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What Are the Foods to Avoid with Gastritis?

By Patti Kate
Updated: Mar 03, 2024
Views: 130,959
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There are certain foods to avoid with gastritis, some of which include carbonated drinks and foods high in fat. Basically, any foods that irritate the lining of the stomach should be avoided, with citrus fruits being some of the biggest culprits. Other foods to avoid include beans, broccoli, and cauliflower, as these are known to produce gas in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which can worsen symptoms. Alcoholic beverages should also be avoided when experiencing symptoms of gastritis.

Gastritis is a medical term for inflammation of the lining of the stomach, and this can be caused by any of several factors. Bacterial and viral infections are common causes of gastritis, but consuming too much of certain foods may also cause stomach distress and other symptoms. Most patients who have been diagnosed with acute gastritis will be advised to consume a bland diet for several days, or until symptoms diminish.

A medical professional may provide a list of foods for gastritis patients to avoid, or he may give simple instructions for his patient to follow. In most cases, the healthcare provider will instruct the patient to refrain from drinking alcohol until symptoms disappear. Patients with gastritis may also be advised not to take products containing aspirin or ibuprofen, as these may cause abdominal bleeding in some individuals.

Foods to avoid with gastritis may also include fried and fatty foods, such as french fries or fried chicken. Baked and broiled foods will often be better tolerated by most patients with this condition. Foods prepared with vinegar or mustard should also be avoided. Most peppers should not be consumed, and spicy or hot condiments are other foods to avoid to help relieve symptoms.

Any foods that increase acid production in the stomach and intestines should be avoided. This will generally include oranges and citrus fruits, tomatoes, and cabbage. Other foods to avoid are raw apples. Onions and garlic may increase gastritis symptoms in some patients as well. Milk and other dairy products should be avoided or consumed in moderation.

Some types of fruit juice may worsen symptoms of gastritis. A few drinks to avoid include orange, grapefruit, and apple juice. Lemon juice may worsen symptoms as well.

As a rule, ground beef or pork should be avoided when experiencing symptoms of gastritis. This is due to their high fat content. Sometimes, even lean cuts of beef could aggravate symptoms. Lamb should also be avoided. Most seafood can be tolerated by many individuals, with the exception of herring and salmon, which are high in fat.

Other foods to avoid with gastritis include rich and heavy creams and gravies. This includes cream-based soups. Most salad dressings should also be avoided. Rich desserts such as cheesecake, puddings, and ice cream should also not be eaten when experiencing gastritis symptoms.

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Discussion Comments
By anon1005796 — On Nov 22, 2021

Hi there. Not to knock this person, but this advice seems to be a little misleading. Yes, if you're having severe first time type symptoms, a lot of foods need to be avoided. However, the most recommended foods for me that have been most beneficial in the long term are broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, apples, all forms of ginger, lots of fiber like cereals, oats, whole wheat grains, including some breads (watch it with the bread, folks).

Start from scratch and yes, eat bland foods and work your way into finding which foods do and don't work for you. Beans can be troublesome for me sometimes, but are recommended in the CDC guidelines for healthy gut rehabilitation. Also, I drink kombucha and lots of probiotics. I even take a bit of licorice root in lieu of Tums, if it can be prevented.

Make sure you're drinking water, especially aloe vera water and/or coconut water.

Salmon is also my top recommendation. Eat it daily: as often as 4-5 times a week. Good luck. I know I have suffered, but am most of the time back on eating most everything – even processed meats and foods and fried foods most of the time. I have even got back the ability to eat red meats, but keep it for special occasions. Cheers!

By anon953833 — On May 28, 2014

I eat lamb, red delicious apples, white rice, and lots and lots of coconut water when I have a gastritis flare-up. I can't eat bananas, beef, pork, any vegetables, and certainly no alcoholic beverages or carbonated drinks (didn't like either before so that's no loss). Also, oatmeal is a huge no-no for me. I guess it's different for everyone.

When I have a bad case of gastritis, red delicious apples and coconut water make the symptoms disappear almost within ten minutes. I can have fried foods and such in moderation. Also, chicken soup is helpful when I suffer a gastritis flare-up.

By anon942565 — On Mar 28, 2014

Yesterday was my birthday. Although I was diagnosed with gastritis about five years ago, I did allow myself to splurge yesterday. I ate pizza and had a chocolate candy bar for my dessert. Big, big mistake!

