Acid Reflux Food To Avoid For Your Reflux Baby
Acid reflux food to avoid for your baby suffering from infant reflux. Super important when starting them on blended or solid foods! This info should help put your little refluxer on the right track to eating healthily!
Vegetables
Nearly all vegetables, especially green ones, are alkaline which means they are the opposite of acidic (check out our acid & pH page).
Vegetables tend to be easy for young digestive systems for your little reflux baby, and
are an excellent type of first food for babies. Even more so when they
are blended. You can even add a drizzle of good quality olive oil which
is also very alkaline. If your baby is new to food, butternut squash,
sweet potatoes or green beans are great places to start.
Cook the vegetables until they're soft. That can mean, boiling them or baking them, then puree or blend them until smooth. You can add water, broth, formula or breast milk to your puree if the consistency is too dense.
Fruits - Acid Reflux Food to Avoid
Avoiding any citrus and acidic fruits like oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit and nectarines is a good idea as they are high in acid and the acidity in the fruit can cause burning of the already damaged and raw esophageal tissue caused by baby reflux.
There are tons of non-acidic fruits from which to choose from. In fact, many parents choose certain fruits to be their child's first food, babies love the sweet taste and they are less likely to spit them out until the develop more mature tastes.Apples, bananas, pears, papaya (which have known digestive enzymes) and avocados are all great fruits to start with. Of course avocados and bananas do not need cooking. Just mash them up and spoon them in! you can steam, boil or bake the apples and pears and then puree them. Add a little liquid like milk, breast milk, or water.
Grains
All grains are low-acid foods but one of the most popular first foods for babies
is rice cereal. Although most of you are sick of hearing "just add rice to thicken food" as a remedy to infant acid reflux! Most infant rice cereals are specifically formulated for babies with reflux, and have added iron to assist in the inhibited absorption from infant reflux medications. If your baby
becomes constipated after eating rice cereal, you may want to switch to a
non-iron-fortified brand. Infant cereals most typically come in rice,
barley or oat varieties, and all are easy to prepare. Follow the
directions on the package to determine how much liquid to add, briefly
heat and serve.
Meats - Acid Reflux Food To Avoid
All meats tend to me acidic, though in most cases the acidity is fairly low.
However, if your baby is suffering from acid reflux, you may want to hold of introducing meats to their diet. Chicken and turkey are super low in acidity, more
than beef or pork, and are also easier to digest. Chicken and turkey are
usually recommended to be a baby's first meat.
Discuss this with your baby's pediatrician and ask what age is best to introduce meat. Some doctors recommend that meat be introduced earlier than others. When preparing meat for your child, always make sure the meat is fully cooked or well-done, showing no pink inside. Again, adding water or even a little olive oil can be helpful and nutritious.
A version of this acid reflux food to avoid article came from: How to parent