
You know the feeling all too well. It's that burning sensation in your throat or chest, otherwise known as your old friend, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). And your diet can aggravate the condition, which is why knowing the foods to avoid with GERD can help you ease symptoms.
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And what are the symptoms of GERD, exactly? According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), signs of the condition include:
- A dry cough that won't stop
- Trouble swallowing
- Bad breath
- A sour taste in your mouth
- Excessive burping
GERD happens when the muscular part of your lower esophagus that should close (called the lower esophageal sphincter) doesn't, allowing food and acid to travel up from your stomach into your throat. This leads to burning and other problems from repeat acid exposure.
It's the more serious version of acid reflux, and besides being uncomfortable, it can damage your esophagus over time if left untreated, per the NIH.
If you have GERD, you probably know a thing or two about over-the-counter antacid treatments, and possibly other prescription medications, too. But one of the key treatments revolves around diet and lifestyle modifications, says David M. Poppers, MD, PhD, a board-certified gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Health in New York.
And while food doesn't cause the condition, it can make your symptoms worse. So here's a roundup of what not to eat when you have GERD.
Tip
“It’s always better to try to identify and mitigate or minimize triggers rather than to jump to therapies, medications and otherwise,” Dr. Popper says. He advises patients to work with a registered dietitian to determine good foods for GERD the best acid reflux diet for your overall wellbeing.
1. Fried and Fast Foods
First on the list of foods to avoid with acid reflux: fried and fast foods. These two often go hand-in-hand — think french fries, fried chicken, donuts, convenience foods that are cheap and tasty (and often get handed to you through a take-out window).
None of these are great for GERD: One October 2014 study in Przegląd Gastroenterologiczny found an association between the severity of GERD symptoms and diet, including fried foods.
More research is needed to understand why fried foods spark symptoms, according to a 2019 review in Current Medicinal Chemistry, but it's clear they're among the foods to avoid if you have reflux, says Alicia A. Romano, RD, a registered dietitian at Tufts Medical Center and national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.
Eat This Instead: High-Fiber Foods
Foods high in fiber are great for overall health and digestion, but they're especially good for heartburn relief, Romano says.
Indeed, fibrous fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains are among the best foods for GERD. "Research shows that high-fiber diets play an important role in managing GERD symptoms," Romano says. That's why "a balanced, plant-oriented, high-fiber diet is a great starting point for GERD management."
A June 2018 study in the World Journal of Gastroenterology found that adding 12.5 grams of soluble fiber a day to the diets of people with GERD decreased their weekly frequency of heartburn.
The reason might be that dietary fibers bind to the nitric oxide in food, which could "diminish its negative effect onto low esophageal sphincter pressure," according to study authors. More research is needed, but the hypothesis is a start.
And remember — you don't have to completely avoid food for acid reflux relief. There are many things you can still eat with the condition, so don't despair if certain pleasurable ingredients are on your foods-that-cause GERD list, Dr. Popper says.
Romano agrees: "I always like to suggest to my patients experiencing GERD, rather than thinking about everything you have to take away from your diet, think about what you can add to your diet and lifestyle to make your condition better. In many cases, adopting healthier dietary patterns — including high-fiber fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains — and lifestyle patterns can play a significant role in managing or preventing symptoms."
Tip
High-fiber foods don’t have to be slow, inconvenient or tasteless. Consider things like hot oatmeal with diced apple, cooked barley and greens sautéed in a little olive oil with chicken or warm lentil stew with a vegetable soup base. Just leave out the tomato and spices to make it GERD-friendly.
2. Fatty Meats
Foods like bologna, bacon and sausage are big instigators of GERD symptoms, Romano says.
Saturated fat-rich foods are notorious GERD offenders because they likely decrease the tension in the part of our esophagus that fails to close as it should, allowing acid to flow up. Fatty foods also take longer to leave the stomach, unlike more easily digested foods, which can lead to food regurgitation, according to the 2014 study in Przegląd Gastroenterologiczny.
Eat This Instead: Fish and Unsaturated Fats
While there's no one right GERD diet to completely eliminate your symptoms ("It's avoiding the triggers," Dr. Poppers says), research has shown that a Mediterranean diet and/or a very low-carbohydrate diet protect against GERD, according to the Current Medicinal Chemistry article.
Another study, published October 2016 in Diseases of the Esophagus, looked at the association of a Mediterranean diet and GERD in 817 adults in Albania. It found a "beneficial effect" in the reduction of GERD from the diet type, which emphasizes fish (not fried!), unsaturated fats like olive oil and fresh fruits and vegetables. So if you're wondering what to eat for GERD, this eating style may be a good place to start.
3. Spicy Foods
Spicy foods might cause esophageal mucosal irritation, according to an August 2019 report in Thoracic Disease, mimicking classic heartburn.
Spices like chili powder and pepper (white, black, cayenne) are common culprits, Romano says. Garlic can be an offender here too.
Eat This Instead: Mild Foods
One bonus of blander foods is that they tend to be higher in fiber (think: grains, fruits, veggies), Romano says.
"Bland" sounds pretty unexciting, but it doesn't have to be. The list of bland foods good for GERD isn't short, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine:
- Steamed, baked or grilled lean meats (poultry, whitefish, shellfish)
- Eggs
- Tofu
- Low-fat or fat-free dairy
- White bread, pasta and crackers
- Vegetable and fruit juices (avoid tomato and citrus juice)
- Creamy peanut butter
- Desserts like custard, pudding, popsicles and gelatin
4. Tomatoes

