9 Foods That Make You Bloated

Retaining water and putting on a few extra pounds in belly bloat is likely due to excess sodium. Eating salty foods throws off the balance of sodium and water in your body, and the water is retained until it dilutes the salt you’ve consumed. Want to shed that pesky bloat? Get started by throwing away or limiting these surprising high-sodium foods from your kitchen! Here are 9 Foods That Make You Bloated.

Canned Soup

It’s easy and often low-calorie, but soup (especially canned versions) can put you up to half your daily sodium limit in one serving! A half-cup of Campbell’s® Condensed Tomato Soup is only 90 calories but contains 480 milligrams of sodium. If you need to buy pre-made soup, go for a low-sodium variety. Really play it safe by making your own like my Simple Cabbage Soup Recipe.

Sauced Frozen Vegetables:

Lightly sauced corn or cheesy broccoli might make eating your veggies easier, but you’re adding major calories and nearly 500 milligrams of sodium to your side dish. Buying frozen veggies is still healthy, but skip the sauce. You may also buy produce just after harvest and freeze it yourself to reap the nutritional benefits well after they’re in season!

Foods That Make You Bloated: Bagels

Even a plain bagel can cost you 430 milligrams of sodium, not to mention 48 grams of carbohydrates. This starchy food is best left alone or saved as a treat. It can make your belly bloat and won’t leave you satisfied for long. If you can’t kick the craving, opt for a bagel thin to reduce the sodium and starch.

Frozen Lunch Meals

Sure, they’re convenient and some may even claim to be healthy, but they don’t skimp on sodium content. For example, Weight Watchers® Smart Ones® Classic Favorites Ravioli Florentine meal contains 860 milligrams of sodium! Even reduced-sodium meals only have to contain 25 percent less than original meals, so they can still slyly pack in the salt.

Foods that Make You Bloated: Pancake Mix

Pancake mix: You may avoid many other high-sodium breakfast staples, but pancakes can hide salt, too! Dry mix pancakes can contain nearly 500 milligrams of sodium per serving, so it’s best to whip up your own batter if you’re craving them for breakfast.

Instead, make your own Quinoa Banana Pancakes using my recipe and enjoy 3 pancakes with only 128 milligrams of sodium.

Packaged Sliced Deli Meat

Packaged deli meats taste so salty because they’re injected with high-sodium solutions to enhance flavor, so it’s no surprise that just one slice can cost you about 300 milligrams of sodium. Buy fresh-cut meats to cut back on this artificial flavoring and reduce belly bloat!  Plus, recent findings link some deli meat to cancer.

Foods that Make You Bloated: Chips and Pretzels

These crunchy snacks (that often lead to overindulgence anyway) are packed with salt that’ll cause water weight and belly bloat. Even baked versions or reduced-fat crunchy snacks can have the same amount of sodium, so it’s best to toss out these temptations or enjoy in moderation.

Pizza with Meaty Toppings

This food that makes you bloated is probably not a surprise. Greasy, cheesy pizza might be a cheat day pleasure you occasionally enjoy, but a slice packed with salty pizza sauce and high-sodium meaty toppings can overwhelm your body with salt! If you need a pizza night, bake your own using a flatbread crust, light sauce and veggie toppings to cut back on calories, fat and sodium.

Instead, check out my healthy pizza recipes:

• Chicken Alfredo Pizza
• Philly Cheesesteak Pizza
• Caprese Pizza English Muffins

Dressings and Condiments

Adding a little flavor to any dish can sneak in a lot of salt. A tablespoon serving of ketchup adds 154 milligrams of sodium and a tablespoon of salty soy sauce can reach up to 1,000 milligrams! Cut back on both salt and sugar by limiting your intake of salty condiments

Trying to eliminate these foods altogether is incredibly difficult. With work, family, school, and events, life can be busy and a lot of these items are used out of convenience.  But, you can attempt to scale back on them as much as possible. I do my best to make items from scratch so my family not only gets the nutrition they need, but also feels great throughout the day.

What’s your experience been with foods that make you bloated?  Are the items you avoid completely?  I’d love to know in the comments or DM on social media @ourfarmerhouse!

XOXO,