These 10 Foods Are Maybe Not So Great to Eat After Getting Lit (2024)

If you drunk-eat dressing-free salads, you can kindly see yourself out of this story. If not, let’s talk.

The drunk foods we love usually contain grease or are highly acidic, and even though that makes them amazing, it also makes them your stomach’s mortal enemies after you’ve been drinking. That’s especially true if you have any kind of stomach issues or acid reflux, explains Ryan Andrews, principal nutritionist at Precision Nutrition.

Stomach sensitivity aside, it’s also worth noting that no single nutritional choice is going to “save” you from a hangover, Andrews points out. Sad. But if you want to feel better in the long run, you can make more balanced, nutrient-rich midnight snack choices.

One quick thing: Whatever you eat or don’t eat, don’t judge yourself for it. Food isn’t good or bad, it’s just food, k?

Here, some of the stuff that can eff with your stomach after a night out.

1. Burgers

If you have a craving for a burger and beers, go with a lentil or plant-based burger instead, Andrews suggests. A burger made with protein-packed lentils is more nutrient-dense, which is important since alcohol makes it harder for your body to absorb nutrients, explains Andrews.

2. A bacon, egg, and cheese

Bacon and cheese are not the best for your stomach post-drinking, especially if you do have any kind of acid reflux.

If you’re not too tipsy to cook, make yourself some scrambled eggs instead (throw in some whole-grain toast to get some fiber in your system). Eggs alone are a much more nutrient-dense and filling source of protein than a sandwich, Andrews says.

3. Dairy

If you’re regularly throwing back shots, you may irritate the lining of your stomach. In that case, it’s best to focus on a diet that minimizes other gut issues like dairy. If you’re even a little bit lactose intolerant, alcohol + dairy can make you feel awful.

4. Red sauce

Drinking loosens up the muscles that keep your food and digestive juices in your stomach, and the acidic tomatoes in marinara sauce (and salsa and hot sauce) can provoke GERD, acid reflux, and heartburn, says George Koob, PhD, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for the National Institutes of Health. That’s a big problem when you eat them before lying down, since gravity stops helping you keep your food down. White pizza is actually a better option.

5. Chocolate

The caffeine and cocoa in chocolate join forces to aggravate the same gastro issues triggered by other acidic foods. If you’re a tipsy sweets eater, choose something a little more more bland.

6. Pretzels

If the only food in arm’s reach is salty, go for it, but make a point to wash it down with copious amounts of water. It’s best to do that anyway while drinking so you’re not as hungover tomorrow.

7. Fries

Fried foods contain lots of salt that can further dehydrate you, says Keri Glassman, a registered dietitian based in New York City. So if you’re ordering them, you’ll need more H2O.

8. Oranges

The acid in oranges and other citrus fruits can instigate digestive issues. But reaching for some produce after drinking isn’t that bad of an idea (it has lots of water that can help hydrate you plus fiber to fill you up). Instead, try a banana: They’re high in potassium, so they can undo some of alcohol’s dehydrating effects, Glassman says.

9. Candy

Like salty snacks, super-sweet foods can also make you want to drink more—and you’re more likely to reach for alcohol than water, Glassman says. You’re not really filling yourself up with anything besides sugar either, so you’ll likely still feel hungry after eating candy.

10. Hot sauce

Spicy food and alcohol are not a feel-good combination. Those same spicy foods that upset your stomach when you’re sober will really mess with your system when you’re drunk, Koob says. Keep your post-game snacks on the mild side and you won’t need to pop a Tums along with the Advil for your head.