Heartburn after eating, the sensation of food rising up, or a cough that appears when you lie down. With reflux or a hiatal hernia, sitting down to a meal is no longer a peaceful experience. Much of the relief lies in how much, and at what time you eat.
Who is this menu for, and who is it not for?
It’s designed for adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or a hiatal hernia who have already been evaluated by their doctor. It’s helpful if you want a structured week of healthy eating and to experience fewer discomforts.
This meal plan is not designed for pregnancy, breastfeeding, or individuals under 18. It is also not suitable for people with diabetes treated with insulin or medications that can lower blood sugar too much, nor for those with chronic kidney disease. It is also not for anyone with or who has had an eating disorder.
If you have a medical condition with its own specific dietary requirements (celiac disease, diagnosed allergies, heart or liver failure), those requirements apply. This is not a weight-loss menu, nor does it have a fixed calorie count. Portions are adjusted by hand, according to your hunger and activity level.
The 7-day weekly menu for reflux and hiatal hernia
| Day | Breakfast | Mid-morning | Meal | Snack | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Cereal drink with semi-skimmed milk · toast with fresh cheese | Banana | Soupy rice with zucchini and carrot · Steamed hake | Natural yogurt | Zucchini cream (zucchini béchamel) · one egg French omelet · bread |
| Tuesday | Natural yogurt with oat flakes and pear | Small toast with avocado | Stewed lentils with carrot and potato · baked apple | Ripe fruit | Green beans with potatoes · Grilled turkey breast |
| Wednesday | Milk or plant-based drink · toast with sugar-free jam and fresh cheese | Natural yogurt | Pasta with chicken, zucchini and eggplant sautéed with a little oil · fruit | Pear | Vegetable soup with thin noodles · Baked sole |
| Thursday | Cereal drink with milk · toast with oil and extra cooked ham | Apple | Chickpeas with spinach and boiled egg · fruit | Natural yogurt | Baked eggplant · Salmon en papillote (small portion) · Boiled potato |
| Friday | Natural yogurt with oat flakes and banana | Small toast with fresh cheese | Warm potato and green bean salad · Baked chicken with herbs | Ripe fruit | Carrot and pumpkin cream soup · steamed cod · bread |
| Saturday | Milk with oat flakes and grated apple | Banana | Rice with rabbit and vegetables · fruit | Small toast with avocado | Zucchini stuffed with minced turkey, baked in the oven · bread |
| Sunday | Cereal drink with milk · toast with oil and fresh cheese | Natural yogurt | Baked rooster or hake with potatoes and a lettuce and carrot salad | Ripe fruit | Chicken soup with rice · zucchini omelet |
Each day includes five moderate meals, which you can reduce to four if you prefer. Lunch and dinner both include vegetables, a light carbohydrate, and a lean protein. Everything is steamed, baked, grilled, boiled, or microwaved, with dinner being the lightest meal.
The fruit served at meals should be ripe, in-season fruit, either whole or roasted. If you arrive at dinner very hungry, serve more cooked vegetables rather than increasing the amount of protein or bread.
How much should I put on each plate?
Measure the portion with your hand. The menu doesn’t include grams because the amount depends on your size, your hunger, and your activity level.
- Protein (fish, chicken, turkey, egg): the size and thickness of the palm of your hand.
- Carbohydrates (potato, rice, pasta, bread): what fits in your closed fist
- Vegetables, as much as fits in your two open hands; you can have seconds here.
- Oil, about the size of your thumb, roughly one tablespoon per plate.
For dinner, choose the smaller portions than indicated. A palm’s worth of protein, half a fist or a fistful of carbohydrates, and as many vegetables as you like. Bread, rice, and pasta can be whole grain if you tolerate them well.
This week’s shopping list
This recipe is for one person for seven days. If you’re cooking for more people, increase the amount of fresh ingredients. If you choose plant-based milk, make sure it has at least 3% protein; soy milk is best, and keep in mind that soy is an allergen.
Fruit shop
- 6 zucchini, 1 kg of carrots and 1 piece of pumpkin
- 3 eggplants and 500g of green beans
- 1 bag of fresh spinach and 1 lettuce
- 2 kg of potatoes and 2 onions
- 5 bananas, 5 apples and 5 pears
- 1 kg of ripe seasonal fruit (melon, papaya, loquats or grapes)
- 1 avocado
Fish market
- 2 hake fillets
- 1 sole or clean rooster
- 1 small salmon fillet
- 1 fresh or desalted cod loin
Carnage
- 2 chicken breasts and 1 turkey breast fillet
- 200g of minced turkey
- Half a rabbit, cut into pieces
- 1 chicken carcass for the broth
- 100g of extra cooked ham
Dairy products and eggs
- 1.5 liters of semi-skimmed milk or unsweetened plant-based drink with at least 3% protein.
