What to eat with gastritis: recommended foods and to avoid

What to eat with gastritis: recommended foods and to avoid

Do you have gastritis and do not know what to eat or what diet to follow? We tell you which are the most recommended foods and which ones you should avoid every day, easily.

If there is a very common disease that mainly affects our stomach, gastritis is considered one of the most common, being able to be acute when it arises and occurs in a rather short period of time, or chronic if it lasts for at least 6 months. months

It basically consists of inflammation of the lining of the stomach; that is, in the gastric mucosa, which is the layer formed by different cells that line the inside of the stomach, and which protects it against the acidity of the different gastric juices.

This inflammation causes, among other symptoms, pain (usually located in the upper part of the stomach), and in many cases, it can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

Because of this, it is usually very common for the person suffering from gastritis to feel unappetizing, and that they hardly want to eat, especially if they are afraid of how they might feel after having eaten, given that the symptoms associated with gastritis are frequent. gastritis appear shortly after having eaten something.

Of course, we must differentiate gastritis itself with gastritis nervosa, which is inflammation of the lining of the stomach caused by nerves (especially stress and/or anxiety). However, among the most common causes of gastritis, we can mention bad eating habits, infection with Helicobacter pylori and the abuse of certain medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

What foods to avoid with gastritis?
If you suffer from gastritis one of the main recommendations to take into account is the follow-up of a proper diet, which should be characterized by being based on soft foods that do not irritate or inflame the stomach.

For example, there are a number of foods that we must avoid when we have this digestive condition, as well as certain habits when consuming them. The most common are the following:

Fatty Dairy: Fatty dairy products, such as whole milk, cured cheeses, and cream, should be avoided.

Flatulent vegetables: Highlights include cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, cucumber, Brussels sprouts, artichokes, and peppers.

Acidic foods: The tomato stands out.

Fruits: Avoid citrus fruits (due to their high acidity), as well as fruits that have not fully matured.

Fat meats and sausages: Avoid any type of fat and red meat, such as veal or beef. Sausages and deli meats should also be avoided.

Pastries and cakes: You should avoid the consumption of any type of pastries and pastry products. Also, cookies are not adequate either.

Drinks: Drinks with gas, coffee, tea or cola drinks.

What foods can we consume when we have gastritis?
In addition to avoiding the foods and beverages that we have indicated in the previous section, there are a number of foods that are adequate.

Moreover, you will find below some foods whose group would have been previously named, but depending on the type of cooking chosen, they could be accepted. They are the following:

Semi-skimmed or skimmed dairy products: It is advisable to opt for semi-skimmed or skimmed milk products, fresh cheese, and skimmed yogurts.
Vegetables: Any type of vegetable and vegetable, avoiding vegetable flatulence. It is also advisable to cook always boiled, and never consume raw.
Legumes: It is always advisable to opt for the soft cooking of the vegetables, and to pass them through the food mill in order to eliminate the skin, which is the one with the highest fiber content.
Meats and eggs: It is advisable to opt for white meats (such as chicken or turkey), in addition to eggs. Although sausages are not recommended because they are not healthy, you can eat turkey breast and sweet ham.
Fish: Depending on the tolerance you have, white fish is also recommended.
Fruits: Mature fruits are recommended, in the form of compotes (cooked) or baked. The apple or pear, for example, are highly recommended.
Drinks: Water is recommended, infusions based on mild medicinal plants (such as chamomile, fennel, lemon verbena or lemon balm), and mild defatted broths.
Other useful tips to keep in mind

In addition to the dietary advice indicated in the previous lines, there are also some recommendations that can be very useful. For example, it is not advisable to make copious meals, and to eat 4 or 5 times a day (that is, in a fractional or spaced way).

We should eat slowly and chew food well, which will help our stomach to digest better and not cause us discomfort. On the other hand, it is not advisable to dine and go immediately to bed. On the contrary, it is advisable to dine between 2 to 3 hours before going to bed.