Diet for Children With Acid Reflux

If you have a child with acid reflux, then there are three things that you need to pay attention to regarding their diet:

1. The way food is prepared
2. Types of beverages they drink
3. Portion sizes

Be aware of your child's trigger foods and try to avoid them or let your child eat them in small portions.

Some common trigger foods are:

• Fried foods like burgers, chicken, and fish
• Fatty foods that are made in oil or butter
• Chocolate
• Sodas and carbonated beverages
• Fatty dairy products like cheese or creamy soups and gravies
• Citrus fruits and juices (oranges, lemons)
• Acidic vegetables like onions and tomatoes (ketchup)

You may see your child's favorite food on that list and if you do, you'll have to make some changes. Your child can still eat their favorite foods, though they may need to be prepared differently or eaten in much smaller portions.

Here are some foods that a child with acid reflux can eat:

• Grilled or steamed foods like chicken, fish, dumplings, and vegetables
• Sandwiches with lean cuts of meat on whole grain bread
• Pasta with an olive oil based sauce
• Pizza with light sauce and light cheese
• Brown rice
• Beans
• Baked chips (instead of fried potato chips)
• Whole grain crackers
• Low-fat yogurt
• 100% fruit juice (non citrus)
• Low fat or skim milk
• Bananas

For more food ideas, there's a great cookbook called " Eating for Acid Reflux: A Handbook and Cookbook for Those with HeartburnIt has some great recipes and food ideas. There's also a fantastic book called " No More Heartburn: Stop the Pain in 30 Days--Naturally! : The Safe, Effective Way to Prevent and Heal Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders. It's a best-seller on Amazon for its category and I think it has some very useful tips for those with acid reflux and especially parents of children with acid reflux.

In conclusion, I think diet plays a major part in acid reflux symptoms, but there are other areas that you should pay attention to to help your son or daughter with acid reflux problems. It's important to make sure your child doesn't eat too much at one time and leave at least 3 hours between dinner and bedtime. At night, be sure to elevate their head at least 6 to 8 inches when they sleep. You can do this with regular pillows or buy one of those special wedge-shaped pillows that are designed for that. Medslant has a highly-rated wedge pillow for acid reflux on Amazon.com. Also, be sure that your child's clothing or belt is not too tight because this can constrict the stomach and cause acid to go up into the esophagus.