Food for Gastritis

What food types (if any)should avoided by gastritis patients.
(October 19, 2010)

Gastritis is a very common condition, affecting thousands of people across the globe. It can be described as an inflammation, which occurs in the lining of the stomach. Gastritis is generally characterized by indigestion, burning pain in the stomach, vomiting, nausea, appetite loss, abdominal bloating, excessive belching, weight loss and extreme fullness after eating. This affliction is often caused by bacteria, traumatic injury, using certain medication and the excessive consumption of alcohol. However, one of the main factors that could aggravate the condition is eating the wrong foods.


Apart from administering treatment for this condition, doctors can also recommend following a gastritis diet, for faster recovery.

Given below is a list of all the good and bad food for gastritis:

Good food for gastritis

• Low fat dairy products: Low fat milk and yogurt can help neutralize the levels of acidity in the body. Limited quantities of ice cream too can help relieve the discomfort caused by the stomach inflammation. However, excessive consumption of dairy can aggravate the symptoms and therefore, no more than three servings of this food type should be consumed each day.
• Herbs: There are several mild herbs like thyme, oregano and rosemary that can add a good flavor to foods, without irritating the inflamed digestive system.
• High fiber foods: Whole grains, fruits and vegetables with their peel, wheat bran, unpolished rice or brown rice and oats are all foods that are good for the digestive system and can help improve gastritis.

Bad food for gastritis

• Spicy foods: The consumption of foods that are high in spices can increase the discomfort caused by gastritis. Spices also aggravate the inflammation in the lining of the stomach and delay the healing process. Hence foods should be cooked with minimal spices and mild herbs can be used while cooking, in order to add taste and flavor to the food.
• Beverages: Because of a loss in appetite, there are a lot of people who tend to avoid food and drink tea, coffee, cocoa and juices instead. However, beverages like coffee, sodas, black tea orange juice and alcohol should be strictly avoided during gastritis, as they worsen the symptoms and aggravate the condition. Drinks that are made out of chocolate, like chocolate milk or cocoa should also be avoided to some extent.
• Condiments and seasoning: There are many people who have nothing but soup or sandwiches while suffering from gastritis, but still see no improvement in their condition. This is because many soups are heavily seasoned with sauces, which are known to increase acidity to a great extent. While preparing sandwiches, condiments like mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup and salad dressing should be strictly avoided.

Before adding any food for gastritis to a diet, it is best to consult a doctor. In addition to making food gastroenteritis alterations to a diet, it is important to ensure that meal sizes and times are appropriate too. People suffering from gastritis can benefit more from eating small, but frequent meals throughout the day, instead of eating three large and heavy meals.

Recipes gastritis ideas

There are several recipes easily available through online resources that can help reduce the pain and discomfort caused by gastritis.

Some of the recipes that could be included in a diet for gastritis include:

• Chicken pot pie
• Butternut squash soup
• Vegetable salad
• Grilled tuna

It is important to have all instances of gastritis checked by a doctor.

Keep the following points in mind for gastritis –
- Correct your eating pattern, eat small frequent meals at regular intervals and avoid excess or irregular eating habits.
- Avoid eating spicy foods with all spices and condiments, oily or fried foods, red pepper, meat, pickles, sour foods, strong tea and coffee.
- Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol and tobacco completely.
- Also avoid too sweet preparations like heavy cakes, pastries, sweets and aerated drinks. 
- Use cottage cheese and yoghurt liberally in different preparations. And avoid mixing different foods in the same meal.
- Water should be avoided with meals as it tends to dilute the digestive enzymes and delays digestion, however at least 8-10 glasses of water should be consumed in a day.
- Eat meals at least 2-3 hrs before sleeping hours and relax and sit after eating a meal (avoid lying down immediately after a meal).
- Avoid taking any kind of stress, mental or physical as far as possible as this would worsen your condition.