Certain foods and drinks may exacerbate your heartburn and acid relux symptoms. It is often best to limit or avoid those foods altogether. On the other hand, there are some foods that have little or no potential for causing heartburn.
The list of foods in the Table below are the common foods that are normally pretty safe for heartburn sufferers to consume.
| Food Group | Foods With Little Potential to Cause Heartburn |
| Fruit | • Apple, fresh • Apple, dried • Apple juice • Banana |
| Vegetables | • Baked potato • Broccoli • Cabbage • Carrots • Green beans • Peas |
| Meat | • Ground beef, extra-lean • Steak, London Broil • Chicken breast, skinless • Egg whites • Egg substitute • Fish, no added fat |
| Dairy | • Cheese, feta or goat • Cream cheese, fat-free • Sour cream, fat-free • Soy cheese, low-fat |
| Grains | • Bread, mult-grain or white • Cereal, bran or oatmeal • Corn bread • Graham crakers • Pretzels • Rice, brown or white • Rice cakes |
| Beverages | • Mineral water |
| Fats / Oils | • Salad dressing, low-fat |
| Sweets / Desserts | • Cookie, fat-free • Jelly beans • Red licorice • Potato chips, baked |
For a list of foods that you possibly can to enjoy from time to time, please review the table for foods that can be eaten with Discretion. For a list of foods that should be avoided altogether, since they are commonly responsible for an increased occurrence of heartburn, please see the table for Foods To Be Avoided.
| Food Group | Foods To Avoid |
| Fruit | • Orange juice • Lemon • Lemonade • Grapefruit juice • Cranberry juice • Tomato |
| Vegetables | • Mashed potatoes • French fries • Onion, raw |
| Meat | • Ground beef, chuck • Marbled sirloin • Chicken nuggets • Buffalo wings |
| Dairy | • Sour cream • Milk shake • Ice cream • Cottage cheese, regular |
| Grains | • Macaroni and cheese • Spaghetti with sauce |
| Beverages | • Liquor • Wine • Coffee, decaffeinated or regular • Tea, decaffeinated or regular |
| Fats / Oils | • Salad dressing, creamy • Salad dressing, oil & vinegar |
| Sweets / Desserts | • Butter cookie, high-fat • Brownie • Chocolate • Doughnut • Corn chips • Potato chips, regular |
This is not a complete list, and in your own situation, you might find you can eat the foods from the “Avoid” group without any problem or you might find that you have problems with foods not listed.
One way to help determine what foods affect you would be to keep a Food Diary. For about two weeks, write down what you consume, when you eat and any symptoms you experience. This will assist you and your doctor plan your diet and determine any adjustments in eating habits you may need.