What to eat for dinner with acid reflux? If you have acid reflux disease, then deciding what to eat, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, can prove one of the toughest challenges. An acid reflux diet plan requires you to eat mostly bland foods, absorbent foods, and light, skinny foods. Just as important, having small portions and planning your meals so that they are hours away from any downtime that could find you lying down, are crucial aspects of an acid reflux diet.
But what can you eat for dinner for acid reflux? Considering there are so many foods that you should cut out of your diet if you have acid reflux, it may seem like you don’t really have too many options. Otherwise healthy, nutritious foods such as broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, citrus fruit, tuna, salmon, ginger and yogurt are some of the worst foods you can eat for acid reflux. However, there are options, albeit blander.
What can I eat for dinner if I have acid reflux? ( A List Of 12 Recipe Ideas)
1) Baked skinless chicken thighs with pumpkin or butternut squash, over white rice or white bread
A good dinner idea for acid reflux is oven baked skinless chicken thighs with baked pumpkin or butternut squash, which you can eat over white rice or white bread.
If you acid reflux allows it, you may leave out the carbs and only have the protein and veggies. While serving size will differ between people according to size and level of physical activity, it’s important to keep to small portions.
Have one chicken thigh if larger, or two if smaller, up to 100-120 grams of baked pumpkin or butternut squash, and about 30 grams of plain boiled white rice or 2 slices of white bread. Do not use oil, butter or other fats, or seasonings or condiments. You can leave the skin on the chicken while cooking, but remove it after it’s done.
Season plainly with salt, and fresh parsley if you tolerate it. Cook everything in an oven tray or heat resistant glassware, in the oven. You may add a little water and cover the ingredients to keep everything moist and tender, or cook uncovered if you prefer your food on the drier, crispier side.
Note: My acid reflux recipes do not take into account gluten allergy, intolerance or sensitivity which are medical conditions different from acid reflux disease, although sometimes concurrent. Please adjust the ingredients according to your individual necessities.
Also see my go-to acid reflux breakfast menu plan.
2) Baked chicken breast meatballs, boiled or baked potatoes, simmered down spinach, and pita bread
For the meatballs: in a bowl, mix together 200 grams of finely ground chicken breast meat, 1-2 slices of bread (just tear with your hands) or a few tablespoons of plain breadcrumbs, 1 whole chicken egg or 1-2 egg yolks or 1-2 egg whites, fresh, chopped parsley and salt to taste. Mix everything well, form the meatballs, place them on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until cooked.
In a pan, simmer down 200 grams of frozen spinach and season plainly with salt, and, if your acid reflux allows it, 1 tablespoon of raw extravirgin olive oil at the end. Separately, boil or bake 200 grams of potatoes, or roughly two small potatoes. Pair with about 80 grams of pita bread.
Note: The amounts are enough to make two dinner servings. Also see my top acid reflux friendly meal ideas for lunch.
In my experience, acid reflux can sometimes cause you to need to eat more absorbent foods like bread or rice and reduce your intake of vegetables. In this case, you can either have a very small serving of both potatoes and spinach, or choose one of the two. If it’s grains that you can’t tolerate, you can always just eat the vegetables.
3) Boiled, steamed or baked cod fish, no skin, with cous cous and simmered down leafy greens
Boil, steam or bake 120-150 grams of cod fish, or another lean, white fish of your choice. It should take around 15 minutes to cook (boiled or steamed), or 25 minutes in the oven. Separately, boil some water and pour over 40 grams of cous cous, cover and leave for 7-10 minutes until done. In a pan, add 100 grams of frozen leafy greens (spinach, chard, kale, patience dock, beet greens, dandelion leaves, sorrel etc.), cover with water and simmer down. This is enough for one generous serving.
4) Risotto with portobello mushrooms and fresh parsley
In a deeper pot, add about 40-50 grams of rice – it can be long-grain, medium-grain, short-grain, jasmine rice, or, if your acid reflux allows for it, black rice or red rice. Measure 2 to 2.5 times the amount of water or vegetable stock to use cook the rice. Boil the rice while mixing continuously and add water or vegetable stock gradually until the rice is cooked.
Halfway through, mix in grilled, baked, roasted or fresh and chopped portobello mushrooms, and continue cooking.
You can substitute the portobello mushrooms with fresh or dried porcini mushrooms or oyster mushrooms, or use zucchini, chopped or grated, or pumpkin. Consider adding about 100-120 grams of vegetables.
Season plainly with salt and fresh parsley. If your acid reflux allows it, you may add 1 tablespoon of raw extravirgin olive oil at the end, or 2 bay leaves while cooking the rice – just make sure you remove them before serving.
Note: If you are using vegetable stock, make it at home by boiling diced or whole celery stalks or celeriac, carrots, potatoes, and maybe one small onion. Strain the stock and use it as a flavor base for your risotto. If you acid reflux is acting up, consider using plain water.
5) Baked egg white omelet with spinach, wheat flour tortilla
If you are in a hurry, hungry or just plain tired, you can try this easy and quick acid reflux dinner recipe. In a bowl, add 100 grams of egg white and beat with a fork or whisk. Incorporate up to 50 grams of frozen leafy greens or 100 grams of fresh leafy greens, or even some left over boiled leafy greens. Choose between spinach, chard, kale, sorrel, patience dock, dandelion leaves, beetroot leaves, turnip tops etc.
Add salt to taste and, if your acid reflux allows for it, you may also add 50 ml of low fat 1.5% or 1% dairy milk, lactose-free milk or a non-dairy milk.
