Hair loss, without the chaos

Serves 4 to 610 min hands-on35 min total4 days in the fridgefreezes 1 month

You need: 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil · 1 fennel bulb or 2 leeks (green tops only), sliced · 500 g (1 lb) carrots, chopped · 250 g (1¼ cups) red lentils, rinsed · 1 thumb fresh ginger, grated · 1 tsp turmeric · 1.2 L (5 cups) low-salt stock · salt · parsley.

Method: Soften the fennel or leek tops in the oil over low heat for 5 minutes. Add carrot, ginger and turmeric, stir for 1 minute. Add lentils and stock, simmer 25 minutes until the lentils collapse. Blend smooth. Salt to taste, parsley on top.

Why it is here: lentils bring plant iron, carrots bring vitamin A, ginger and turmeric are the anti-inflammatory element that reflux usually tolerates. Boiled lentils run about 3 mg of iron per half cup, so a serving of this is a real contribution rather than a gesture. Freezes well for a month.

Reflux notes: No tomato base and no onion. Fennel or the green tops of leeks give the savory bottom note that onion normally would, and the sweetness comes from carrot rather than from anything acidic. Blending it smooth also makes it easier to tolerate on a bad day than a chunky soup.

Swaps: Vegan as written if the stock is vegetable. Yellow split peas work if red lentils sit badly, though they need about 15 minutes longer. If legumes are a problem for you at all, halve the lentils and add a peeled potato.

Serves 410 min hands-on35 min total3 daysdoes not freeze once cooked

You need: 4 salmon fillets, about 150 g (5 oz) each · 2 large sweet potatoes, cubed · 2 zucchini, sliced thick · 1 tbsp olive oil · 1 tsp dried oregano · salt · big handful spinach · 2 tbsp tahini · 2 tbsp water.

Method: Oven 200 °C (400 °F). Sweet potato on the tray with half the oil and the oregano, 15 minutes. Add zucchini and the salmon on top, remaining oil, 12 to 14 minutes until the salmon flakes. Wilt spinach through the hot veg. Loosen the tahini with water and drizzle.

Why it is here: cooked salmon runs about 22 g of protein per 3 oz, so a 5 oz fillet lands somewhere around 30 g, plus omega-3 and nothing acidic. Tahini instead of a lemon dressing keeps it reflux-safe.

Reflux notes: Tahini stands in for the lemon dressing this dish usually gets. Oil is held to 1 tbsp across four servings on purpose: high fat slows stomach emptying, which is one of the swap table rows most people never think about. Oregano rather than black pepper.

Swaps: Any firm fish works, and frozen fillets are fine cooked from frozen with 5 minutes added. Already dairy-free. For a lower-fat version, skip the tahini and serve with plain yogurt.

Makes 3 jars5 minovernight3 days

Per jar: 50 g (generous ½ cup) rolled oats · 150 ml (⅔ cup) milk or fortified soy · 100 g (scant ½ cup) Greek yogurt or kefir · 1 tbsp chia · 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds · half a banana, sliced · handful blueberries · cinnamon.

Method: Everything but the fruit into a jar, stir, lid on, fridge overnight. Add fruit in the morning. Makes three jars comfortably in one go.

Why it is here: around 20 g of protein at breakfast, which is where most people miss it. On zinc, credit where it is due: the oats are doing most of the work, at about 2.3 mg per cooked cup, against roughly 2.2 mg per whole ounce of pumpkin seeds, and a tablespoon is a third of an ounce. The seeds help; they are not the reason this jar delivers zinc. Banana and blueberry replace the usual citrus. Soy is fine here: the old thyroid worry applies mainly to people already iodine-deficient or on thyroid medication timing, which is a clinician conversation, not a ban.

Reflux notes: No citrus, no chocolate, no coffee. Banana and blueberry are among the gentler fruits here, where orange or apple often are not. Eaten in the morning rather than late, which keeps it away from the large-evening-meal problem.

Swaps: Dairy-free with fortified soy milk and a coconut or soy yogurt, though check the yogurt for added citric acid. Gluten-free with certified gluten-free oats. If chia seeds feel heavy, leave them out and add a spoon more yogurt.

Serves 415 min hands-on45 min total3 dayssauce freezes 1 month

You need: 4 chicken thighs or breasts · 180 g (1 cup) quinoa · 3 red bell peppers · 1 tbsp garlic-infused oil · 1 tsp cumin · 2 tbsp tahini · salt · parsley.

