It's complicated! A dairy-based dressing might trigger me but not Spouse. A fruit-based vinaigrette might be ok because you can replace a lot of the acid from the vinegar as your "water" component of the dressing vs vinegar. You can still add in a bit of lemon or vinegar for flavor and it might not trigger you, YMMV. Think raspberry or strawberry dressing, orange (mostly zest)-mustard-herb, or... I dunno, roasted red pepper-honey- orange. I also like sesame or peanut-based dressings (think a very thin satay sauce).
Some folks who don't do well with a tomato sauce on pasta might be fine with a roasted red pepper sauce or a roasted carrot or butternut squash sauce. Bonus points bc all of those can be turned into delicious hot or cold soups with the addition of stock or cream/dairy.
As far as meals go, I'm a big fan of sesame noodles or other recipes from Panda Cub Stories, very adaptable and fast.
Seconding watching portion size. For a lot of folks, since reflux is triggered by both foods AND portions (woo biology), so it can be beneficial to adjust foods and try to eat a little slower so you're working in favor of your body.
Happy eating!
posted by OhHaieThere at 3:55 PM on April 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
Onion and garlic can be triggers.
In which case, cooking with a commercial garlic-infused olive oil
(instead of actual garlic) gets you the flavour with a lot less digestive distress.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 6:34 PM on April 20, 2023
In which case, cooking with a commercial garlic-infused olive oil
(instead of actual garlic) gets you the flavour with a lot less digestive distress.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 6:34 PM on April 20, 2023
Tomato sauce is a trigger for me as well. However, whole, fresh tomatoes do not cause any issues for me. Instead of tomato sauce with your pasta, try just chopping up a few cherry/grape tomatoes and throwing them in instead with a little oil on the pasta. If means that you can't make or use red meat sauces, but it's been an acceptable substitution for me. Also, white pizza is your friend. It's not as good as regular, but the lack of pain afterwards makes it all worth it.
How does spicy food work for you? It's a trigger for many people, but if you can tolerate it, it could give you an acceptable way to add flavor to areas that you would be taking away from instead. Also, I find that pico de gallo doesn't seem to cause me to have reflux. Tomatillo sauces for Mexican also have been good. Pesto is also a great alternative to red sauces, if a little expensive at times.
For truly lazy nights, get a steamer (in advance) and pre-made frozen dim sum. I've never had a flare up after eating dumplings and the frozen ones need to either be boiled or steamed. Total cook time is under 30 minutes, and mostly depends on how quickly you can get water to boil.
As for salad dressing, maybe honey mustard? Some are made with vinegar, but that is not necessary.
posted by Hactar at 6:48 PM on April 20, 2023
How does spicy food work for you? It's a trigger for many people, but if you can tolerate it, it could give you an acceptable way to add flavor to areas that you would be taking away from instead. Also, I find that pico de gallo doesn't seem to cause me to have reflux. Tomatillo sauces for Mexican also have been good. Pesto is also a great alternative to red sauces, if a little expensive at times.
For truly lazy nights, get a steamer (in advance) and pre-made frozen dim sum. I've never had a flare up after eating dumplings and the frozen ones need to either be boiled or steamed. Total cook time is under 30 minutes, and mostly depends on how quickly you can get water to boil.
As for salad dressing, maybe honey mustard? Some are made with vinegar, but that is not necessary.
posted by Hactar at 6:48 PM on April 20, 2023
Best answer: For the most part my triggers are carbohydrates, including candy (which I love to bum out with in front of the TV). I haven't noticed anything with acidic food per se, and one of my favorites these days has not bit me back at all: Fagioli e Tonno, Italian bean and tuna (and onion) salad:
Break apart in a bowl a can of tonno tuna (the Italian-sounding stuff next to the Starkist).
Add a can of cannelini beans, rinsed
Add half a red onion, diced
A splorch or three of olive oil to add some wetness and flavor
A squeeze of lemon. You should be able to taste just an edge of tartness through the olive oil
A fistful of Italian parsley chopped, possibly finely.
It takes about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Be sure to use Cannelini instead of other white beans like navy, because the others smash really easily. As it is, you'll want to use a rubber spatula or large spoon to kind of scoop and fold everything together. Never gave me a tummy ache yet! Maybe it's all the protein drowning out the oil fattiness and lemon acidity.
Quinoa bites: Not just for breakfast! Get one of those mini-muffin pans and go nuts.
It occurs to me that low-carb diets are a thing (and paleo, and keto) and there are a zillion recipes in those areas that I now have to look up.
posted by rhizome at 12:25 AM on April 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
Break apart in a bowl a can of tonno tuna (the Italian-sounding stuff next to the Starkist).
Add a can of cannelini beans, rinsed
Add half a red onion, diced
A splorch or three of olive oil to add some wetness and flavor
A squeeze of lemon. You should be able to taste just an edge of tartness through the olive oil
A fistful of Italian parsley chopped, possibly finely.
It takes about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Be sure to use Cannelini instead of other white beans like navy, because the others smash really easily. As it is, you'll want to use a rubber spatula or large spoon to kind of scoop and fold everything together. Never gave me a tummy ache yet! Maybe it's all the protein drowning out the oil fattiness and lemon acidity.
Quinoa bites: Not just for breakfast! Get one of those mini-muffin pans and go nuts.