Tomato-based sauces and related products like tomato juice are another group of foods to avoid with GERD. They have been shown to cause GERD symptoms, Dr. Poppers says, and this could be related to the acidic nature of the fruit (yes, tomatoes are a fruit!).
Eat This Instead: Other Fruits, Veggies and Herbs
Search the internet and you'll find a host of substitutes for tomato, including peaches, beets and basil. One way to adjust certain recipes is to skip the tomatoes and move on, or get creative with low-fat dairy white sauces.
Experimentation — and moderation — can help with all of these substitutes so you can instead focus on eating the foods that won't give you heartburn, Romano says.
"For some, eliminating some of the triggers and then slowly reintroducing them back may allow you to identify if one of the foods above worsens your GERD symptoms," she says.
5. Citrus Fruits
Like tomatoes, acidic citrus fruits like grapefruit, oranges, lemons and limes can trigger GERD symptoms, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
It may also be wise to add citrus products like juices and candies to your what-not-to-eat with acid reflux list to avoid discomfort from GERD.
Eat This Instead: Other Fruits
Luckily, there are plenty of delicious lower-acid fruit options to eat instead. Per Johns Hopkins Medicine, good picks include:
- Bananas
- Melon
- Watermelon
6. Chocolate

So, is chocolate good for acid reflux? Unfortunately not — chocolate and GERD don't mix well, as the candy can trigger reflux and expose your esophagus to irritating acid, per the Current Medicinal Chemistry research.
Eat This Instead: Low-Acid Fruit
If you're in the mood for candy but have GERD, satisfy your sweet tooth with the high-fiber, low-acid fruits recommended by Johns Hopkins Medicine, including bananas and melons.
And while there's no one best candy for acid reflux to substitute for chocolate, skipping candy that contains other acid reflux-inducing ingredients like citrus can also help prevent GERD flares.
Tip
You can also prevent or ease GERD symptoms with natural remedies for heartburn, like eating smaller portions, chewing gum, sitting upright after meals and exercising regularly.
7. Peppermint
While peppermints or mint products like tea may seem soothing for throat irritation associated with GERD, mint can actually trigger the condition, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. That's because it can cause your esophageal sphincter to relax, allowing acid to flow backwards.
Eat This Instead: Herbal Tea
If you're looking for something to relieve an irritated throat, try non-mint teas like ginger instead, per Johns Hopkins Medicine. Just remember to pick non-caffeinated brews, as caffeine can likewise aggravate GERD (more on that soon).
8. Caffeine

As tough as it may be to cut caffeine from your life, both the NIH and the American College of Gastroenterology recommend that people with GERD limit how much coffee and caffeinated tea they eat or drink. It's yet another suspected irritant that provokes GERD symptoms.
Drink This Instead: Water
H2O is probably the best thing to drink for acid reflux.
Many of us are chronically dehydrated in our fast-paced lifestyles, Dr. Poppers says. Drinking enough water can help reduce GERD symptoms and benefit your overall wellbeing.
9. Alcohol

Alcohol is another major GERD offender. It can cause numerous issues, including tampering with the lower esophageal sphincter, increasing acid and impairing how the stomach empties, according to an August 2014 study in BMC Gastroenterology.
It's better to avoid it if you can, or drink in moderation to see if it affects your symptoms, Dr. Poppers says.
Drink This Instead: Mocktails Without Citrus
There are plenty of ways to bring fun drinks into your life without booze. You'll want to skip orange juice, lime juice and lemon juice, too, as these are also possible triggers for GERD symptoms.
Tip
There are other foods and drinks that might cause issues with GERD, like carbonated beverages. And the best foods to avoid with GERD can vary from person to person, so keeping a food diary to track symptoms and what you eat may help you identify your triggers, Dr. Poppers says.
- National Health Institute: “Acid reflux, Heartburn, and GERD: What’s the difference?”
- Przegląd Gastroenterologiczny: "Risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux disease: the role of diet"
- Current Medicinal Chemistry: "Food and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease"
- World Journal of Gastroenterology: "Fiber-enriched diet helps to control symptoms and improves esophageal motility in patients with non-erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease"
- Diseases of the Esophagus: “Adherence to a predominantly Mediterranean diet decreases the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease: a cross-sectional study in a South Eastern European population”
- Journal of Thoracic Disease: “The role of diet in the development and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease: why we feel the burn”
- U.S. National Library of Medicine: “Bland diet”
- University of Missouri System: “How to calculate how much water you should drink”
- BMC Gastroenterology: “Dietary guideline adherence for gastroesophageal reflux disease”
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Dietary Guidelines for Alcohol”
- Johns Hopkins Medicine: "GERD Diet: Foods That Help with Acid Reflux (Heartburn)"