Method: Roast the peppers whole at 200 °C (400 °F) for 30 minutes, then peel and blend with the oil, cumin, tahini and a splash of water into a sauce. Cook the quinoa. Bake or pan-cook the chicken. Bowl it up, sauce over the top, parsley.

Why it is here: this is the tomato-sauce replacement. Roasted red pepper gives you the sweet, savory depth without the acid, and it is a strong vitamin C source, so it helps you absorb the iron in the quinoa.

Reflux notes: This is the tomato-sauce replacement, and it is the single most useful thing in this list if tomato is your trigger. Roasted red pepper gives sweetness and body with none of the acid. No garlic cloves, no black pepper.

Swaps: Tofu or chickpeas make it vegan without changing the sauce. Rice or couscous instead of quinoa if you prefer, though you lose some of the iron. Make a double batch of the sauce, it is the base for the meatballs further down.

Serves 45 min hands-on60 min total3 daysfreezes

You need: 150 g (¾ cup) rice · 1.5 L (6 cups) low-salt stock or water · 1 thumb ginger, sliced · 2 eggs or shredded cooked chicken · scallion greens · sesame oil.

Method: Simmer rice and ginger in the liquid for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring now and then, until it is a loose porridge. Stir in beaten egg at the end or fold through chicken. Top with scallion greens and a few drops of sesame oil.

Why it is here: for flare days when you still need protein but cannot face a plate. Ginger settles, rice is neutral, and you are still eating rather than skipping meals, which matters for hair more than any single food does.

Reflux notes: Built for flare days. Plain rice, ginger and nothing sharp, no pepper, no acid, no fat to speak of. Ginger is the one anti-inflammatory element that reflux almost always tolerates. Small warm portions are gentler than one large bowl.

Swaps: Use water and no egg for the plainest possible version. Shredded chicken adds protein without adding fat if you take the skin off. Leftover rice halves the cooking time.

Serves 13 mineat straight away

Per serving: 1 can of sardines in olive oil, drained · 2 slices sourdough or whole grain · 1 tbsp Greek yogurt · chopped parsley and chives · black pepper only if you tolerate it.

Method: Toast, spread the yogurt, fork the sardines over, herbs on top.

Why it is here: omega-3, calcium from the soft bones, protein and iron for the cost of a can. Canned sardines with the bones in run about 2 mg of iron per 3 oz. On the nights when cooking is not happening, this beats skipping dinner every time.

Reflux notes: Yogurt instead of the usual lemon or vinegar. Black pepper is left optional and flagged, because it is on the trigger list and plenty of people are fine with it. If you are not, leave it out and use dill.

Swaps: Mackerel, salmon or trout all work. Dairy-free with a spoon of tahini or a mashed avocado instead of the yogurt. Sourdough is easier on some stomachs than fresh soft bread.

Serves 415 min hands-on25 min total3 days

You need: 400 g (14 oz) firm tofu, pressed and cubed · 500 g (1 lb) green beans, trimmed · 1 thumb ginger, grated · 2 tbsp garlic-infused oil · 2 tbsp low-salt soy sauce or tamari · 1 tsp sesame oil · 1 tbsp sesame seeds · 300 g (1½ cups) rice · scallion greens.

Method: Rice on. Press the tofu for 10 minutes under something heavy, then cube. Get a wide pan properly hot, add the garlic-infused oil and the tofu, and leave it alone for 4 minutes so it colors before you turn it. Add ginger and beans, 4 to 5 minutes more. Soy sauce in at the end, off the heat, then sesame oil and seeds. Scallion greens on top.

Why it is here: this is the vegan entry that actually carries its weight. Firm tofu is about 21.8 g of protein and 3 mg of iron per half cup, so a 400 g block split four ways lands near 17 g of protein and 2 mg of iron per serving before the rice is counted. Leaving the tofu undisturbed is the whole technique: moving it early is why home tofu turns to scramble. No chili, no rice vinegar, no citrus.

Reflux notes: No rice vinegar, no chili oil, no raw garlic, which is what a stir-fry normally leans on. Ginger and sesame carry it instead. Soy sauce goes in off the heat so you can use less of it.

