Tips for making a gas-free lunch and ways to relieve bloating

Do you ever feel bloated and uncomfortable after a midday nap? Hopefully, it doesn’t happen too often—but if it does, you might want to rethink your lunch. In the spirit of back-to-school season, we’re sharing how to build a bloat-proof lunch box, whether you’re heading to the classroom or the office. BZ Nutrition founder Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD, Dietitian-Canadian, walks you through it all. (Later: What can quickly relieve bloating when you need some quick, effective support.)

7 tips for packing a bloating-free lunch

1. Bring your own food

While it may be tempting to order takeout or eat out with work buddies, packing your own lunch at home may be kinder to your stomach (not to mention your wallet). “Sometimes, buying lunch or eating out can cause more bloating than eating in.” [home-cooked] Food,” Zeitlin shared.

Salt is often the culprit, and some restaurants and fast food outlets add excessive amounts of it. “Salt causes our bodies to retain water, and retaining water can make us feel and look bloated,” explains the dietitian. Seed oils are another common ingredient used for frying, salad dressings, and more, and can inflame the large intestine. (Extra virgin olive oil, on the other hand, has been shown to reduce inflammatory gastrointestinal markers (including bloating and constipation) in people with ulcerative colitis, compared with canola oil.)

In short, you can prevent bloating by preparing your lunch at home. This will help ensure that your meals contain ingredients that won’t cause bloating.

2. Don’t forget to bring a water bottle

If you’re experiencing bloating from excess salt intake, Zeitlin says it’s time to rehydrate. “The key is to flush your body with more water,” she shares. “I know it sounds counterintuitive, but water draws out water; it actually draws out the excess salt and the excess water.”

Of course, it’s important to sip water throughout the day, not only to relieve bloating, but also to maintain energy levels and health. When it comes to beverages, if bloating is an issue, you may want to ditch drinks like sparkling water, prebiotic sodas, and kombucha. While they taste good, the carbonation in these drinks may trigger digestive upset in sensitive people.

If you want to try something different or just don’t like drinking plain water, you can also choose other RD-approved beverages to relieve bloating. Zeitlin recommends drinking unsweetened green tea or dandelion tea not only at lunch, but throughout the workday.

3. Rethink your salad game

Salads are a lunchtime staple for many of us (and not just because mason jar salads look aesthetically pleasing). Sure, they’re a great choice for getting a full complement of macronutrients, fiber, and ideally, some protein. But they can also be a hidden source of bloating-causing foods, like quinoa, beans, legumes, and onions.

If you eat a salad for lunch, Zeitlin recommends prioritizing vegetables that won’t cause bloating, including:

• Romaine Lettuce
• spinach
• fennel
• celery
• cucumber
• asparagus
• radish
• avocado
• tomato

“Skip beans and get your protein from tofu, eggs, salmon, tuna, or chicken,” she adds. To combat bloating, you may also want to eat more cooked vegetables instead of raw ones. Cooked vegetables are easier to digest, so they can help you avoid bloating and discomfort.

4. Limit Deli Meats

Prefer a sandwich over a salad? Zeitlin advises against deli meats, which are high in sodium and can cause bloating. She suggests grilled chicken and tuna are good protein alternatives. “Substituting whole-wheat bread or homemade sourdough bread is less bloating-prone than white flour products like white bread,” she adds.

5. Supplement beneficial intestinal bacteria

When packing an anti-bloat lunchbox, Zeitlin recommends incorporating fermented foods. Fermented foods are not only full of flavor, but they also contain probiotics (good gut bacteria).

and prebiotic fiber (i.e., fuel that allows good gut bacteria to thrive.) When your gut is healthy and diverse, you’ll be better able to manage bloating.

“Incorporate some good gut bacteria into your lunch with fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickles, which act as natural probiotics in your gut,” Zeitlin advises. Luckily, these foods are versatile no matter what non-bloat-inducing foods you eat during the workday. They can be sprinkled on salads for a little tartness, added to sandwiches for crunch, or simply served as a mouthwatering side dish.

Note: While probiotics and fermented foods are healthy in their own right, they are not for everyone. For example, people with an overgrowth of “bad” bacteria in their gut may find that these types of foods trigger bloating rather than help eliminate it.

6. Optional protein powder

Some mornings can be so hectic that you won’t have time to prepare your own bloating-fighting lunch. If you have some food available in your office kitchen, maybe you can throw some ingredients together and make a smoothie. To make it a more complete mini-meal, add some protein powder… but be careful about the type of protein powder you choose, as some can trigger GI distress. HUM’s vegan-friendly Core Strength is a good choice, as it’s formulated to be low FODMAP (i.e., non-bloating).

7. Pay attention to portion size

These lunch tips to prevent bloating aren’t meant to suggest you restrict your diet or skip meals. Instead, we just want to reiterate that it’s important to eat something that’s easy to digest before you feel full. “Even if the foods you choose are healthy, be mindful of your lunch portion size,” Zeitlin advises. “A large meal may still leave you feeling bloated and bland.”

What can quickly relieve bloating?

These anti-bloat lunch tips can help you plan smarter meals, avoid digestive discomfort, and keep you focused on work without worrying about a tummy ache. However, bloating may still occur from time to time, so it can be helpful to have some targeted, fast-acting aids in your bag or at your desk.

HUM’s Flatter Me relieves bloating fast, as it contains 18 full-spectrum digestive enzymes to help break down carbs, fats, proteins, fiber, sugars and lactose. Take with meals as needed to say goodbye to bloating and enjoy a gentler stomach (if your bloating is particularly severe, opt for Flatter Me Extra Strength, which provides 50% more digestive enzymes for even more effective bloating relief.)