GERD-friendly meals: practical ideas

Acid reflux happens when stomach contents move upward into the oesophagus. Large meals can increase pressure in the stomach, while lying down soon after eating can make upward flow easier. Common triggers include fatty or fried foods, chilli, tomato, citrus, chocolate, mint, caffeine, alcohol and fizzy drinks, but triggers differ between people. A hiatus hernia or obesity can also make reflux symptoms more troublesome. Heartburn, sour fluid, cough, chest tightness or difficulty sleeping after meals can be clues.

Try a modest portion of grilled chicken, fish, tofu or beans with rice, oats, potatoes or bread and non-acidic vegetables. Eat slowly and keep a diary of foods, portions, timing and symptoms. Change one suspected trigger at a time so you can identify patterns without unnecessarily restricting your diet. Leave a generous gap between dinner and bedtime, remain upright after eating, and ask a clinician or dietitian for help if symptoms continue despite these changes.

Arrange medical advice for frequent heartburn, symptoms that disrupt sleep, persistent cough, unexplained weight loss, repeated vomiting, or food seeming to stick when you swallow. Seek emergency help for severe or squeezing chest pain, especially with breathlessness, sweating, faintness or pain spreading to the arm or jaw. Do not assume chest symptoms are reflux until serious causes have been considered.

Which foods or medicines might be worsening my symptoms? Should I try a treatment alongside meal changes? Could a hiatus hernia or another condition be contributing? Do I need assessment for cough, chest tightness or swallowing difficulty?