Hiatal hernia meal plan, small meals, earlier.
A hiatal hernia is when part of the stomach moves up through the diaphragm, and reflux often comes with it. These seven days keep meals small and trigger foods out, at about 1,850 calories. Alma can fit it to your goal.
Built from ACG GERD guideline and Johns Hopkins advice.
The rules
Three habits that calm reflux
Smaller meals, earlier evenings
Finish eating at least 3 hours before you lie down.
Know your own trigger foods
Fried and fatty food, chocolate, mint, citrus, tomato, coffee, alcohol.
Raise the head of the bed
A 6 to 10 inch wedge under the mattress helps at night.
Sample week
Seven days of small, gentle meals
About 1,800 to 1,900 calories a day. Scale portions to your needs. Find your number
Trouble swallowing, food sticking, chest pain, vomiting or black stools need a clinician quickly. Hernia size and symptoms are checked by your care team, not by a change of diet.
Day 1Monday
BreakfastOatmeal with banana and almond butter½ cup dry rolled oats, 1 cup low-fat milk, 1 banana, 1 tbsp almond butter
LunchTurkey and cheese sandwich with grapes2 slices sourdough, 3 oz sliced roast turkey, 1 oz provolone, lettuce, 1 cup grapes
SnackCottage cheese with melon and crackers½ cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1 cup cantaloupe, 6 whole-grain crackers
DinnerBaked salmon with potatoes and green beans5 oz salmon, 1 cup boiled potatoes, 1 cup green beans, 1 tsp olive oil
About 1,800 kcal109 g protein22 g fiber
Day 2Tuesday
- BreakfastEgg white and spinach scramble on toast3 egg whites and 1 egg scrambled with 1 cup spinach in 1 tsp olive oil, 2 slices sourdough, 1 cup melon
- LunchChicken and rice soup2 cups chicken and rice soup, 2 slices sourdough, 1 tsp olive oil
- SnackPeanut butter and banana rice cakes2 brown rice cakes, 1 tbsp peanut butter, ½ banana, 1 cup low-fat milk
- DinnerBaked chicken with sweet potato and broccoli6 oz chicken breast, 1 medium sweet potato, 1 cup broccoli, 1 tsp olive oil
About 1,860 kcal125 g protein22 g fiber
Day 3Wednesday
- BreakfastYogurt with granola and pear1 cup plain Greek yogurt, ¼ cup granola, 1 pear
- LunchBaked potato with cottage cheese and broccoli1 medium baked potato, ¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1 cup broccoli, 1 slice sourdough, ½ cup carrots
- SnackCheddar and apple with crackers1 oz cheddar, 1 apple, 6 whole-grain crackers
- DinnerBaked white fish with mashed potatoes6 oz cod, 1½ cups mashed potatoes with low-fat milk, ½ cup peas, 1 tbsp olive oil
About 1,810 kcal117 g protein34 g fiber
Day 4Thursday
- BreakfastBlueberry oat smoothie1 cup low-fat milk, ½ cup dry rolled oats, 1 cup blueberries, 1 tbsp almond butter
- LunchChicken salad sandwich2 slices sourdough, 3 oz shredded chicken, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, lettuce, cucumber, 1 cup grapes
- SnackCottage cheese with pear and almonds½ cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1 pear, ½ oz almonds
- DinnerTurkey burger with roasted potatoes5 oz ground turkey patty, 1 whole-wheat bun, 1 cup roasted potatoes, 1 tsp olive oil, lettuce
About 1,850 kcal105 g protein25 g fiber
Day 5Friday
- BreakfastScrambled eggs with potatoes and toast2 eggs, 1 cup diced potatoes, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 slice sourdough
- LunchTuna salad with crackers and an apple1 can tuna in water, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 6 whole-grain crackers, cucumber and carrot sticks, 1 apple
- SnackMelon with cottage cheese and almonds1 cup cantaloupe, ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1 oz almonds
- DinnerChicken and pasta with green beans4 oz chicken breast, 1½ cups cooked pasta, 1 cup green beans, 1 tbsp olive oil
About 1,850 kcal116 g protein24 g fiber
Day 6Saturday
- BreakfastYogurt with peaches and toast1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup sliced peaches, ¼ cup rolled oats, 1 slice whole-grain toast, 1 tsp honey