Swaps: Tamari keeps it gluten-free. Coconut aminos are lower in salt if that matters. Broccoli, bok choy or snap peas all swap in for the green beans. Firm tofu only, silken will collapse.

Serves 410 min hands-on35 min total4 daysfreezes

You need: 2 × 400 g cans (two 15 oz cans) black beans, drained and rinsed · 2 large sweet potatoes, cubed · 1 tsp cumin · 1 tsp smoked paprika (sweet, not hot) · 2 tbsp olive oil · 3 tbsp tahini · 3 tbsp water · salt · big handful spinach · parsley.

Method: Oven 200 °C (400 °F). Sweet potato with the oil, cumin and paprika, 25 to 30 minutes. Warm the beans through in a pan with a splash of their liquid. Loosen the tahini with water and a pinch of salt into a pourable dressing. Wilt the spinach through the hot beans. Bowl it up, dressing over, parsley.

Why it is here: cooked black beans are about 15.1 g of protein per cup, so two cans split four ways is roughly 10 g a serving from the beans alone, plus plant iron. Smoked paprika gives the depth chili would, without the burn. If beans are a problem for you, rinse them hard and start with a smaller portion rather than writing them off.

Reflux notes: Sweet smoked paprika does what chili would, giving warmth and depth with no capsaicin. Nothing acidic in the dressing, which is where lime juice usually goes in this dish.

Swaps: Rinse canned beans hard, it removes some of what makes them uncomfortable. If beans are a real problem, use lentils, which many people find easier. Vegan and gluten-free as written.

Serves 415 min hands-on40 min total4 daysfreezes in slices

You need: 8 eggs · 400 g (14 oz) baby potatoes, boiled and halved · 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas · 2 big handfuls spinach · 4 tbsp milk · 1 tbsp garlic-infused oil · salt · dill or chives.

Method: Oven 180 °C (350 °F). Line a small roasting tray. Wilt the spinach, squeeze out the water properly, and chop. Beat the eggs with the milk and salt. Scatter potatoes, peas and spinach in the tray, pour the egg over, herbs on top. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until set in the middle. Cools, slices, keeps four days.

Why it is here: this is the answer to the protein gap being at breakfast. At 6.3 g per large egg, a quarter of the tray is about 13 g from the eggs before anything else is counted, and it is eaten cold from the fridge with one hand. Squeezing the spinach dry is not fussiness: skip it and you get a wet frittata.

Reflux notes: No onion, no pepper, no cheese, which is where most frittatas pick up both fat and triggers. Herbs do the work. Eaten cold from the fridge in the morning, which is exactly when a protein gap usually sits.

Swaps: Add feta if you tolerate dairy and want it richer, at the cost of some salt. Swap peas for asparagus or zucchini. Not vegan, and there is no honest egg substitute for this one.

Serves 420 min hands-on50 min total3 daysfreezes cooked or raw

You need: 500 g (1 lb) ground turkey or chicken · 1 egg · 3 tbsp breadcrumbs · 1 tsp dried oregano · salt · 1 tbsp garlic-infused oil. Sauce: 3 red bell peppers · 1 tbsp olive oil · 1 tsp cumin · 1 tbsp tahini · splash of water.

Method: Roast the peppers whole at 200 °C (400 °F) for 30 minutes, then let them steam in a covered bowl for 10, peel, and blend with the oil, cumin, tahini and water. Mix the meat with egg, breadcrumbs, oregano and salt, roll into about 20 balls, and bake at 200 °C (400 °F) for 18 to 20 minutes. Fold through the warm sauce.

Why it is here: the classic comfort dinner is meatballs in tomato sauce, which is off the table here. This is the same meal with the acid removed. Roasted red pepper gives the sweetness and body that tomato would, and it is a strong vitamin C source, which is the pairing that helps you absorb plant iron elsewhere in the day. Freezes well, cooked or raw.

Reflux notes: The classic version of this dinner is meatballs in tomato sauce, which is off the table. Baked rather than fried, which keeps the fat down and matches the swap table row about fried food. No garlic, no chili flakes.

Swaps: Chicken, pork or a lentil and oat mix all work. Gluten-free with GF breadcrumbs or ground oats. Serve with pasta, rice or the crushed potatoes from the cod recipe.

