After spending this weekend nauseated, it is obvious that I’m going to have to be very careful not only with when I take my medicine, but also with what I eat. After doing a lot of research on my own, and getting a general idea of what I need to have, I was at a loss as to how I was going to decide on a diet, taking my GERD into account.

So I wrote to Jackie, a fellow BLOG VILLAGER at The Vegan Diet, who was kind enough to put together some information for me. She’s done such a wonderful job of pulling together just what I needed that I thought it might help someone else, so here are her suggestions.

I see with GERD you must steer away from :

* fatty or fried foods * peppermint and spearmint * whole milk
* oils *onions * chocolate *high sugar content * creamed foods or soups
* most fast foods * citrus fruits and juices (grapefruit, orange, pineapple, tomato)
* coffee (regular and decaffeinated) * caffeinated soft drinks * tea
* other caffeinated beverages *Spicy or acidic foods

You can have :

apples, berries, melons, bananas, peaches, pears
chicken (no skin), fish, turkey (no skin)
fat-free milk and yogurt
milk free breads
a miniscule amount of fat or butter

Basically my advice is lots of small meals a day, not three meals a day. I eat 5 meals a day, like many people do now for many medical conditions and to keep weight average (not under or overweight), as it keeps my IBS and my sugar levels on track. A few ideas below, not totally vegan, plus useful links at the bottom.

Breakfast

Fruit is good. Papaya is the best I find when I am acidic. Herbal tea (not mint)

Mid morning

Fruit Apples, melon, bananas and nuts like almonds and walnuts (most nutritious).
or Bean dip (chick peas or beans blended with a tiny amount of oil just to make it cream cheese consistency and a fresh herb like cilantro) on a slice of white or brown bread (not seed bread or wholewheat)

Lunch

Tofu dip (no oil with it) with raw vegetables like carrot sticks or
Veggie Soup with tofu cubes

or this Fish Dish recommended by a GERD sufferer:

This recipe is for one serving. Increase the ingredients for additional servings as needed.

One 4oz filet of white fish (orange roughly, sole, turbot, flounder, etc)
One med. Potato. Steamed green vegetable such as broccoli, spinach, peas or asparagus
Parsley or chives for garnish. ¼ tbsp unsalted butter, olive oil or Pam

We will start with the potatoes, because they take the longest to cook, and they tend to retain their heat the longest. The fish and vegetable take only minutes to cook.
Peel and cube potato. Place in cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, and then simmer until fork tender. Drain, leaving just enough cooking liquid for mashing or whipping. You may also use the vegetable broth (recipe below) instead. Add salt to taste. Hold in a warm place. Season fish with salt and pepper to taste. Place non-stick sauté pan over med high heat. Add butter, oil or spray with Pam. When not quite smoking, add fish. Cook two minutes, turn and cook other side for two minutes, or until the filet is light brown and cooked through. If the filet is very thin, one minute on each side may be enough. (You can broil or bake the fish if desired). Serve fish on top of mashed potatoes, surrounded by the steamed vegetables. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives.

or Savory Lentils with Texmati Brown Rice

1/2 lb of organic green lentils (2 ½ cups), rinsed 4 cups water or stock
1/2 onion, chopped 1 cloves of garlic, chopped 2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped 1 bay leaf 2 sprigs of thyme, or ½ tsp dried
Organic Texmati brown rice (follow instructions on package)

To a large pot bring water and lentils to a boil. Add other ingredients. Reduce to the simmer, partially covered. Cook until tender (about 20 to 30 minutes), stirring occasionally and adding more liquid as needed.. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve over organic Texmati brown rice. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with a light green salad, dressed with the lemon chive dressing above.

Mid Afternoon

Herbal tea (not mint) or glass of strawberry soy milk or flavored fat-free yogurt

Early evening (best for supper)

Grilled or dry stirfried turkey or chicken without skin and steamed or stir fried veggies and mashed potatoes/baked potato or pasta

or Broiled Burgers with Mushrooms and Rice

1 lb lean (10% or less fat) ground beef
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 tsp dried rosemary (crushed)
2 tsp dried parsley, divided
1 egg white
Nonstick vegetable cooking spray
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups mushrooms
1 cup fat free skim milk
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup long-grain brown rice, cooked according to directions

In a bowl combine ground beef, bread crumbs, rosemary, 1 tsp parsley, and egg white.
Mix well and make into four 3/4″ thick patties. Spray a broiler pan rack with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Place patties on rack and broil 3 to 4 inches from heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Put olive oil and mushrooms in a skillet sprayed with nonstick vegetable cooking spray over medium-high heat. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until mushrooms are soft. Combine milk and flour together in a bowl. Add mixture to skillet. Add Worcestershire sauce, the remaining 1 tsp parsley, and salt. Stirring constantly with wire whisk, cook sauce 3 to 4 minutes until thickened. Serve mushroom sauce over broiled burgers with hot cooked brown rice. Makes 4 servings.

3 hours before bed

Another snack like a banana or a cup of clear soup

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Gerd friendly recipes – Vegan and meat eaters (index in right column)

Fat Free Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes

Non Vegetarian Dairy-Free (lots of ideas and substitutes)

VegWeb Fat-Free Recipes plus tons of other recipes that should be suitable

Free Vegan Cookbooks (fabulous ideas) to download

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:
Parkinson articles

I had asked Jackie to help me find foods that would be suitable for a GERD diet and take into account the fact that Sinemet cannot be taken with large amounts of protein. I’d say she went out of her way to be helpful, wouldn’t you? But I shouldn’t be surprised. Every post she has on her blogs is just this thorough.

I can’t thank her enough for all this information, but I can ask you to visit her blog, so please stop by