Never trust a fart, especially after a Thanksgiving meal! Here's 20 dishes you should avoid (if you can)

There’s many Thanksgiving side Dishes that will make you gassy. And I don’t want you gassy, especially if you’re celebrating the holiday around a new crush or spouse. That would be really embarrassing for you and everyone around you.

Imagine this: Thanksgiving dinner is finished. The dishes have been washed, the food stored, and you settle in for a much-needed Thanksgiving nap on the couch. Maybe football is on TV. Or maybe you’ve chosen a re-run of your favorite show. No matter what you’ve selected on TV, you’re now knee-deep in the battle with the food baby caused by large portion sizes and bloating.

Man taking a quick nap on the couch with his mouth open

Almost everyone experiences a food coma after a Thanksgiving meal. But let’s hope you don’t get gassy!

Then it hits. Fluctuance. It’s expected from that uncle who has been taking a nap in that same recliner for 55 years but not from you. But don’t worry, it happens to everyone. I’m here to tell you that it’s not you. You can blame your stinky gas on the food that was put on the table.

Between the overeating, water retention, and gas-inducing bloat, that food baby is borderline dangerous. Lets be honest, you’re not going to avoid the delicious food on the table, but you can strategize. By being mindful of these potential culprits, you can enjoy your Thanksgiving feast without feeling toxic afterward. It’s all about balance and moderation, ensuring that your holiday meal is a source of joy rather than post-feast discomfort. So, go ahead and indulge, but remember to strategize and choose wisely to savor the holiday without suffering from the food baby blues.

Here is a list of the top items making your tummy feel toxic on Thanksgiving and a few other year-round culprits!

20 Thanksgiving Dishes That Will Cause Gas

Mashed Potatoes
What is the purpose of Thanksgiving if the mashed potatoes aren’t fluffy? All of the added cream and cheese that go into the perfect mashed potatoes are a leading culprit.

(Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
Turkey
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Its nearly impossible to avoid the turkey on Thanksgiving, but you can chose the wrong bird. Many turkeys are injected with sodium. Try to avoid a sodium heavy bird to decrease water retention and bloating!
Green Bean Casserole
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Green Bean Casserole is a classic. The family recipe has passed down from one great-aunt to another. Now it’s causing gas and bloating across multiple generations of the family. Perhaps it’s time to let the recipe pass on.
Rolls
Okay, no dinner rolls on Thanksgiving just feels wrong. But the gluten in refined carbs can cause you to bloat up while those carbs will increase your water retention. Best advice: limit the quantity, especially if you are going to eat a bread based stuffing.

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Butter
Who doesn’t love butter on their rolls? 65% of the world’s population is unable to breakdown lactose, the sugar found in milk. Lactose intolerance could elevate your post dinner naps from gas and bloating to cramping and diarrhea. You won’t be thankful then.
Cooked Carrots
(Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images)

Cooked carrots with a brown sugar glaze are the growing jewel of any good Thanksgiving meal. Warm, sweet, and you can convince yourself they are a healthy snack. However, that combination can be bombastic for your stomach. Take your foot off the gas and find another “healthy” addition to your meal.
Stuffing
Where to begin? Stuffing contains refined carbs and gluten from the bread, high levels of sodium from the adds on like sausage and bacon, fruits and veggies which cause bloating, and other veggies such as brussels sprouts and fruits such as apples that can cause gas.
Gravy
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That gravy boat, the USS Water Retention, is more like an endless pit of sodium.
Pie

The perfect end to Thanksgiving is pie. However, it all comes back to lactose and sweeteners (which you’ll read about soon!).
Carbonated Beverages
Soda, Beer, Champagne, and other carbonated beverages cause gas to get trapped in your stomach. Fizz Free is fluctuance free.
Brussel Sprouts

Sure, you want to be healthy, but you also want to be able to digest your food. Brussel sprouts are notorious for causing gas and bloating due to their difficulty to be digested.
Broccoli
NETANYA, ISRAEL – FEBRUARY 22: Freshly harvested broccoli are on sale in the local produce market February 22, 2006 in Netanya in central Israel. Fresh locally-grown vegetables, a source of antioxidants according to the American Heart Association, feature regularly in meals in Mediterranean countries. The Mediterranean diet, a term used to broadly describe the eating habits of the people of the region, is widely believed to be responsible for the low rates of chronic heart disease in the populations of the 16 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. (Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images)

Every plate needs some color, but broccoli, a member of cruciferous vegetable family, is likely to make you toxic during that nap.
Garlic
(Getty Images/Iurii Bukhta)
Garlic is good at repelling vampires and family members who want to sit too close. For some, garlic is likely to cause bloating, belching, and gas.
Beans
Beans are a classic bloat inducing, gas causing food! While not a traditional Thanksgiving food, these are a prime culprit to cause bloat and gas.
Onions
Onions are one of the most commonly used foods despite their bloat causing nature. Did you know onions can ferment in your small intense due to the bacteria in the gut?
Sugar Alcohols
Sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol are commonly used sweaters found in sugar free food, especially gum. These sugar alcohols can’t be digested by the human body and undergo fermentation in the large intestine. Too many sugar alcohols and not only will you be bloated, but you’ll also have diarrhea.
Canned Cooked Products
SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 11: Canned goods are displayed at a Safeway store on April 11, 2022 in San Anselmo, California. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, all food prices are expected to surge by nearly 5% as prices are already at decades highs. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Canned cooked foods are known for their high levels of sodium! Too much sodium inhibits the kidney’s from clearing it out and increases your water retention and your bloating. Instead of eating them, maybe you should just can it!
Dried fruits, nuts, and protein bars
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 09: A general view of atmosphere at the Quest Nutrition “Beyond The Bar” Protein Powder Release Celebration at Smogshoppe on November 9, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Quest)

Does your purse have a nut bar in it that’s been there for a few years? Well, best to leave it there. For those with any level of fructose intolerance, these bars are going to lead to bloating.
Button Mushrooms
Button Mushrooms are common in SO many recipes. Button mushrooms contain sugar alcohols which cannot be digested by the body. Instead of being digested, they ferment in the small intestine. With the amount of food that ferments, it’s starting to sound like our bodies are actually producing mead… which also causes bloating.
Dairy Alternatives
SAN RAFAEL, CA – JULY 07: Containers of Silk soy mik are displayed on a shelf at United Market on July 7, 2016 in San Rafael, California. French food product corporation Danone has announced that it has purchased Denver, Colorado based organic foods producer WhiteWave Foods for $10.4 billion. WhiteWave produces several popular brands including Silk soy and almond milks, Horizon organic milk and Earthbound Farm organic salads. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Lactose intolerant? Not to worry, your dairy alternative is going to cause bloating and gas anyways. Dairy alternatives use carrageenan, which is an extract from red to purple seaweed to thicken as well as emulsify soy and almond milk.