This is general advice if you are going on an acid reflux diet. Eating large meals and eating just before bedtime is not recommended when following an acid reflux diet. You are also supposed to avoid fatty and/or spicy foods. All this clothing can lead to increased production of stomach acid which can get inside and cause damage to the esophagus. This is particularly true if the closing muscles are not working as they should. The consequence is that you end up with permanent heartburn.

There are many foods to consider when discussing an acid reflux diet. There are foods that should be avoided, foods that can be eaten in moderation, and foods that one can definitely have. The first section of the acid reflux diet will deal with the foods to avoid:

Fruit – Lemon, orange juice, lemonade, cranberry juice, tomato, and grapefruit juice

Vegetables – Mashed potatoes, raw onions and fried potatoes

Meat – Ground beef or chuck, chicken nuggets, marbled sirloin, buffalo wings

Dairy: milkshake, sour cream, ice cream, and regular cottage cheese

Grains – Spaghetti with sauce and macaroni and cheese

Beverages: wine, liquor, all coffee, either regular or decaf, all tea, either regular or decaf

Fats/oils: creamy salad dressings, salad dressings with oil and vinegar

Sweets/Desserts: Chocolate, shortbread, high-fat, brownies, donuts, fried potato chips, and corn chips

The following list of foods are considered safe foods if you are on an acid reflux diet:

Fruit: fresh apple, dried apple, banana, apple juice, pineapple, papaya (these help neutralize stomach acid)

Vegetables: carrots, baked potato, broccoli, cabbage, peas, green beans

Meat: extra-lean ground beef, skinless chicken breast, London Broil steak, lean fish, egg whites, egg replacers

Dairy: feta or goat cheese, fat-free sour cream, fat-free cream cheese, low-fat soy cheese

Grains: cornbread, multigrain or white bread, whole grain crackers, bran or oatmeal cereal, pretzels, brown or white rice, rice cakes

Drinks – Mineral water

Fats/oils – low-fat salad dressings

Sweets/Desserts: fat-free cookies, red licorice, jelly beans, baked potato chips

The following foods should be eaten in moderation when following an acid reflux diet:

Fruit: low-acid orange juice, peach, apple cider, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, dried cranberries, grapes

Vegetables – cooked onion, garlic, leeks, chives, sauerkraut

Meat: lean ground beef, scrambled eggs in butter, chicken salad, fried eggs, tuna salad, fried fish, beef or pork sausage, ham

Dairy: yogurt, frozen yogurt, skim or 2% milk, low-fat cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese

Grains: granola cereal, garlic bread, muffin

Beverages: non-alcoholic wine, non-alcoholic beer, cola, beer, root beer

Fats/oils – Ketchup

Sweets/desserts – low fat cookie

This is not an exhaustive list of foods to eat and avoid on an acid reflux diet, but it is a start. When you find that your reflux disease is somewhat under control, you may be able to slowly add a food from the off-limits list to see how you’ll react to it. If it makes your acid reflux worse, then you should avoid that food forever.