Choose foods that are simple to digest and offer a good mix of macronutrients to help reduce the symptoms of GERD. Include plenty of vegetables, complex carbs, and lean proteins. To ease the strain on the stomach, limit the size of your meals and choose smaller, more frequent ones instead. Water is also very important, so stay hydrated all day long.
This article describes a 7-day GERD-friendly diet that emphasizes nourishing but also calming meals and snacks. The diet plan consists of a range of readily digestible, high-fiber, low-acid foods that can help manage the symptoms of GERD while offering a balanced diet.
Important Guidelines for a GERD-Friendly Diet
Prior to beginning the 7-day meal plan, it's critical to comprehend the following vital dietary guidelines that might assist control GERD symptoms:
Eat Smaller, More Often Meals: Eating large meals might cause acid reflux by putting more strain on the stomach. Heartburn can be avoided and this pressure can be lowered by eating smaller, more frequent meals.
Steer clear of trigger foods:
Acidic and/or spicy foods (such as citrus and tomatoes), fried or fatty foods, chocolate, coffee, alcohol, and carbonated drinks are common causes of gastric reflux disease (GERD).
Include Low-Acid and Alkaline Foods:
Acidic foods have a low pH and might cause esophageal irritation. Rather, prioritize more alkaline meals such as bananas, melons, and leafy greens.
Incorporate High-Fiber Foods:
Foods high in fiber promote healthy digestion and guard against indigestion and bloating, which can worsen the symptoms of GERD.
Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. This will help lessen reflux symptoms by improving digestion and reducing stomach acid.
Let's now examine the best 7-day GERD diet, which consists of well-balanced meals and snacks to calm your stomach and lessen reflux.
First Day: Monday
Breakfast consists of almond milk oatmeal and bananas.
Almond milk is a less acidic milk than cow's milk, so start your day with porridge made with it. Add several slices of banana, which is a little acidic fruit. Because oats are high in fiber, they can help you feel fuller and lessen reflux.
Apple slices with peanut butter for a morning snack
Choose non-acidic, sweet apples like Fuji or Golden Delicious. Serve with a small dollop of natural peanut butter for protein and good fats.
Lunch would be a wrap with turkey and avocado.
Spread some avocado, spinach, lean turkey slices, and a sprinkle of olive oil over a whole-wheat wrap. Rich in good fats and less prone to cause indigestion, avocado complements the fiber found in spinach and whole grains.
Greek yogurt with honey and melon for a late-afternoon snack
Select Greek yogurt with reduced fat content to avoid exacerbating symptoms of GERD. A few chunks of low-acid melon should be added, and honey should be drizzled over for sweetness.
Dinner is steamed broccoli and baked chicken with quinoa.
Combine olive oil, spices, and herbs such as basil or thyme to bake skinless chicken breast. Serve with steamed broccoli and a side of quinoa for a high-fiber, GERD-friendly dinner.
Day Two: Tuesday
Breakfast consists of whole-grain toast and scrambled eggs with spinach.
Add some fresh spinach to two scrambled eggs to boost the nutrition. Serve alongside a piece of whole-grain toast, which helps with digestion by providing fiber.
Carrot sticks with hummus for breakfast
Carrots are an excellent snack for people with GERD since they are high in fiber and low in acidity. To enhance taste and protein, dip in hummus.
Lunch is a cucumber and olive oil dressing tossed with grilled chicken salad.
Combine lettuce, cucumbers, grilled chicken, and olive oil to make a simple salad. Olive oil offers healthful fats and aids in digestion; cucumbers are low in acid.
Snack in the afternoon: Pear with Almonds
Because they are low in acidity, pears are a fantastic food choice for GERD. To get your recommended daily allowance of protein and good fats, pair them with a small handful of almonds.
Dinner is baked salmon paired with green beans and sweet potatoes.
Omega-3 fatty acids, which are abundant in salmon, have anti-inflammatory properties. Serve with steaming green beans and baked sweet potatoes for a filling and GERD-friendly supper.
Wednesday, Day 3
Smoothie for breakfast made with berries, spinach, and almond milk
Add spinach, blueberries or other low-acid berries, and a teaspoon of chia seeds for extra fiber to almond milk and blend. This high-nutrient smoothie is gentle on the stomach and prevents reflux.
Rice cakes with cottage cheese for a morning snack
For a light, GERD-friendly snack, choose plain rice cakes, which are easy on the stomach, and top with low-fat cottage cheese.