- 8 natural yogurts
- 2 tubs of fresh cheese
- 6 eggs
Pantry
- 500g of rice and 250g of pasta
- 100g of thin noodles
- 250g of dried lentils or 1 jar of cooked lentils
- 1 can of cooked chickpeas
- 300g of oat flakes
- 1 loaf of bread or sliced bread (freeze in slices)
- 1 jar of jam with no added sugar
- Cereal drink without coffee
- Extra virgin olive oil, salt, nutmeg and aromatic herbs (parsley, oregano, thyme)
How to plan your week if you have little time?
- Cook several portions at once. On Sunday, prepare some boiled potatoes and the lentils for Tuesday. They’ll keep for three or four days in the refrigerator.
- Lunchtime lunchbox. Rice with vegetables or warm potato salad is easy to transport and can be eaten warm.
- Today’s menu. For the first course, choose between cream of vegetable soup, boiled vegetables, or rice. For the second course, choose between grilled fish or chicken, with the sauce served separately and without breading.
- No time to cook? Put a thinly sliced potato with a splash of water in a covered container and microwave for five minutes. Add a hake fillet with parsley and a few drops of oil, and microwave for another three or four minutes.
- If you eat dinner late because of work, have a more substantial afternoon snack and keep dinner very light, like a soup with an egg.
Why is this menu structured this way?
It relies on three factors that commonly influence reflux: how much you eat, how much fat is in your meal, and what time you eat dinner. A large, fatty meal fills the stomach more and takes longer to empty. This encourages food to rise into the esophagus.
That’s why the week’s meals are divided into five portions, and fried foods, breaded items, fatty sausages, pastries, and sauces made with cream or butter are excluded. Spicy foods, fizzy drinks, and alcohol are also not allowed.
Dinner time is the other key factor. The American Reflux Guide recommends eating dinner at least two to three hours before bedtime. If you have a hiatal hernia or nighttime discomfort, another expert review advises eating dinner three hours before bedtime.
And weight. People with reflux who are overweight or obese are advised to lose weight. This menu is not designed for that; if that’s your case, a personalized plan is recommended.
The complete guide, including what reflux is, which foods to consider individually, and when to see a doctor, is available in the gastroesophageal reflux diet. If you have a hiatal hernia, there’s a hiatal hernia diet, and if you also have gastritis, there’s a gastritis diet.
Do I have to cut out tomatoes, citrus fruits, or tea?
Not initially. The recommendation is to avoid the foods that trigger your symptoms, without a fixed list for everyone. Some people react badly to tomatoes, oranges, vinegar, strong tea, or chocolate, while others tolerate them without any problem. The same is true for mint and spearmint. Coffee is avoided in cases of reflux and hiatal hernia.
With other foods, pay attention to your tolerance.
Eliminating everything just in case impoverishes your diet and makes it harder to maintain. This is one of the most frequent questions we hear in consultations. The practical approach is to try a little tomato in your lunch salad or an orange mid-morning and see how you feel.
If you experience heartburn with a food, eliminate it for one or two weeks. Then, reintroduce it one at a time and see how you feel. For example, avoid coffee for a week and leave out raw tomatoes and citrus fruits. You can try the latter two later, depending on your tolerance.
What errors do we see in consultations?
Eliminating too many foods at once. Tomatoes, citrus fruits, and chocolate all go out at once, and the week feels too short and boring. Then nobody remembers which one was the problem.
We focus on what we eat and forget about the time. We eat well during the day and then have a late dinner, or snack on the sofa before bed. Dinner time is the first thing we check.
Eat quickly. Ten minutes in front of a screen, and your plate is gone before you even realize you’re full. Eat slowly and chew well, and a moderate portion will be enough.
With reflux and a hiatal hernia, what usually provides the most relief is consistency and simplicity. Moderate portions, cooking without fried foods, and early dinners. Don’t restrict your diet more than necessary.
If you’re still experiencing discomfort, have been taking reflux medication for a while, or aren’t sure which foods upset your stomach, an individual assessment can help. At our digestive nutritionist clinic, we’ll create a personalized plan for you, available in Barcelona and online.