Digestive Health Heartburn Diet How to Avoid Acid Reflux When Eating Chinese Food By Sharon Gillson Sharon Gillson is a writer living with and covering GERD and other digestive issues. Learn about our editorial process Sharon Gillson Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH on April 20, 2020 linkedin Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH, is board-certified in gastroentrology. He is the vice chair for ambulatory services for the department of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. Learn about our Medical Review Board Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH Updated on October 22, 2020 Print Chinese restaurants can be difficult to enjoy if you are prone to heartburn, a common problem created by acid reflux. The dishes may contain ingredients that trigger reflux, and, unlike foods prepare at home, you don't have control of what is included in certain dishes. This doesn't mean that you have to avoid Chinese restaurants and give up on Chinese takeouts at home. With a few precautions, you reduce the risk of reflux and continue to savor the flavors of Chinese cuisine. Daniel Frauchiger/Getty Images What to Avoid When looking at the choices on a typical Chinese menu, it is easy to be lured by dishes that sound too tasty to resist. Even so, you need to look at each dish individually and ask yourself if they contain any ingredient that triggers heartburn in you as an individual. Acid reflux triggers can vary by person to person, with some ingredients affecting an individual with reflux more than others. With that said, there are a number of triggers that commonly affect people with acid reflux. When ordering a Chinese meal, start by striking off fatty foods, fried foods, and spicy foods as well as dishes made with viscous sauces. These include: Egg rollsSpring rollsCrab rangoonShrimp toastBarbecued spareribsFried chicken wingsHot and sour soupCrispy fried noodlesFried rice (which can sometimes be very oily)Sweet and sour dishesCurried dishesCrispy beef, chicken, pork, or fish dishesDishes made with garlic sauceSzechuan dishes (which are more likely to be spicy) If you aren't sure what is in a dish or how a dish is prepared, don't be afraid to ask. You can also request alterations or substitutions if a dish you love contains an ingredient you know will trigger heartburn. For example, you can ask that chilis be omitted from cold sesame noodles or that a side dish of fried rice be substituted with plain steamed rice. Chinese Foods You Can Eat on a Low-Cholesterol Diet What to Order The following list of Chinese menu items may be kinder to your stomach and esophagus if you suffer from heartburn. None are fried or spicy. Most are relatively light and either have no sauce or are lightly sauced. Examples include: Wonton soupVelvety corn soupEgg drop soupSteamed dumplingsSummer rollsSteamed pork buns (vegetarian fillings are the safest)Satay skewers (peanut sauce on the side)Steamed fish dishes (sauce on the side)Cantonese steamed chickenSteamed shrimp with broccoliPeking duck (without the skin) Dining Out Choices for People With Heartburn Other Tips Many people consider sauces to be central to Chinese cuisine and can't do without them. To savor Chinese flavors with less risk of heartburn, ask for sauces to be placed on the side whenever possible. You can't do this with many Chinese dishes but can with most steamed dishes, satays, or dumplings. If you do decide to order an old favorite, like chicken with cashews or moo goo gai pan, consider ordering for the table, serving yourself a smaller portion with plenty of plain rice. You can do the same with lettuce cups, removing the excess filling and replacing it with some steamed white or brown rice. If dining at a restaurant with a limited menu, check the menu online, and call in advance to query the ingredients and ensure that the dish is still available. Doing so can prevent you from being stuck with nothing to eat or eating something that causes heartburn. Smaller restaurants are also more likely to make adjustments, particularly if you give them advanced warning. How Heartburn Is Treated A Word From Verywell If you are prone to heartburn, speak with your doctor if it occurs more than twice weekly and/or is getting worse. You may be experiencing a more serious condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) that requires medications, medical management, and lifestyle modifications. If left untreated, GERD can lead to serious health complications, including esophageal ulcers, esophageal strictures, Barrett's esophagus, and esophageal cancer. Early diagnosis can place you on treatments to better avoid these problems. What to Eat When You Have GERD Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get nutrition tips and advice to make healthy eating easier. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Richter JE, Rubinstein JH. Presentation and epidemiology of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Gastroenterology. 2018 Jan;154(2):267-76. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2017.07.045