Foods You Can Eat When You Have Gastroparesis

When you suffer from gastroparesis, or delayed stomach emptying, you must carefully control your diet. Gastroparesis ranges in severity and may come and go in cycles. While prescription medications sometimes help ease symptoms, dietary intervention is the most common treatment. In addition to eating smaller meals more often and drinking ample amounts of water, focus on foods low in fiber and additional liquids; avoid foods high in fat.

Significance

Certain foods can aggravate the condition and cause malnutrition and weight loss. Because digestion happens more slowly with gastroparesis, it can also lead to erratic blood sugar fluctuations, which is of special concern to diabetics. Food fermenting in the stomach may result in bacterial overgrowth, causing bloating and flatulence. In extreme cases, undigested food can develop into bezoars, or hard calcifications of food that prompt severe vomiting and nausea.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruit and vegetable juices are easier to digest than whole foods and can help you obtain important nutrients. Apple, cranberry, tomato and prune juice are good choices. You may also tolerate soft canned fruits such as applesauce, peaches and pears. Cook vegetables well and focus on low-fiber varieties such as acorn squash, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, spinach and summer squash. Remove the skin from fruits and vegetables whenever possible. Try adding finely chopped vegetables in soup, which helps soften them and provides liquid to ease movement through the stomach.

Proteins

Meats, poultry and fish are challenging to digest. Instead, focus on eggs and dairy products. Minimize fat by eating more egg whites, nonfat yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, skim milk and nonfat milk powder. If you enjoy dessert, try puddings and custards made with low- or non-fat milk. Some people may tolerate peanut butter, but stick to just 2 tbsp. per day. If your doctor allows it, you may occasionally consume some meats -- but go for lean versions that are well-cooked and moist. Ground meat, meat in soups and pureed versions may be your best options.

Grains

Whole grains, such as oatmeal and bran, are high in fiber and may aggravate gastroparesis. Stick to low-fiber grains such as cream of wheat, over-cooked pasta, egg noodles and low-fat crackers, such as saltines.