Nobody likes feeling bloated. It’s uncomfortable, unflattering, and downright annoying! What makes bloating even more frustrating is when it happens after eating lots of healthy, nutritious foods. You’d think bloating is associated with an unhealthy diet (it most definitely can be), but there are also many superfoods that can cause our pants to get tighter. How unfair and confusing is that?! We’re told to eat healthy in order to lose weight, but then healthy foods cause us to bloat! We know, it’s frustrating. The reason for this is because most of these healthy foods are full of fiber and while fiber is an important part of a healthy diet, too much of it can cause problems in the GI tract as they are a little more difficult to digest. This results in a lot of gas.
Even though the following 12 foods can cause bloating, this doesn’t mean we should eliminate them entirely from our diet. This list will hopefully shine a light on what foods causing bloating so that we can plan accordingly and avoid overloading on too many at a time…
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1. Dairy
Most people consume some kind of dairy throughout the day and that’s a good thing because it’s high in protein and calcium! What’s great about dairy is that there are so many different products and types of dairy to choose from. Some of the healthiest include milk, yogurt, and cheese. While dairy does come with lots of health benefits, it also brings on some side effects, like bloating.
Healthline writes that 75-percent of the world’s population “can’t break down lactose, the sugar found in milk. This condition is known as lactose intolerance.” The National Institutes of Health (NIH) describes the symptoms of lactose intolerance as “digestive symptoms—such as bloating, diarrhea, and gas—after eating or drinking milk or milk products.”
Do you get bloated after eating dairy? Don’t worry — there are still lots of options! Healthline notes that people who are lactose intolerant can sometimes handle dairy products like cream, butter, or yogurt. Also, nowadays there are also many lactose-free products available and alternatives like coconut, almond, soy or rice milk.
