Bloating is totally normal and common. There are a number of factors that contribute to bloating—including eating your food too quickly and menstrual bleeding.
But some foods pack a lot of carbohydrates, often contributing to excess gas that causes your stomach to feel tight.
And if you have conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), or are non-celiac gluten or lactose intolerant, then those foods can further aggravate your digestive system.
That's because our bodies cannot digest some of the carbohydrates found in those foods. Those foods are known as FODMAP (which is an acronym for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) foods.
FODMAP foods have carbohydrates that our small intestines cannot entirely absorb. There, the undigested carbohydrates accumulate, pulling in excess gas and liquid, the culprits of bloating.1
Another molecule that some bodies cannot digest is gluten, a protein that the enzymes in our bodies are unable to entirely digest. Also, foods that pack a lot of fiber, like beans and broccoli, can also cause excess gas.
If you feel uncomfortably bloated after meals, it might be time to look at the types of foods you are eating. Foods that cause bloating include:
- Broccoli, cabbage, and kale
- Legumes
- Dairy
- Apples
- Salty foods
- Onions and garlic
- Watermelon
- Wheat
Instead, try low-FODMAP foods that may help alleviate bloating. Foods that don't cause bloating include:
- Cucumbers
- Asparagus
- Celery
- Carrots and spaghetti squash
- Chicken and fish
- Bananas
- Papaya
- Pineapple
- Blueberries, grapes, raspberries, and strawberries
- Yogurt with probiotics
- Kombucha and kefir
- Fennel seeds
- Ginger
- Peppermint and chamomile
- Turmeric
- Cinnamon
Here's what you need to know about the 16 foods that you should eat to reduce uncomfortable bloating and gas, as well as the eight foods you should avoid.
Kale, broccoli, and cabbage are cruciferous vegetables and contain raffinose, or a sugar that remains undigested until bacteria in your gut ferment it. That produces gas and makes you bloat. However, eating them more often can actually help in the long run.
"Consistently eating nutrient-rich, high-fiber foods leads to having a stronger, healthier digestive system that's less prone to bloating," said Cynthia Sass, RD, Health contributing nutrition editor.
So keep eating the green veggies, but limit your portions. And if you absolutely can't part ways with even a gram of kale, steam it.
"Cooking any vegetable softens the fiber and shrinks the portion as some of the water cooks out, so it takes up less space in the GI [gastrointestinal] tract," explained Sass. It won't eliminate or prevent bloating altogether, but it may make your veggies easier to digest.
Beans—along with lentils, soybeans, and peas— are known as gas-causing foods. Although they contain more than enough protein, they also contain sugars and fibers that our bodies can't absorb. So when legumes reach the large intestine, your gut bacteria take the lead and feast on them. This process leads to gas, which can balloon your waist.
Combine legumes with easily digestible whole grains, like rice or quinoa. Your body will eventually get used to them.
"If you eat fruits, veggies, nuts, whole grains, and beans often, they won't bother you as much as if you eat them sporadically," noted Sass.
If you feel gassy after a few slices of cheese or a bowl of cereal with milk, you may be lactose intolerant—which means your body lacks the necessary enzymes to break down lactose (the sugar found in dairy products). When that occurs, according to a study published in 2022 in the journal Clinical Microbiology, it can cause gas to form in the GI tract, which may trigger bloating.2
So before all that gas gets to you, steer clear of dairy products and opt for the many lactose-free or nondairy alternatives out there. The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) also suggested the use of lactase tablets like Lactaid, which help people digest foods that contain lactose.3
High in fiber, apples also contain fructose and sorbitol, sugars found in fruits that many people can't tolerate, Sass said—which leads to gas and the inevitable puffy feeling.
Apples are a great snack, however, so don't give up on them altogether.
"Eating apples specifically has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and respiratory problems, including asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema," explained Sass. Eat them in moderation and separately from meals, and time your eating right.
Other fruits that bloat are pears, peaches, and prunes.
Eating high-sodium foods can trigger water retention, which can balloon you up, Sass said.
Avoiding sodium isn't as simple as not using the saltshaker, however. About 90% of Americans consume more sodium than is recommended for a healthy diet (2,300 milligrams per day for most people and 1,500 milligrams for adults aged 50 years or older, plus people with diabetes, high blood pressure, and high risk of hypertension).4
Sodium sneaks its way into most processed and packaged foods, including soups, bread, and these other surprisingly salty fast foods. That makes it very difficult to avoid. When and if you do end up eating a lot of salty food, drink a lot of water to help flush out the salt.
Onions and garlic are packed with soluble fibers called fructans. The body is not incredibly good at digesting foods containing fructans, which may lead to a number of digestive issues.
Some people have a fructan intolerance. Similar to non-celiac gluten intolerance, when fructans ferment in the bowels, they attract water into the colon, which causes bloating and diarrhea.5
Fruits, namely watermelon, often cause bloating because of their high fructose contents. Fructose is a type of naturally occurring sugar that our bodies do not easily digest, sometimes causing excess gas.
Foods that have high fructose contents also further aggravate symptoms of IBS. Instead, try fruits that have low fructose content, such as bananas and tropical fruits.6
Gluten is a protein commonly found in wheat products, like different types of bread and pasta. Our bodies cannot easily digest gluten because the enzymes in our body do not completely break down the protein. Any gluten that our bodies do not digest travels to the small intestine, where it may cause bloating in some people.
Some people who have celiac disease experience an autoimmune response—including digestive problems and headaches—after eating wheat, while others may have a non-celiac gluten intolerance. If you are sensitive to gluten, you may experience bloating after eating wheat.7
People use cucumbers to reduce puffiness under their eyes—and you can eat them to do the same thing for your belly. The vegetable contains quercetin, a flavonoid antioxidant that helps reduce swelling, according to Sass.
"Cucumbers have been shown to inhibit the activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes," added Sass. So slice it up and eat it as is, or swap sugary drinks with a glass of cucumber water.
Asparagus is an anti-bloating superfood: It helps you to urinate, which flushes all that excess water to relieve any discomfort and bloat.
It also contains prebiotics, which help support the growth of "good" bacteria, according to Sass. This helps maintain a healthy balance in your digestive system to prevent or reduce gas.
Finally, the vegetable contains soluble and insoluble fibers, which help promote overall digestive health.
Aside from cucumbers and asparagus, other vegetables that do not pack many carbohydrates include carrots and spaghetti squash.
Avoiding high-carbohydrate vegetables is key to eating healthily while also reducing bloating, so add some carrots to your daily snacks or include a side of spaghetti squash in your next dinner.
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