Serves 15 mineat straight away

Per serving: 1 can of mackerel or salmon in olive oil, drained · 1 cup cooked rice, warm or cold · ½ cucumber, diced · 2 tbsp Greek yogurt · 1 tbsp chopped dill · scallion greens · 1 tsp sesame seeds.

Method: Rice in the bowl. Fork the fish over it in big pieces. Cucumber, then yogurt loosened with a spoon of water, then dill, scallion and sesame. No cooking beyond the rice, which is why it exists.

Why it is here: the batch-cooking plan assumes a good Sunday, and some weeks do not have one. This is built entirely from a can, leftover rice and one vegetable, and still gets omega-3 and a real amount of protein into you. Yogurt instead of a lemon or vinegar dressing keeps it reflux-safe.

Reflux notes: Yogurt loosened with water replaces the lemon or vinegar dressing this bowl usually gets. Cucumber and dill are about as gentle as vegetables get. Nothing is cooked, so nothing gets fried.

Swaps: Any canned oily fish. Dairy-free with tahini instead of yogurt. Cold leftover rice is the point, but quinoa or potatoes work if that is what is in the fridge.

Serves 12 min2 days

Per pot: 170 g (6 oz) plain Greek yogurt · 1 ripe pear, diced · 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds · 1 tsp chia · cinnamon · optional 1 tsp maple syrup.

Method: Layer it in a jar. That is the recipe.

Why it is here: a snack that is not a cookie and not a supplement. Plain Greek yogurt is about 1.0 mg of zinc per 6 oz, and pear is one of the gentler fruits for reflux where apple and citrus often are not. Use plain and add your own sweetness: flavored yogurts carry a surprising amount of sugar and, in some brands, citric acid.

Reflux notes: Pear is one of the gentler fruits for reflux where apple and citrus often are not. Plain yogurt rather than flavored: flavored yogurts carry a surprising amount of sugar and, in several brands, added citric acid.

Swaps: Dairy-free with coconut or soy yogurt, checking the label for citric acid. Melon or banana instead of pear. Leave out the maple syrup entirely if you are cutting added sugar.

Serves 415 min hands-on35 min total2 daysdoes not freeze cooked

You need: 4 cod or haddock fillets, about 150 g (5 oz) each · 800 g (1¾ lb) baby potatoes · 4 tbsp breadcrumbs · 2 tbsp chopped parsley and dill · 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil · zest-free, salt · 2 tbsp plain yogurt · handful spinach.

Method: Oven 200 °C (400 °F). Boil the potatoes 18 to 20 minutes until a knife slides in. Mix breadcrumbs, herbs, oil and a little salt. Put the fish on a lined tray, spread a thin layer of yogurt on each fillet so the crumb sticks, press the crumb on, and bake 12 to 15 minutes until it flakes. Crush the potatoes roughly with a fork and a spoon of their water, fold the spinach through while hot.

Why it is here: White fish is the mildest protein on this page: very low fat, no strong flavors to mask, and about 25 to 30 g of protein a fillet. It is the one to reach for when your stomach is unhappy but you still need a proper meal rather than congee.

Reflux notes: This dish normally arrives with lemon on top, and that is exactly what is left out. The yogurt does the same job of cutting the richness without the acid. Baked rather than pan-fried in butter, which keeps the fat low.

Swaps: Any white fish, including frozen fillets cooked from frozen with 5 minutes added. Gluten-free with GF breadcrumbs or ground oats. Dairy-free by using a thin smear of tahini instead of the yogurt to hold the crumb.

Serves 615 min hands-on50 min total4 daysfreezes 3 months

You need: 6 chicken thighs, skin off · 1 fennel bulb, diced · 3 carrots, diced · 2 celery sticks, diced · 150 g (¾ cup) rice · 2 L (8 cups) low-salt chicken stock · 1 tsp dried oregano · 1 bay leaf · 1 thumb ginger, sliced · salt · big handful parsley.

Method: Soften fennel, carrot and celery in a large pot with a little oil, 8 minutes, without letting them color. Add stock, chicken, oregano, bay and ginger. Simmer 25 minutes. Lift the chicken out, shred it, return it with the rice, and simmer 15 minutes more until the rice is soft. Salt at the end. Parsley in the bowl.

Why it is here: The single most useful thing to have in a freezer while you are dealing with all this. It is a complete meal, it reheats without degrading, and it needs no decisions on a bad evening. Six portions from one pot is roughly the cost of two takeaway coffees.

