these foods to avoid that promote bloating

Your belly swells after meals and you have trouble digesting? We take stock of the foods that promote bloating with Véronique Liesse, dietician-nutritionist, who gives us her pro advice to deflate.

Difficult digestion, visibly swollen belly, unpleasant sensations that are sometimes accompanied by real abdominal pain… When the bloating invite themselves after dessert, the whole meal is ruined. This feeling of heaviness in the stomach, which often forces us to unbutton our jeans, sometimes happens without us understanding why. However, it does have an origin: what is on our plate.

“When we are bloated, in general, it is because certain foods cause the formation of gas in the intestine explains Véronique Liesse, dietitian-nutritionist. These gases which make the belly swell, come from “of the fermentation of food by the microbiota”, and appear more specifically when the bacteria used for digestion are overwhelmed by the amount of food to be processed and they prove incapable of destroying it. We are not all equal in the face of bloating and everything we eat will not have the same effect depending on the person because we do not all have the same capacities in terms of digestive enzymes. That being said, certain foods still tend to promote bloating. Hence the interest of knowing them to find a flat stomach and stop swelling after meals.

Foods that cause bloating

They are diverse and varied, which is why it is sometimes difficult to identify them over meals and bloating. But don’t worry, we asked the nutritionist to list them for you so that you can finally understand which ones make your stomach bloat.

  • legumes such as lentils, chickpeas or dried beans, which are “rich in fermentable fiber”.
  • crucifers like cabbage or broccoli “which contain gas-forming sulfur” which cause belly swelling.
  • Dairy products in some people who poorly digest the lactose contained in milk, cream or cheese. When they consume it, especially occasionally during the day, their microbiota cannot cope.
  • Jerusalem artichokes which are both rich in fiber and inulin, two components that the body has trouble assimilating.
  • Raw vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots or cucumbers, are also rich in insoluble fiber that is difficult to digest.
  • Garlic and onions which can potentially ferment quite a bit.
  • white bread which contains yeasts which will continue to ferment in the belly once they are ingested and are difficult to digest.
  • some fruit such as apple, mango, dried apricots, dried dates, dried figs, peaches, pears, and plums which are some of the fruits that cause the most bloating.


Finally, also note that gluten can also cause swelling, as can sweeteners and sweetenersbut they can also be digested very well by some people. “It’s really a matter of personal tolerance” assures the expert.

Bloating: do you really need to avoid certain foods?

“The foods that make us bloated are healthy foods” would like to remind Véronique Liesse, dietitian-nutritionist, who emphasizes the importance of not avoiding all of them on a daily basis to put an end to bloating. “By dint of excluding, we end up having an unbalanced diet does she warn us before explaining that “many digestive enzymes are inducible, that is to say that the less we consume the food, the less we stimulate the enzyme capable of digesting it, and the less we produce it naturally in our body”. As a result, digestion becomes even more difficult as you exclude less well digested foods from your diet.

This is why, to rebalance her microbiota in a natural way and avoid adopting an unbalanced diet, she invites you to eliminate fermenting foods “temporarily, for 3 to 4 weeks no more” before returning them step by step, “family by family to see which ones are best tolerated, then gradually increasing the quantities to understand which ones are well tolerated”. It is only by going through this test phase that you will be able to find more comfort in the long term.

Cooking: the nutritionist’s tips for eating everything without swelling

To save yourself some bloating during this process and afterwards, the dietician-nutritionist has her little tricks. She therefore advises “prefer legumes in jars, which are pre-cooked and cause much less bloating”. Another option if you don’t like the boxes, soak them in water overnight so that the water absorbs the components that are poorly digested. To enjoy the taste of garlic without risking having a swollen belly, she invites you to “put garlic in a bottle of oil so that the latter obtains the flavor but not the components which are poorly digested, the latter not diffusing into the fat”. To better digest crucifers, you can also steam them. Finally, instead of depriving yourself of cheese, opt for hard cheeses that are well digested.

Foods that won’t make your stomach bloat

If the consumption of certain foods is to be monitored, others can be tasted without the risk of seeing our abdomen double in size. As Véronique Liesse, dietitian-nutritionist, points out, “the fruits like raspberries, bananas, blueberries, and vegetables like pumpkin, spinach, tomatoes, and zucchini” won’t make you bloat. Similarly, rice, oats, millet and buckwheat are flat stomach allies. Finally, good news for those with a salty tooth, “fat won’t make you bloat” assures the expert, even if she recalls that it is still less digestible than other healthier foods.

3 natural ways to improve your digestion

For Véronique Liesse, it is not enough to control the food and the portions on your plate if you want to digest well. She also gives us 3 natural ways to improve your digestion on a daily basis.

  • Eat in peace : Bloating at the end of the day and without pain, it can also be linked to stress because stress itself modifies the microbiota and our ability to digest” explains the dietitian.
  • Chew well : “eating too quickly by not chewing enough can also cause bloating since saliva contains digestive enzymes that start digestion” recalls Véronique Liesse. Think about it at mealtimes.
  • supplement : food supplements with activated charcoal absorb gas which helps to deflate the belly. They can help bring you back to comfort, as can probiotics which can be helpful in improving digestion. “There are probiotics that facilitate the digestion of lactose, for example”this is something that can help depending on the person.

To note : Be careful not to confuse mild bloating with food intolerance. “In case of painful cramps and / or diarrhea, it can be intolerance such as lactose intolerance for example” and it is then advisable to consult a doctor.

Passionate about writing and beauty, Elodie swaps her lipstick for her laptop to find you the best makeup, hair and skincare trends, and pro tips…

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