Lunch would be grilled vegetables and quinoa salad.
Make a quinoa salad with cucumbers, bell peppers, and grilled zucchini. Grilled vegetables offer a low-acid, nutrient-rich component to the high-fiber quinoa.
Celery sticks with almond butter for a midday snack
Low in acidity, celery goes nicely with almond butter to provide a satisfying, GERD-friendly snack that's high in fiber and good fats. Dinner is steamed asparagus and baked cod over brown rice.
Cod is an easily digested fish that is low in fat and lean. To create a well-rounded and calming lunch, serve it with brown rice and steamed asparagus on the side.
Day Four: Thursday
Breakfast consists of almond milk, strawberries, and whole-grain cereal.
Add almond milk to a whole-grain cereal that is GERD-friendly. For extra taste, place a couple slices of low-acid strawberries on top.
Cucumber slices with low-fat cream cheese for a morning snack
Since cucumbers have little acidity, they go nicely with a thin layer of low-fat cream cheese as a cool midmorning snack.
Lunch would be whole-grain bread and lentil soup.
A great source of protein and fiber are lentils. Make a homemade lentil soup by combining veggies such as zucchini and carrots that are low in acid. Serve with a whole-grain bread slice on the side.
Snack in the afternoon: sliced mango with walnuts
Mangoes are a good fruit for those with GERD because of their low acidity. Combine with a tiny handful of walnuts to get your fill of good fats.
Dinner is roasted vegetables and a grilled turkey burger.
Select a grilled turkey burger (omitting the bread) and serve it with roasted veggies, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and zucchini. This filling, nutrient-dense, low-fat supper is easy on the stomach.
Day Five: Friday
Buckwheat Pancakes with Maple Syrup for breakfast
Buckwheat is easily digested and naturally gluten-free. To add some sweetness, top a stack of buckwheat pancakes with a little drizzle of maple syrup.
A banana with almond butter for a morning snack
One of the greatest fruits for those with GERD is a banana. Almond butter adds protein and good fats when paired with them.
Lunch would be a lettuce and cucumber wrap with grilled chicken.Combine cucumber, lettuce, and grilled chicken to make a light wrap. For an added boost of good fats, drizzle in a little olive oil.
Chia seeds and low-fat yogurt for a late-afternoon snack
Choose a plain yogurt that is low in fat and add chia seeds to it. Probiotics and fiber aid in digestion, and this snack delivers both.
Supper is baked tilapia with peas and mashed cauliflower.
A light, lean protein option is baked tilapia. Serve with a side of peas and mashed cauliflower, a low-acid, high-fiber substitute for mashed potatoes.
Day Six: Saturday
Smoothie for breakfast made with almond milk, spinach, and banana
Smoothie almond milk, banana, and spinach together for a healthy, GERD-friendly breakfast.
Pear slices with walnuts for breakfast
Low-acid pears go nicely with walnuts as a nutritious, GERD-friendly snack.
Lunch is avocado salad with turkey.
Combine cucumbers, lettuce, avocado, and lean turkey to make a salad. Avocados offer good fats; lettuce and cucumbers supply water and fiber.
Hummus-topped rice cakes for a midday snack
For an easy-to-eat, delicious, and light snack, try plain rice cakes topped with hummus.
Supper will be roasted carrots and brown rice with grilled shrimp.
A low-fat protein choice like grilled shrimp goes well with brown rice and roasted carrots for a well-rounded, calming supper.
Day 7: On Sunday
Breakfast consists of whole-grain toast and scrambled eggs with mushrooms.
Sautéed mushrooms are low in acidity and easy to digest; scramble two eggs with them. Accompany with a piece of wholegrain bread.
Melon slices with almonds for a morning snack
Melon is a low-acid fruit that is good for those with GERD. Combine with some almonds for a satisfying and wholesome snack.
Lunch would be a salad of chickpeas, cucumbers, and olive oil.
Chickpeas have a high protein and fiber content. Incorporate them into a light, GERD-friendly salad together with cucumbers, lettuce, and olive oil.
Apple slices with peanut butter for an afternoon snack
Snacking on a low-acid apple variety paired with natural peanut butter is a nutritious and high-protein option.
Dinner is steamed broccoli and grilled salmon with quinoa.
Omega-3s are abundant in grilled salmon.