It is only 6:30 a.m., and I've been up for two hours already. I have upper stomach pain, shortness of breath, just feeling miserable. I am on a daily Omeprazole regimen, but added a Zantac this morning.

I need to go back to what my gastroenterologist told me, and that was no fried foods, no coffee or teas, no citrus, and yes to veggies, poultry and fish, yes to whole grains and oatmeal.

I know I'll feel better soon, but wow, this was rough. I'm glad my birthday only comes once a year.

By anon342463 — On Jul 21, 2013

Not so sure about avoiding apples. They actually have antacid properties because of the glycine and pectin; I had acute gastritis yesterday and the pain was so bad I couldn't sleep. Eating apples gave pretty much instant relief and it hasn't started hurting again yet. (Now that I write it down it makes me sound like I was just hungry, but I'm pretty sure it was gastritis after my combination of painkillers and excessive alcohol the night before). Give them a go.

By anon339274 — On Jun 21, 2013

It was very hard for me to give up my spicy food. I love thai, Mexican, lots of garlicky Italian, etc., and on top of that - my coffee. I had acute stomach pain for a month, and was also taking Bayer aspirin for headaches. I was diagnosed with mild gastritis and after a couple of days of adhering to the list of "good" foods, my symptoms abated. It was really the fear of the pain that helped me stick to it. Nothing caffeinated either - also no decaf coffee; only clear liquids. I took Pepcid AC maximum strength, which also helped.

By anon329414 — On Apr 09, 2013

Oatmeal, zantac every morning, zantac every night, cooked bland eggs, sweet potatoes, steamed carrots and coconut water, coconut ice cream and coconut milk are my miracles.

I had acute, extreme symptoms for a few days, and have been on this routine for three days and I feel so much better. I also drink a crap load of water, but not during meals.

Take zantac at 7 a.m., drink as much water as you can, and stop drinking water 30 minutes before you eat. Then eat, digest for an hour, drink lots of water, etc. Don't eat past 7 p.m., or don't eat and go to bed on a full stomach because digestion slows during sleep and acids will eat at you all night long. I just ate a quorn nugget with ketchup so let's see if that bothers me. Also, all day today I ate miso soup from the local sushi spot and that is great for healing, but if you have a fever from gastritis, you might not like how hot the soup is.

By anon326857 — On Mar 24, 2013

My gastritis was caused while I took a trip to Mexico. I was eating lots of oily foods and spicy food as well. It's taking me a lot to recover well. I'm only 23 so I'm thinking of becoming vegetarian.

By julies — On Nov 09, 2012

My gastritis was caused by taking too much ibuprofen for chronic headaches. Not only did I have to change my diet to help the inflammation in my stomach, but I also had to find a different pain reliever.

My doctor also started me on a medication to help with the healing. I could understand cutting out the fried and fatty foods, but I never realized vegetables could cause symptoms too. Raw vegetables give a lot of people gas and I realized that was something that also bothered my stomach.

By honeybees — On Nov 08, 2012

There are a lot of foods to avoid for gastritis, but for me, I have been able to slowly add many of those foods back in my diet. I just have to be careful that I don't eat too much of them at one time.

One of the hardest things for me to give up was my carbonated soft drinks. I usually relied on these to get me through the day and found that I really missed the carbonation. Now that my stomach has healed, I allow myself one a day and haven't had any problems.

I still have to be careful with fried foods though, and try to avoid them all together. I am pretty miserable if I sit down to a meal of fried chicken tenders and french fries. I have learned it just isn't worth it.

By John57 — On Nov 08, 2012
When I was diagnosed with gastritis, I was told that a gastritis diet was pretty bland. I tried to avoid most of the foods they suggested and my stomach quickly let me know if I had eaten something that I shouldn't have. If my symptoms were really bad, I would eat a lot of oatmeal and hard boiled eggs.
By Mykol — On Nov 07, 2012

Reading through this article makes me wonder what I can eat if I have gastritis. That is a long list of foods to avoid, and many of my favorite ones are on that list. I can see how eating a lot of acidic foods can irritate the stomach.

My dad always has a big tomato crop in the summer and looks forward to eating fresh tomatoes. He had to switch from the red tomatoes to the yellow ones because of gastritis. For some reason the yellow ones don't have nearly as much acid in them as the red ones do.

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