- LunchBaked sweet potato with chicken1 medium sweet potato, 4 oz chicken breast, 1 cup broccoli, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 cup grapes
- SnackRice pudding with strawberries and milk½ cup rice pudding, ½ cup strawberries, 1 tbsp sliced almonds, 1 cup low-fat milk
- DinnerBaked cod with rice and carrots6 oz cod, 1 cup cooked rice, 1 cup carrots, 1 tbsp olive oil
About 1,800 kcal134 g protein25 g fiber
Day 7Sunday
- BreakfastFrench toast with berries2 slices whole-grain bread, 1 egg, ½ cup low-fat milk, 1 tsp olive oil, ½ cup strawberries, 1 tbsp maple syrup
- LunchLentil soup with sourdough2 cups lentil soup, 1 slice sourdough, 1 tsp olive oil
- SnackBanana with peanut butter and crackers1 banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 6 whole-grain crackers
- DinnerRoast turkey with rice and green beans5 oz turkey breast, 1½ cups cooked rice, 1 cup green beans, 1 tbsp olive oil
About 1,900 kcal94 g protein32 g fiber
Shopping list
What to buy
Most days
Lean proteinChicken, turkey, cod, salmon, eggschicken breastsalmonegg
Now and then
Chamomile or ginger tea in the evening suits most people. Skip it if it bothers you.
Make it yours
This week is a sample. Alma builds yours.
- Meals fit to your goal and the foods you like
- Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds
- Every meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100
Questions
What people ask
What foods should you avoid with a hiatal hernia?
The usual list is fried and fatty food, chocolate, mint, citrus, tomato, coffee, alcohol, carbonated drinks and very spicy food. Those are common triggers, not rules for everyone. This week leaves them out, then you can add one back at a time and see what reflux does.
Does a diet change fix a hiatal hernia?
No. Food does not move the stomach back through the diaphragm. What a diet can do is ease reflux symptoms: smaller meals, fewer trigger foods, and staying upright for about 3 hours after eating. Symptoms that keep going need a look from your care team.
How long before bed should you stop eating?
Aim for at least 3 hours. ACG says 2 to 3 hours after eating, NIDDK says at least 3, and Johns Hopkins says 3 to 4. An earlier dinner is usually easier than a late snack, and it gives you time to stay upright after eating.
Is coffee off limits with a hiatal hernia?
It is a common trigger, so this week leaves it out. Coffee relaxes the valve at the top of the stomach for some people and does nothing for others. Once symptoms settle, try a small cup after a meal rather than on an empty stomach and see how it goes.
Can you eat bread and pasta with a hiatal hernia?
Yes, in normal portions. Sourdough, whole-grain bread, rice and pasta are in this plan. Large portions are more likely to cause trouble than the grain itself, so keep servings moderate and stop before you feel overfull.
How many calories is this meal plan?
About 1,800 to 1,900 calories a day, with about 95 to 135 grams of protein and 20 to 35 grams of fiber. Three meals and a snack is the shape here, and you can move part of a meal to a fourth sitting if smaller portions suit you better.
How can Alma help with hiatal hernia reflux?
Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds and note how you feel after it, which is how trigger foods show up. Each meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100, drawing on Harvard's Alternate Healthy Eating Index. Alma builds a plan around your goal and the foods you like.
Sources
Written by Alma from the sources below and reviewed October 28, 2026. Calories and protein are estimates. This is general information, not medical advice. If you manage a health condition or take medication, check changes with your clinician. Editorial standards
Get a week built around you.
Tell Alma your goal and the foods you like. It plans the meals and scores each one.