Reflux notes: Onion, garlic and pepper are what this soup usually starts with, and all three are out. Fennel and celery build the same savory base. Ginger and bay carry the aroma. Skin off the chicken keeps the fat down, which matters if lying down after dinner is when your symptoms arrive.

Swaps: Turkey, or chickpeas plus vegetable stock for a vegan version. Barley or small pasta instead of rice, though rice is the gentlest. Freeze in single portions and add a splash of water when reheating, because the rice keeps drinking.

Serves 410 min hands-on30 min total4 daysfreezes 1 month

You need: 300 g (1½ cups) red lentils, rinsed · 1 L (4 cups) water or light vegetable stock · 1 thumb ginger, grated · 2 tsp turmeric · 2 tsp ground cumin · 1 tsp ground coriander · 2 tbsp garlic-infused oil · 200 g (7 oz) spinach · salt · plain yogurt to serve · cilantro.

Method: Lentils, water, ginger and turmeric into a pot, bring up, then simmer 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until it collapses into a soft porridge. In a small pan warm the garlic-infused oil with the cumin and ground coriander for 30 seconds until it smells like something, then stir the lot through the dal. Wilt the spinach in at the end. Salt, yogurt on top.

Why it is here: This is the anti-inflammatory showcase of the list, and it is also one of the cheapest things you can cook. Lentils are about 3 mg of iron per half cup and spinach adds the same again, while turmeric and ginger are the two spices reflux usually tolerates. The yogurt on top is not decoration: pairing plant iron with a meal you actually finish is the point.

Reflux notes: A dal normally opens with fried onion, garlic, green chili and mustard seeds popping in ghee. Every one of those is a trigger. The tempering here uses garlic-infused oil, cumin and ground coriander instead, which gets most of the aroma with none of the burn. No tomato, which many recipes add.

Swaps: Vegan by leaving off the yogurt or using a coconut one. Yellow split peas or moong dal both work with longer cooking. If you want it richer, stir in 100 ml (scant ½ cup) of light coconut milk at the end rather than adding more oil.

Makes 820 min hands-on40 min total3 daysfreezes raw

You need: 2 cans (about 400 g total) salmon or mackerel, drained · 500 g (1 lb) potatoes, boiled and mashed · 1 egg · 3 tbsp chopped dill and chives · 4 tbsp breadcrumbs · 1 tbsp garlic-infused oil · salt · plain yogurt to serve.

Method: Mash the potato and let it cool, or the mixture goes sloppy. Fold in the fish, egg, herbs and half the breadcrumbs, and season. Shape into 8 cakes, press the rest of the crumbs onto the outsides, and chill 15 minutes if you have the patience. Bake at 200 °C (400 °F) for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once, until golden.

Why it is here: Canned fish is the cheapest omega-3 there is, and canned salmon with the bones mashed in carries calcium as well. Two cans and a bag of potatoes makes eight cakes, which is several meals for a few pounds or dollars. Baked, not fried.

Reflux notes: Fishcakes are usually shallow-fried and served with lemon or tartare sauce, and all of that is out. Baking keeps the fat well down, and plain yogurt with dill replaces the acid. No pepper in the mix.

Swaps: Gluten-free with GF breadcrumbs or ground oats. Sweet potato works but makes a softer cake, so add an extra spoon of crumbs. Freeze raw on a tray, then bag them, and bake from frozen with 10 minutes added.

Makes 8 small10 min15 min totalbest freshfreezes cooked

You need: 2 ripe bananas · 2 eggs · 100 g (1 cup) rolled oats · 150 ml (⅔ cup) milk or fortified soy · 1 tsp baking powder · ½ tsp cinnamon · pinch salt · a little oil for the pan · plain yogurt and blueberries to serve.

Method: Blitz everything except the oil and toppings in a blender until smooth, or mash the banana very well and whisk it in by hand. Let the batter sit 5 minutes so the oats swell. Cook in a barely oiled non-stick pan over medium-low heat, about 2 minutes a side, until bubbles set on top. Low heat matters, banana catches quickly.

Why it is here: Breakfast is where the protein gap usually sits, and it is also the meal people are least willing to change. This is close enough to a treat that it gets eaten, while carrying two eggs and a cup of oats. Oats bring about 2.3 mg of zinc per cooked cup.

