“Chinese food is often overloaded with chemicals, salt, and highly processed ingredients like MSG, which is added to enhance flavor,” says Smith. In addition, fried foods (like those dumplings you love so dearly) may increase the likelihood of acid reflux and leave you feeling sluggish.
And if you're craving a sandwich, Dr. Mandal says the Artisan Grilled Chicken order is probably your best bet for avoiding heartburn: "It has six grams of fat and is filling for the stomach without making its acidity rise."
Acid reflux takes place when the acid from your stomach touches the esophagus, causing pain and irritation. Good foods to eat for dinner to avoid heartburn include leafy greens, non-citrus fruits, ginger, oatmeal, healthy fats, seafood and aloe vera juice.
Acidity: The excessive oil in Chinese food can make your stomach churn more acid. Oily food tends to stay for long in the stomach, producing more acid and irritate the intestinal lining.
Steamed dumplings, warm wonton soup, and stir-fried rice are all Chinese specialties that won't upset the stomach. These dishes feature copious amounts of garlic and ginger, as well as vegetables like bok choy and broccoli.
Pasta With the Right Sauce
Tomatoes—due to their acid—and heavy sauces are a no-no for people with GERD. This prohibition rules out a lot of classic Italian dishes. However, for those with a craving for pasta, try thin, broth-like sauces.
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.
Subway Ham, Turkey or Roast Beef Sub, six inch.
You may need to go lightly on the dressing/sauce as these are often full of spices and vinegar. Oh these look so good but they are a sure to trigger heartburn in most teens with reflux.
Foods to Skip on an Acid Reflux Diet
Fried foods: French fries, fatty meat like hamburgers, fried chicken, etc. Spicy foods: If it makes you want to reach for a drink to cool down, it's probably going to cause heartburn! Caffeine and alcohol: These can be hard to avoid, but are technically considered triggers.
Consider a white pizza, which includes an olive-oil based sauce instead of a red sauce. Consider cheese options for the pizza. A fat-free cheese will help reduce acid. You could also look into alternative cheese choices like a goat cheese pizza.
Potatoes — either boiled or baked and prepared without high-fat toppings — are a good option to help you prevent acid reflux. Try to stay away from french-fries and potato chips though. As good as they taste, their high fat content can cause stomach discomfort.
Since soy sauce is quite acidic, consuming it may aggravate your discomfort if you are already experiencing symptoms of acid reflux. Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD happens when the natural acid in your stomach finds its way to the tube connecting your stomach and mouth.
Foods that might worsen GERD or reflux esophagitis symptoms include: meat, which tends to be high in saturated fats. oils and high fat foods, which may cause the sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus to relax, and also slow down digestion.
Potatoes. All root vegetables, except onion, are good for heartburn.
When you have frequent GERD symptoms, like heartburn, eating high-fat dairy products like cheese can aggravate your symptoms. Furthermore, cold dairy products like ice cream can actually numb and inhibit the lower esophageal sphincter's function. As a result, stomach acid can backwash up into the esophagus much easier.
Egg Whites: Eggs are a popular food item in terms of easing acid reflux, but some people find that the yolks have a high fat content which can trigger acid reflux. Egg whites are the low-fat, low-cholesterol option to help with acid reflux.
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.
When your stomach is distended and bloated, acid can rise back into the esophagus, triggering symptoms. But an empty stomach can cause problems, too. Go more than three to four hours without a meal or snack, and stomach acid — which would usually be used in the digestive process to break down food — collects.
Avoid: Cheesy dishes like lasagna, ravioli, and tortellini and anything with an Alfredo sauce. Tomato-based dishes like red pizza, pasta with red sauce, bruschetta, and tomato soup. Fried appetizers like zucchini and calamari.
In addition to being quick and easy, stir-frying is also healthy. It results in tender-crisp vegetables that retain more nutrients than if they were boiled. And since stir-frying requires only a small amount of oil, the fat content is low.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer often added to restaurant foods, canned vegetables, soups, deli meats and other foods.