Dietary Recommendations for Heartburn in Gastric Cancer

To facilitate digestion, it is better to eat more meals but in smaller amounts. You can have a light breakfast first thing in the morning, another mid-morning, a light lunch, an afternoon snack, a light dinner and a snack before going to bed.

Chewing thoroughly will help food to reach the stomach more digested, thus making its job easier.

Lie down for at least 45 minutes. Do not go to bed immediately.

• Sausages and fatty meats
• Butter and full-fat dairy products
• Pastries and cakes
• Snacks like crisps
• Premade, precooked foods: pizzas, croquettes, fritters, etc.

• Coffee and/or tea. Coffee with milk can be drunk, but with just a splash of coffee.
• Smoked, very salty or cured foods (prepared soups, broth concentrates), some sauces (Tabasco), crisps, etc.
• Foods or dishes with strong seasonings such as garlic, curry or hot spices (chilli, hot paprika, pepper, chilli). Use herbs for seasoning in moderation and depending on tolerance: thyme, parsley, bay leaf, etc.
• Raw onion, although small amounts can be eaten if it is poached (not burnt).
• Chocolate and by-products.
• All alcoholic beverages.
• All foods that are burned or heavily toasted.

• Citrus fruits: oranges, lemons, etc.
• Acidic fruits: strawberries, pineapple, kiwi, etc.
• Tomatoes.
• Vinegar.
• High-acidity olive oil.

Assess the intake of high-fibre foods according to individual tolerance, as in some cases they may worsen abdominal pain.

• Avoid whole grains.
• Introduce legumes in small amounts; make sure they are thoroughly cooked, crushed or mashed, and check tolerance.
• Avoid raw and more difficult to digest vegetables such as asparagus, cabbage, broccoli and artichokes. You can start with courgettes, carrots, onions and very tender beans, and gradually add small amounts of other vegetables to assess tolerance to them one-by-one, but avoid raw vegetables (lettuce, endive, etc.) at first.

• Check tolerance to raw fruit. Start with ripe bananas and apples, grapes, pears and peaches (all peeled).

• Consume smoothies immediately after making them to ensure that the vitamins and antioxidants from the fruit and vegetables are incorporated into the body without their fibre.

Prioritise cooking that requires little oil: boiling, microwaving, low-temperature baking*, en papillote or mild stews.
Avoid: fried foods, battered foods and hearty stews.
*If you use the oven, it is important not to overcook or brown the food, as this may cause more burning.

Always ensure that lunch and dinner include vegetables (cooked), starchy foods (potatoes, rice, pasta, bread – not wholegrain, mashed or puréed legumes) and high-protein foods (meat, fish and eggs), as indicated in the plate method They can be consumed in small amounts, using a dessert plate.
The plate method also allows different meals to be prepared, such as combo plates, single-meal dishes, a starter with a main course, a first and a second course and even sandwiches or little plates.

Include quality proteins in the main meals (meat, fish, eggs or vegetable proteins, depending on tolerance, such as seitan, mashed or puréed legumes and soy by-products, such as textured soybeans or tofu).

• Protein-rich yoghurt (with more than 15 g of protein per container, such as Yopro ®, Hacendado ®, Pastoret ®, Skyr ®, etc.).
• Protein-rich foods for breakfast and snacks (soft cheese, eggs in the form of flan, sweet puddings, baked ham or turkey, among others).

If milk is poorly tolerated, replace it with lactose-free milk and test tolerance of natural yoghurt and cheese.
Eliminate dairy desserts such as flan, pudding, etc.

Drink outside of main meals and in small sips throughout the day.
Prioritise beverages such as water, herbal tea and mild broth. Other beverages that are well tolerated are soy, rice, oat or almond drinks; non-acidic vegetable and fruit smoothies; and isotonic drinks.
Avoid carbonated beverages.

The best bet is room temperature or lukewarm food.

These can sometimes be useful because they require less digestion and can also aid in eating more when fatigue sets in.

Follow the above recommendations, using the recommended foods and limiting those not recommended in the following table on days with the most discomfort. Use mild cooking methods such as boiling, microwaving, low-temperature baking and en papillote, along with soups, low-fat stews. If necessary, modify the texture by mashing to facilitate digestion.

Walk every day for at least 20 to 30 minutes.