GERD Friendly Meals

One of the most GERD-friendly meals I eat is grits, greens and beans or some other protein side -- not so much a "recipe" as another "composition" of foods. Quaker Old Fashioned grits provide some protein (4g) and nutrients (20% of your folic acid!) and being corn-based, are a lovely change from pasta, rice, and other grains. (Polenta, another corn-based dish, is similar to grits, but different.) For my GERD-prone gut, the mushy texture is welcome; as I noted in another post, my GERD tends to be calmer when I am eating soft foods like polenta, soups, and such. Grits are especially easy for me to digest and I never have reflux issues after eating them.


However, once again, how your body processes and responds to grits may be different from mine. I was surprised to find this Livestrong article about acidic foods and GERD listing "hominy grits" as a trigger food along with tomatoes, green beans, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and other acidic food suspects. (I rarely have issues with tomatoes or any of these foods. Hmmm.)


Meanwhile, the Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, Iowa offers this "Bland Diet GERD" one-sheet guide, sourced from the American Dietetic Association and Simplified Diet Manuel. The "bland diet" includes grits as a recommended grain.

Recipe: Grits and Greens