Reflux notes: No chocolate, no coffee alongside, no citrus or berry compote with lemon in it. Banana is one of the gentler fruits here. Cooked in barely any oil, because a stack of pancakes fried in butter is a classic reflux evening even at breakfast.

Swaps: Certified gluten-free oats make it gluten-free. Dairy-free with fortified soy and coconut yogurt. Add a scoop of plain protein powder and a splash more milk if you want it heavier. Freeze between sheets of baking paper and toast from frozen.

Serves 410 min hands-on50 min total3 daysfreezes shredded

You need: 8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on or off · 2 fennel bulbs, cut into wedges · 4 carrots, in batons · 400 g (14 oz) baby potatoes, halved · 2 tbsp olive oil · 1 tbsp dried oregano · 1 tsp fennel seeds · salt · parsley.

Method: Oven 200 °C (400 °F). Toss the vegetables with the oil, oregano, fennel seeds and salt in a big roasting tray, in one layer, and put the chicken on top so the fat bastes them. Roast 45 to 50 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the fennel edges have caught. Rest 5 minutes, parsley over.

Why it is here: This is the batch cook that does not feel like batch cooking. One tray, no technique, and the leftovers are the starting point for the rice bowl and the soup above. Roasting fennel until the edges catch gives you a sweet, savory depth that people usually reach for onion and garlic to get.

Reflux notes: No garlic cloves, no lemon halves in the tray, no pepper. Two tablespoons of oil across four servings is deliberate; a tray roast is an easy place to pour in far more fat than you notice. Take the skin off if lying down after dinner is when symptoms come.

Swaps: Chicken breast works but dries out, so drop to 30 minutes. Vegan with two cans of drained chickpeas added for the last 20 minutes. Any root vegetable, though beets will dye everything.

Serves 415 min hands-on40 min total4 daysfreezes 1 month

You need: 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed · 2 cans chickpeas, drained · 400 ml (14 oz can) light coconut milk · 300 ml (1¼ cups) vegetable stock · 1 thumb ginger, grated · 2 tsp turmeric · 2 tsp ground coriander · 1 tsp ground cumin · 2 tbsp garlic-infused oil · 100 g (3½ oz) spinach · salt · cilantro · rice to serve.

Method: Warm the garlic-infused oil, add ginger and the ground spices, and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add squash and stock, simmer covered 20 minutes until the squash gives. Add chickpeas and coconut milk, simmer 10 minutes uncovered so it thickens. Spinach in at the end, salt to taste.

Why it is here: A curry that is genuinely anti-inflammatory rather than just claiming to be: turmeric, ginger, squash and greens, with chickpeas for plant protein and iron. It also freezes better than almost anything else here, so it is worth doubling.

Reflux notes: Curry is usually the single worst category for reflux, because it runs on chili, fried onion, garlic and tomato. All four are gone. The warmth here comes from ginger and ground spice bloomed in oil, and light coconut milk is used rather than full fat, because high fat is its own trigger.

Swaps: Any squash or sweet potato. Lentils instead of chickpeas if legumes are easier that way. Add tofu for more protein. If coconut does not agree with you, use stock and finish with a spoon of tahini.

Serves 415 min hands-on45 min total3 days

You need: 250 g (1¼ cups) pearl barley · 1 L (4 cups) vegetable or chicken stock · 1 fennel bulb, finely diced · 200 g (1½ cups) frozen peas · 2 big handfuls greens, chopped · 2 tbsp garlic-infused oil · salt. Gremolata: big bunch parsley, chopped · 1 tbsp chives · 1 tbsp olive oil · 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed.

Method: Soften the fennel in the oil for 6 minutes. Add barley, stir for a minute, then add the stock a ladle at a time as it absorbs, the way you would a risotto, about 30 to 35 minutes until the grains are tender but still have bite. Peas and greens in for the last 5 minutes. Mix the gremolata ingredients and spoon it over at the table.

Why it is here: Whole grains are the part of anti-inflammatory eating most people skip, because the recipes are dull. Barley is chewy, filling and cheap, and it is a decent zinc source in the same family as oats. The gremolata goes on at the end so the herbs stay bright.

Reflux notes: Gremolata is traditionally parsley, garlic and lemon zest. Both of the triggers are gone and crushed fennel seed replaces the lift the zest gave. No parmesan, which is where a barley risotto usually picks up salt and fat.

