What to Eat When You Have an Ulcer
Hoscheit stresses that reducing symptoms is key to dealing with ulcers, so he recommends avoiding certain medications and identifying the foods that don’t cause you problems and making sure you eat those.
- A soft consistency
- Low in fiber
- Easy on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (no rough textures like tortilla chips, for example)
- Not very spicy
- Not acidic
- Low in fat
- Lean, in the case of proteins
- Less likely to cause gas, in terms of vegetables
- Alcohol-free
“I often recommend my patients eat soft or moist textures to help manage symptoms,” says Suzie Finkel, RD, a GI dietitian at New York Gastroenterology Associates in New York City.
Finkel recommends the following foods:
- Cooked and peeled vegetables
- Ripe fruits
- Soft starches
- Smoothies
- Soups
“If someone is having symptoms, I recommend small but frequent meals, for example every three to four hours,” she says.
Finkel says that it’s key to stick to a consistent meal schedule for two reasons: “An empty stomach is an acidic stomach [because there is no food to absorb it],” she says. “And proton pump inhibitors, which are often prescribed to treat peptic ulcers, work best when taken 30 minutes before a meal.”