Pour everything in an oven safe glass dish and cook in the oven until done. In a pan, lightly toast a wheat flour tortilla and fill it with the baked egg white omelet.
6) Boiled potatoes, simmered down spinach, fresh white flour bread
In a pot, boil about 200-250 grams of potatoes of your choice. In a pan, add about 50 grams of frozen spinach or 100 grams of fresh spinach, or another leafy green of your choice, cover with water and simmer down until cooked. Once cooked, transfer the vegetables onto a plate, season plainly with salt and, if your acid reflux allows for it, fresh parsley and 1 tablespoon of raw extravirgin olive oil. Enjoy warm, paired with 2-3 slices of bread made from white flour (sliced bread, pita bread, naan bread).
7) Soft boiled eggs or poached eggs with polenta
To make traditional polenta, fill a medium pot with 3 cups of water, add salt and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, gradually add 1 cup of corn flour or corn meal and mix with a whisk or wooden spatula until it thickens. Once thickened, cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or the amount of time recommended on the package.
Note: Adjust your corn flour or corn meal to water ratio for a polenta consistency more to your liking, runnier or denser.
Separately, soft boil 2 regular chicken eggs. Alternatively, you can fill a small pot with water, bring to a boil and, once it’s boiling, break two regular chicken eggs and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes, or the amount of time it takes to reach the desired consistency. Pour half the polenta onto a plate, top with the eggs, season plainly with salt and enjoy.
8) Baked root vegetables (parsnip, carrot, potato, sweet potato, celery root, red beets, yellow beets) with pita bread or naan bread
A vegetarian option for acid reflux is baked, or oven roasted root vegetables with pita bread or naan bread. Choose one or more of the following vegetables: parsnip, white carrots, orange carrots, yellow carrots, purple carrots, red carrots or black carrots, orange sweet potato, red sweet potato, regular potatoes, celeriac or celery root, red beetroot, yellow beetroot.
Wash, peel and chop the vegetables of your choice and cook in the oven until done. Consider an estimated 250-300 grams of vegetables for your dinner, but adjust intake to your personal dietary requirements and the restrictions of your condition. Personally, I like to use an oven safe glass dish, add 1 cup of water and cover until the water has evaporated and vegetables are cooked. I like to leave the vegetables to dry cook uncovered for another 15-20 minutes.
Season plainly with salt and, if your acid reflux allows it, 1 tablespoon of raw extravirgin olive oil. Pair with naan bread or pita bread, around 150 grams. But again, adjust intake to an amount that is good for you personally.
9) Boiled, baked or roasted chicken drumsticks, roasted carrots, bread
Boil, bake or roast chicken drumsticks until completely cooked. For one serving: 2 medium to large chicken drumstick, or 3 small chicken drumsticks. You may cook the drumsticks with the skin for more flavor, but remove it afterwards.
For tender chicken drumsticks, cook in a covered pan, with water. You don’t even need to add salt. For drier chicken drumsticks, bake or roast in the oven.
Separately, roast 120-150 grams of carrots of a color of your choice. You can choose orange and yellow carrots for their benefits for eyesight and the immune system, white carrots for their anticancer compounds, red carrots for their lycopene content, or purple and black carrots for their content of anti-inflammatory and anticancer anthocyanin antioxidants.
Serve with up to 100 grams of a fresh white flour bread – sliced bread, French bread (baguette), naan bread, pita bread or another type of flatbread bread etc. If you are wheat sensitive, intolerant, or allergic, choose another type of bread that is safe for you.
10) Grilled chicken breast with portobello mushrooms and bread
Grilled boneless chicken breast is succulent and soft and makes for a safe meal for acid reflux, especially for dinner. Grill up to 200-250 grams of skinless chicken breast, either thin slices or thicker slices, your choice. Grill 100-150 grams of portobello mushrooms, white button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms.
Season plainly with salt and, if your condition allows for it, 1 tablespoon of raw extravirgin olive oil. Pair with 80-100 grams of a white bread of your choice and enjoy as an acid reflux safe dinner. Alternatively, you can eat the chicken and mushrooms over 40 grams of plain boiled white rice.
11) Grilled or pan roasted turkey breast, baked sweet potato, over rice or with bread
Take your turkey breast, boneless and without skin, and either grill it or roast it over a hot pan, covered, until cooked through. Consider a serving size of 200-250 grams of turkey breast. Separately, bake 1 sweet potato. Season plainly with salt and, if your acid reflux permits it, 1 tablespoon of raw extravirgin olive oil (for the turkey). Enjoy with 2-3 slices of white flour bread, or over 40 grams of plain boiled white rice.
12) Sweet polenta
A sweet, acid reflux friendly dinner with a traditional Eastern European twist is sweetened polenta. A softer polenta sweetened with brown sugar. In a deeper pot, add 3 cups of water, a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Gradually add 2/3 to 1 cup of corn meal or corn flour while mixing continuously with a whisk or wooden spoon. After it starts to thicken, boil for up to 15-20 minutes to cook, or for as long as it’s recommended on the package, while stirring continuously.
Note: Adjust your water to corn flour ratio so that your polenta is runny, although know that it will set as it cools.
After your polenta is cooked, remove from heat and incorporate about 3 tablespoons of brown sugar – or an amount to your liking. Mix everything well for a couple of minutes, then pour half the polenta in a bowl or deep plate. Allow to cool a little and enjoy warm.