Swaps: Not gluten-free: barley contains gluten. Use brown rice, buckwheat or quinoa instead, with the cooking time adjusted. Vegan with vegetable stock. Add shredded leftover chicken from the tray roast for protein.

Serves 410 min hands-on30 min total4 daysfreezes 1 month

You need: 2 heads broccoli, florets and peeled stalks · 2 cans (about 480 g drained) cannellini or butter beans · 1 fennel bulb, diced · 1 L (4 cups) vegetable stock · 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil · 1 tsp dried thyme · salt · 2 tbsp tahini · parsley.

Method: Soften the fennel in the oil for 8 minutes without letting it take color. Add broccoli, thyme and stock, simmer 12 minutes until the stalks give. Add the beans, warm through 3 minutes, then blend with the tahini until completely smooth. Salt at the end, parsley on top.

Why it is here: A green soup that is not just water and guilt. The beans take it from a starter to a meal, adding plant protein and iron, and tahini gives it body without cream. Peeling and using the stalks nearly doubles what you get from a head of broccoli.

Reflux notes: Green soups usually get finished with lemon juice or crème fraîche and a grind of black pepper. Tahini does the enriching instead, and thyme carries the flavor. Fennel replaces the onion base. Nothing here is acidic.

Swaps: Any white bean, or red lentils cooked in with the broccoli. Leeks (green tops) instead of fennel. Add shredded chicken for more protein. Dairy-free and gluten-free as written.

Serves 620 min hands-on3 hr total4 daysfreezes 3 months

You need: 600 g (1⅓ lb) stewing beef, trimmed and cubed · 3 carrots · 2 parsnips · 1 small swede or turnip · 1 fennel bulb · 400 g (14 oz) potatoes · 1 L (4 cups) beef or vegetable stock · 2 tbsp garlic-infused oil · 1 tbsp dried thyme · 2 bay leaves · 1 tbsp plain flour · salt · parsley.

Method: Pat the beef dry, toss in the flour, and brown it in batches in a heavy pot. Do not crowd it. Lift it out, soften the fennel for 5 minutes, return the beef with stock, thyme and bay. Lid on, lowest heat or a 150 °C (300 °F) oven, 2 hours. Add the root vegetables, cook 45 minutes more until everything yields to a spoon. Salt at the end, parsley over.

Why it is here: This is here for one specific reason: heme iron. Iron from meat is absorbed at roughly 14 to 18% from a mixed diet, against 5 to 12% from a vegetarian one, so a modest portion of beef does more for low iron than a much larger plate of plants. If your ferritin is low and you are not vegetarian, this is the most efficient food answer on the page.

Reflux notes: Stews normally start with fried onion and garlic and often include red wine or tomato paste. All are out. Browning the meat properly gives the depth those would have. Cooked low and slow so the fat renders out, and served as a modest portion rather than a huge one, because volume matters as much as content for evening reflux.

Swaps: Lamb or venison work the same way. For a vegetarian version use lentils and mushrooms, but be honest that you lose the heme iron, which is the entire point of this one. Gluten-free by using cornstarch instead of flour.

Serves 410 min hands-on20 min total2 daysdoes not freeze

You need: 350 g (12 oz) pasta · 1 can (about 240 g drained) cannellini beans · 200 g (7 oz) spinach · 3 tbsp tahini · 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil · 1 big bunch parsley and chives, chopped · 2 tbsp plain yogurt · salt · 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds.

Method: Cook the pasta, keeping a mug of the water back before you drain. While it cooks, whisk the tahini, yogurt, oil and a few spoons of the pasta water into a loose, pourable sauce, then stir in the herbs. Warm the beans and wilt the spinach in the empty pasta pot. Return the pasta, pour the sauce over off the heat, and loosen with more pasta water until it coats. Seeds on top.

Why it is here: Pasta is the meal people miss most when tomato is off the table, and its absence is a common reason these diets get abandoned. This is a real weeknight pasta with none of it. The beans add about 15 g of protein per cup, which turns a side dish into dinner.

Reflux notes: Every default pasta sauce is a trigger: tomato, garlic, chili flakes, or a heavy cream and cheese sauce. This uses none of them. Sauce goes on off the heat so the yogurt does not split, and there is no lemon, which is where a herb sauce usually gets its lift. Herbs and toasted seeds carry it instead.

