A bland diet does not mean having to eat flavorless, mushy foods in small quantities. While you do need to avoid certain foods that give you trouble, your doctor will encourage you to eat from a variety of food groups so you get the nutrients your body needs. "Bland" simply means foods that are not highly spiced or greasy; this allows you to eat without becoming ill or feeling stomach pain.
Bland Diet Menu Examples
A sample breakfast menu on a bland diet might include egg, cooked with no fat, white toast, margarine or butter, jelly, juice and milk. For a snack, you can have a plain cookie, eggnog or strained fruit. Your lunch might consist of lean meat, a bland potato, bland vegetables, butter or margarine and milk. Have white toast with butter or margarine and jelly, pudding and a glass of milk for a snack. At dinnertime, have lean meat, a bland potato and vegetable, butter or margarine and milk. Your evening snack can consist of one portion of plain cake and a milkshake.
Medical Conditions
If you suffer from a chronic ulcer, too much stomach acid, gastritis, peptic ulcers, hemorrhoids or other gastrointestinal disorders, your doctor may prescribe a bland diet to avoid irritating your gastric tract. Your doctor prescribes a bland diet because the foods on this diet are easier to digest. A slice of white bread, compared with a slice of whole-grain bread, doesn't have bits of whole grain, so it will be easier for you to digest. Consider a banana and an orange or green beans and cabbage. The banana and the green beans are easier for you to digest, states the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.
Dietary Practices
How you eat when you're on a bland diet is just as important as the foods on that diet. If you habitually eat quickly, learn to eat more slowly and chew your food well. Before and after you eat, relax so your gastrointestinal system can work efficiently. Do your best not to worry or become upset during meals. Avoid food that is extremely cold or extremely hot; either one can worsen your condition. If you eat fruits or drink juices between meals and you feel stomach distress, include the juices and fruits with your meals.
Foods to Avoid
Avoid caffeine, coffee and soda as well as tannins, or teas. Steer clear of alcohol. All berries have small seeds that irritate your condition, so avoid eating them. Citrus fruits, including pineapple, kiwi, grapefruit, lime and lemon are highly acidic and make your condition worse. Soup broths should also be avoided because they are high in sodium. Salad dressings can make you sick. Hot sauces and barbeque sauces, especially if they are spicy, are on this list as well. Spicy nuts, olives, all kinds of peppers, prunes and all tomato products are also on the "avoid" list. Stay away from greasy and fried foods like greasy meats and hot wings. Seasoned soups such as minestrone, tomato, chili and tortilla soup cause problems for you. Any gas-forming food, such as rutabagas, onions, cabbage, peppers, greens, broccoli, sauerkraut and cauliflower cause you to build intestinal gas. Processed meats, such as lunch meats, sausage and bologna, are also to be avoided, writes the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.
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