It occurs to me that low-carb diets are a thing (and paleo, and keto) and there are a zillion recipes in those areas that I now have to look up.
posted by rhizome at 12:25 AM on April 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
I've been eating tabouli a lot lately and it doesn't seem to provoke gerd symptoms in the way that other things can. I'll soak bulgur in hot water, then add chopped green or red onion, cucumber, sometimes colored pepper, sometimes serrano pepper, cherry tomatoes that I've found have a little flavor. I'm not crazy about mint, so I'll sometime make with a bunch of cilantro instead of parsley/mint. Dress with lemon juice and olive oil and salt to taste. I know it's not tabouli, but it's delicious with a little feta and maybe some olives. I often warm a bowl in the morning and scramble a couple of eggs to go on top. Half an hour of chopping yields numerous delicious meals.
posted by bullatony at 7:01 AM on April 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by bullatony at 7:01 AM on April 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
I've got insane reflux myself. As in, stomach cancer runs in my family and my dad's already had stomach reconstruction surgery.
Here are some of my favorite recipes:
1 box of spring mix, butter lettuce, or other pre-washed salad greens
1/4 cup of dried cherries
1/4 cup of honey roasted pecan pieces
1/2 cup (or however much you prefer) of shredded NOT GRATED good quality parmesan cheese
1/3 to 1/2 cup of finely shredded organic carrots
1/4 to 1/3 cup of Simply Dressed Lemon Vinaigrette (yes, I know, you said vinegar things hurt but this dressing has literally never given me reflux pain or wake-up-at-3am-heartburn so YMMV)
1 sliced grilled plain chicken breast, if you're into added protein
This salad has literally never made me sick, not even once, or given me the sudden reflux burps. I eat it probably once a week.
If that dressing is problematic, maybe try making one yourself with apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinaigrette:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and black pepper to taste, but I tend to use less pepper these days because I'm paranoid about my reflux.
This dressing also mixes well with a box of plain "instant" couscous, crumbled feta cheese, a handful of fresh chopped parsley (or chopped fresh spinach greens, if you prefer), and sliced cherry tomatoes (always halve them and rinse out ALL the seeds -- IMO, the seeds and tomato paste are the true triggers for reflux; you can maybe get away with occasional fresh tomatoes as long as you don't eat too many or too often).
This light couscous salad makes a great side or cold lunch during summer.
It's also extremely easy to make an at-home delicious pizza with:
1 naan (NOT THE GARLIC KIND)
spread on pesto sauce to taste, as much as you like (the jar kind from the store is perfectly fine)
1/2 to 1 cup or so of shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese (depends on how big your naan is)
add diced pre-cooked chicken breast if you like, or another veg you enjoy and know you can safely eat. Spinach goes well on this and is a good way to use up extra uneaten leaves.
Preheat oven to 400 F and then bake for about 8 minutes, leave in a little longer if it's not totally brown and bubbly yet (since naan can vary widely in size, depending on where you buy it).
You can also pick up naan for cheap at Costco and freeze it so it keeps longer.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 2:33 PM on April 27, 2023
Here are some of my favorite recipes:
1 box of spring mix, butter lettuce, or other pre-washed salad greens
1/4 cup of dried cherries
1/4 cup of honey roasted pecan pieces
1/2 cup (or however much you prefer) of shredded NOT GRATED good quality parmesan cheese
1/3 to 1/2 cup of finely shredded organic carrots
1/4 to 1/3 cup of Simply Dressed Lemon Vinaigrette (yes, I know, you said vinegar things hurt but this dressing has literally never given me reflux pain or wake-up-at-3am-heartburn so YMMV)
1 sliced grilled plain chicken breast, if you're into added protein
This salad has literally never made me sick, not even once, or given me the sudden reflux burps. I eat it probably once a week.
If that dressing is problematic, maybe try making one yourself with apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinaigrette:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and black pepper to taste, but I tend to use less pepper these days because I'm paranoid about my reflux.
This dressing also mixes well with a box of plain "instant" couscous, crumbled feta cheese, a handful of fresh chopped parsley (or chopped fresh spinach greens, if you prefer), and sliced cherry tomatoes (always halve them and rinse out ALL the seeds -- IMO, the seeds and tomato paste are the true triggers for reflux; you can maybe get away with occasional fresh tomatoes as long as you don't eat too many or too often).
This light couscous salad makes a great side or cold lunch during summer.
It's also extremely easy to make an at-home delicious pizza with:
1 naan (NOT THE GARLIC KIND)
spread on pesto sauce to taste, as much as you like (the jar kind from the store is perfectly fine)
1/2 to 1 cup or so of shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese (depends on how big your naan is)
add diced pre-cooked chicken breast if you like, or another veg you enjoy and know you can safely eat. Spinach goes well on this and is a good way to use up extra uneaten leaves.
Preheat oven to 400 F and then bake for about 8 minutes, leave in a little longer if it's not totally brown and bubbly yet (since naan can vary widely in size, depending on where you buy it).
You can also pick up naan for cheap at Costco and freeze it so it keeps longer.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 2:33 PM on April 27, 2023
« Older How to open a .exe file in Windows 11? (from a Mac... | What are some really good spiritual movies about... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
I realize this isn't exactly what you're asking, but I noticed a huge uptick in my acid reflux when I started working late and having dinner 30 min-1 hour before bed. When I started preparing dinner before I went to work and reheating the second I walked in the door, extending that window to 2.5-3 hours, my acid reflux was back under control, no matter what I ate.
posted by epj at 12:30 PM on April 20, 2023 [13 favorites]