Swaps: Gluten-free pasta works, but sauce it immediately, it stiffens as it cools. Dairy-free by using all tahini and no yogurt. Add shredded chicken or a can of tuna. Any soft green: chard, kale (cooked longer), or frozen peas.

Serves 610 min hands-on45 min total5 daysfreezes in squares

You need: 250 g (2½ cups) rolled oats · 500 ml (2 cups) milk or fortified soy · 2 eggs · 2 ripe pears, diced · 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds · 2 tbsp maple syrup · 1 tsp cinnamon · 1 tsp baking powder · pinch salt · plain yogurt to serve.

Method: Oven 180 °C (350 °F). Mix oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Whisk milk, eggs and maple syrup, pour in, stir, then fold through most of the pear. Tip into a lined tray, scatter the rest of the pear and the seeds on top, and bake 35 to 40 minutes until set and browning at the edges. Cool before cutting into 6 squares.

Why it is here: The overnight oats jar solves one breakfast. This solves five, in one tray, and it keeps better. Oats are one of the better everyday zinc sources at about 2.3 mg per cooked cup, and the eggs turn it from a carb into a meal. Eaten warm or cold, with yogurt for the protein it is missing.

Reflux notes: No chocolate, no dried fruit soaked in citrus, no coffee alongside. Pear is among the gentler fruits, where apple often is not. Modest maple syrup rather than a sugary granola topping, since large sugary breakfasts sit badly for some people.

Swaps: Certified gluten-free oats for a gluten-free version. Dairy-free with fortified soy and a coconut yogurt. Banana or blueberry instead of pear. Leave the maple out entirely, ripe pear is sweet enough.

Serves 25 min hands-on10 min totaleat straight away

You need: 4 eggs · 250 g (1 cup) thick plain yogurt · 1 tbsp chopped dill · 1 tbsp chopped chives · 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil · ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika · pinch salt · flatbread or toast to serve.

Method: Take the yogurt out of the fridge first, cold yogurt under hot eggs is unpleasant. Stir the herbs and a pinch of salt through it and spread it over two plates. Poach or soft-boil the eggs, 6 minutes from boiling for a set white and soft yolk. Warm the oil gently with the paprika for 20 seconds, no more, or it burns. Eggs on the yogurt, spiced oil spooned over, bread alongside.

Why it is here: About 13 g of protein from the eggs plus roughly the same again from the yogurt, in ten minutes, with no cooking skill required. This is the dinner for evenings when you have nothing planned and would otherwise eat toast.

Reflux notes: The classic version is built on raw crushed garlic in the yogurt and hot Aleppo pepper or chili butter on top. Both are gone: garlic-infused oil and sweet smoked paprika give the same effect. Keeping the oil warm rather than hot matters, scorched fat is harsh on an irritated throat.

Swaps: Dairy-free with a thick coconut yogurt, though it will be sweeter. Gluten-free with GF bread or serve on rice. Add spinach wilted underneath. Scrambled eggs work if poaching feels like too much.

Serves 410 min hands-on35 min total3 days

You need: 4 ripe pears, halved and cored · 60 g (⅔ cup) rolled oats · 2 tbsp chopped walnuts · 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds · 2 tbsp maple syrup · 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter · 1 tsp cinnamon · plain Greek yogurt to serve.

Method: Oven 180 °C (350 °F). Sit the pear halves cut side up in a dish. Mix oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon, oil and half the maple into a rough crumble and pile it into and over the pears. Trickle the rest of the maple over. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until the pears are soft to a knife and the top is toasted. Yogurt on the side, not on top, or it melts.

Why it is here: There is a dessert on this page on purpose. Diets that leave nothing to look forward to get abandoned, and abandonment is the actual failure mode this whole section is about. This one happens to carry oats, walnuts and seeds, so it is doing something rather than nothing.

Reflux notes: Dessert is where reflux usually gets ambushed: chocolate, citrus, cream, mint, coffee to finish. None of them are here. Pear is one of the gentlest fruits, oats are neutral, and the fat is a tablespoon across four servings. Eat it as a small pudding rather than late at night on a full stomach, which is the row in the swap table people forget.

Swaps: Dairy-free with coconut yogurt. Gluten-free with certified GF oats. Any nut, or leave nuts out entirely. Baked apples work for people who tolerate apple, though many with reflux do not.