Digestive Health Bloating & Gas Choosing the Best Non-Gassy Foods By Barbara Bolen, PhD twitter Barbara Bolen, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and health coach. She has written multiple books focused on living with irritable bowel syndrome. Learn about our editorial process Barbara Bolen, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Priyanka Chugh, MD on January 08, 2020 linkedin Priyanka Chugh, MD, is a board-certified gastroenterologist in practice with Trinity Health of New England in Waterbury, Connecticut. Learn about our Medical Review Board Priyanka Chugh, MD on January 08, 2020 Print There are some very important situations in which the last thing you need to be dealing with is excessive intestinal gas. Fortunately, there are some foods that are less likely to cause gas. You can turn to these when you need to feel confident that you won’t experience the embarrassment of flatulence. Illustration by Cindy Chung, Verywell Why Some Food Causes Gas As a general rule of thumb, gassy foods are those that contain certain types of carbohydrates, soluble fiber, or both. These substances are not fully absorbed in the small intestine and instead make their way down to the large intestine where they are set upon by gut bacteria. The by-product of this process is gas. In order to avoid gas, try to eat foods that are just the opposite. These other foods will not be broken down by intestinal bacteria so you should be safe. It is important to know that some intestinal gas is normal and that many gassy foods are good for you. Try to limit your diet to the non-gassy foods only when it is absolutely essential that you remain gas-free. Animal Proteins Our bodies are well adapted to digesting protein. Sources of protein that come from animals contain no carbohydrates that can be fermented by that pesky gut bacteria. Because of this, choosing to eat any of these foods is a safe bet when you want to avoid embarrassing gas or uncomfortable bloat. Glazes and gravy may contain added sugar, garlic, or onions, all of which can produce gas, so be sure to eat these items plain: Beef Chicken Eggs Fish Turkey If you choose not to eat animal products, there are plenty of other foods for you to enjoy. Vegetables There are plenty of vegetables that are low enough in carbohydrates so they are not likely to contribute to intestinal fermentation. These are all good for you, so feel free to pile them onto your plate. You might even consider making a simple salad out of them and turning that into your big meal. Bell peppers Bok choy Cucumber Fennel Greens, such as kale or spinach Green beans Lettuce Spinach Tomatoes Zucchini Fruits You will find that a number of fruits have a reputation for producing less gas. However, it's a good idea to eat them in moderation. There is a limit to how much fruit-based carbohydrates your body can absorb at any given time. The more fruits you eat—even of these less gassy options—the higher your chances are of experiencing unwanted gas from these fruits: Blueberries Cantaloupe Clementine Grapes Honeydew Kiwi Pineapple Raspberries Strawberries Fermented Foods The bacteria which is naturally found in fermented foods like yogurt have already taken care of the carbohydrates your gut would otherwise have to ferment. This frees your intestines from having to do all that work, which lowers the chance of gas. As an extra benefit, that same bacteria is also good for the overall health of your gut. You really cannot go wrong with one of these choices. Fermented vegetables Kefir Kombucha Yogurt (without added sugars) Grains You may be surprised to learn that there are certain carbohydrates in wheat products that can contribute to gas. Because of this, the following choices are better options for the times when you just do not want to deal with gas. Gluten-free bread Rice bread Oats Rice, brown or white Quinoa Snack Options Along with the non-gassy vegetables and fruits, there are other good snack choices you can enjoy for a quick bite. Among those are nuts, but not every nut is reliable. Try to limit yourself to macadamia, pecans, and walnuts. You're also going to be pretty safe if you nibble on some cheese. For this, stick with cheddar, mozzarella, or swiss. A Word From Verywell Unfortunately, as you can see, the safe food list is a little limited. That makes it less than ideal as a daily meal plan, so these suggestions should be used only on occasion when it's most important to be gas-free. If you tend to deal with intestinal gas and bloating on a regular basis, you may want to look into the low FODMAPs diet. It has scientific backing for identifying foods that contribute to these specific problems. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Gas pain? Stool issues? Sign up for the best tips to take care of your stomach. 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. Manichanh C, Eck A, Varela E, et al. Anal gas evacuation and colonic microbiota in patients with flatulence: effect of diet. Gut. 2014;63(3):401-8. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2012-303013 University of Michigan Health System. Helpful hints for controlling gas (flatus). 2007. Bell V, Ferrão J, Pimentel L, Pintado M, Fernandes T. One Health, Fermented Foods, and Gut Microbiota. Foods. 2018;7(12). doi:10.3390/foods7120195 Barrett JS, Gearry RB, Muir JG, et al. Dietary poorly absorbed, short-chain carbohydrates increase delivery of water and fermentable substrates to the proximal colon. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2010;31(8):874-82. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2036.2010.04237.x Additional Reading Gibson P, Shepherd S. Evidence-based dietary management of functional gastrointestinal symptoms: The FODMAP approach. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2010;25:252-258. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) Gas in the Digestive Tract. 2016.