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Unfortunately, many of our Thanksgiving favorites incorporate hard-to-digest foods that lead us straight to the couch after dessert. Carb-heavy dishes with fats, sodium and refined sugars across courses may taste delicious, but they can leave us exhausted by the energy-intensive process of digestion. Hallmarks like turkey and stuffing can take between 24 – 48 hours to digest, but next-day bloating isn’t inevitable. To avoid sluggishness and discomfort, consider shifting your traditional fare to accommodate fibrous vegetables and whole foods.
Check for additives
Canned, boxed and frozen foods often contain preservatives or sodium to extend shelf life. Other Thanksgiving favorites full of sodium include gravy and, despite its healthy reputation, even turkey. Check your bird before you leave the grocery store to make sure it’s organic and pesticide-free. Additives like these cause digestive issues and water retention, which can increase bloating. Opt for cleaner foods with homemade recipes like these from EatingWell or these from the Mayo Clinic – roasting a fresh vegetable is an easy way to add variety to your meal, and you’ll feel better knowing exactly what ingredients are on your plate.
Save room on the menu for fiber-rich foods
Traditionally, Thanksgiving dinners showcase carbs, protein and starches across the menu, with a healthy dose of refined sugar and fat for dessert. Unfortunately for your digestive system, dense foods like stuffing or casseroles move at a snail’s pace through your body. Eating vegetables makes for quicker and easier digestion. To mitigate any potential digestive issues after mealtime, consider starting with a salad, as fibrous greens will help you feel full and avoid overeating. Load up your plate with vegetables (and cranberry sauce) and opt for smaller helpings of turkey and stuffing.
Allergies or interolerances?
Digestive reactions to lactose or gluten are common – you will likely host a lactose- or gluten-intolerant friend or family member at your Thanksgiving table. However, even if you don’t have an official allergy diagnosis, our bodies do store excess water when we eat carbohydrates, and the class of sugars found in milk products causes bloating. Take care not to load the menu with other foods that slow us down – aside from wheat and milk products, a few surprising examples include onions, garlic, beans, brussel sprouts and cauliflower.
Drink in moderation
Alcohol can leave us bloated too. Mixed drinks can be high in refined sugar, and air buildup from carbonated beverages like beer or champagne gives us gas. The extra carbohydrates in beer can also leave us feeling sluggish and bloated.
Take a walk
No need to run the Turkey Trot, but engaging in mild exercise like a 15 – 20 minute neighborhood walk after your meal can aid digestion. Blood flow jumpstarts your metabolism, and if you get a workout in the day after Thanksgiving, sweating will help your body flush out salt from the previous day too.
Try a little bit of everything
Thanksgiving is rightly a day of indulgence, and that’s not a problem – take the day off to unwind at the table with family and friends (and enjoy all of Grandma’s favorite recipes). Just be kind to your body by exercising moderation in the food that ends up on your plate. Pair harder-to-digest foods with gut-friendly vegetables and eat slowly, listening to the signals your body sends to tell you you’re full. Take a lap to see the offerings before you load up on every dish – you’ll thank yourself later.
FAQs
Bloating can also be triggered by eating something your stomach doesn't agree with, chowing down too quickly, and fasting all day and then indulging in a huge meal. The bloat can last up to 24 hours, totally putting a damper on your plans for the next day.
How long does stuffing take to digest? ›
Hallmarks like turkey and stuffing can take between 24 – 48 hours to digest, but next-day bloating isn't inevitable. To avoid sluggishness and discomfort, consider shifting your traditional fare to accommodate fibrous vegetables and whole foods.
What is the number one food that causes bloating? ›
Beans. It's hardly a surprise to see beans atop the list of bloat-causing foods. After all, the legendary powers of this legume have even captured the attention of lyricists: Beans, beans, the musical fruit… Science is behind that tune, explains Czerwony.
What is the number one thing to help with bloating? ›
Eat consciously. Not only does fibrous produce help aid digestion, but foods like potassium-rich bananas and high-water-content fruits, like watermelon, help flush out belly-bloating sodium.
What is the best vitamin for bloating? ›
Vitamin B6 plays a key role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, which can aid digestion and reduce bloating. It also helps regulate levels of the hormone serotonin, which can affect gut motility and reduce symptoms of bloating.
What foods should you avoid when bloated? ›
Avoid Bloat-Inducing Foods
These sugars must be broken down by bacteria in the intestines. Fruits and vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, prunes, and apricots. These items contain sugars and starches that may cause gassiness and bloating, even though these foods are good for you.
What food takes the longest to fully digest? ›
Meat and fish can take as long as 2 days to fully digest. The proteins and fats they contain are complex molecules that take longer for your body to pull apart. By contrast, fruits and vegetables, which are high in fiber, can move through your system in less than a day.
How long does it take between eating something and pooping it out? ›
It takes about 36 hours for food to move through the entire colon. All in all, the whole process — from the time you swallow food to the time it leaves your body as feces — takes about two to five days, depending on the individual.
What foods take the shortest time to digest? ›
Foods that are easier to digest include toast, white rice, bananas, eggs, chicken, salmon, gelatine, applesauce, and oatmeal.
How long does it take for vacation bloat to go away? ›
Key points for dealing with feeling bloated after vacation:
Follow for 1-3 days to feel better after eating food that doesn't agree with you. Drink as much water with lemon as you can, don't allow yourself to get thirsty. If you enjoy coffee, go ahead and have it, but omit creamer and artificial sweeteners.
Potassium-rich fruit, especially bananas, watermelons and peaches, can help lower sodium levels, decreasing water retention. Drink more water. Drinking more water to stop retaining water might sound like counterintuitive advice, but it is easier for the body to flush out excess salt and waste when hydrated. Get moving.
How to depuff after vacation? ›
Stay Hydrated
One of the most effective ways to combat bloating is to stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water helps flush out excess sodium, reducing water retention. Aim to consume at least eight glasses of water throughout the day, and consider adding a slice of lemon or cucumber for a refreshing twist.
