Bloating: The best foods to help prevent a bloated belly while dining outside

Easy Ways to Live Well: Steph McGovern discusses bloating

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If you’d like to prevent a bloated stomach, there might be some foods that you’ll be better off choosing on the menu. Nutritionists suggests more than a handful of ingredients to look out for. “Probiotics are an important piece in the big picture of gut health,” said nutritionist Jessica Cording. This is why tzatziki dip (Greek yoghurt and cucumber) might be a good option to choose alongside Mediterranean dishes.

Greek yoghurt is full of probiotics – i.e. “good bacteria” that can help restore a healthy balance in the gut, confirmed Medical News Today.

Any salad containing fennel might help, as it contains “anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties”.

Another nutritionist, Tara Coleman, explained: “The compounds anethole, fenchone, and estragole in fennel seeds… relax intestinal muscle and allow trapped gas to dissipate.”

As for an accompanying beverage, a glass of water – preferably still – with a slice of lemon could help relieve any bloating or signs of indigestion, added Coleman.

If you’re looking at the sides that are served with your meal, it might be wise to go for food that is paired with asparagus.

“Asparagus also contains prebiotic fibre, which are good to nourish the probiotics in your gut and keep your digestive tract running,” said Cording.

What about lunch?

A staple to any brunch is avocado, which is an excellent source of bloat-reducing potassium.

This is an excellent choice if you fancy a healthy alternative to a buttered loaf with scrambled egg and tomatoes.

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Symptoms of indigestion

Indigestion (i.e. dyspepsia) can lead to heartburn, feeling full and bloated, feeling sick, belching, farting and bringing up bitter-tasting fluid in the mouth.

To avoid further episodes of indigestion, it’s advisable by the NHS to avoid “rich, spicy or fatty foods”.

It’ll also help not to smoke, to take ibuprofen or aspirin, or to eat up to four hours before you go to bed.

Although the foods mentioned above can lessen the chance of feeling bloated and gassy, there are other considerations to think about.

For starters, there are most definitely some foods that are better off avoided.

The NHS confirmed that certain food are “known to cause wind and bloating”, such as:

• Beans
• Onions
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Sprouts
• Cauliflower

So, if you see any of these ingredients on the meal you’re looking at, it might be better to choose something else if you don’t want to feel bloated.

As for dining etiquette, some standards do more than show good manners.

“Try not to swallow too much air,” advised the NHS, which consists of chewing with your mouth closed, and not eating and speaking at the same time.

It’s also helpful to sit upright “and not slumped over” if you want to prevent a bloated belly.

Sometimes, when eating the correct foods and table manners don’t help, it could be indicative of an underlying health condition.

For example, you might suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, which is “thought to be down to erratic propulsion of contents through the bowel”.

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