Many of the foods in the American diet can lead to constipation. According to Gerard Isenberg, MD, the associate chief of gastroenterology at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in Ohio, the key similarity among foods that make you constipated is their lack of fiber. "It is unusual for any one specific food to cause constipation," he says. "What is important in the diet is fiber.”
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends 25 grams (g) of fiber for women and 38 g of fiber for men per day.
“Most Americans get only half this amount," Dr. Isenberg says.
You can find constipation relief by learning what foods make you constipated and replacing them with high-fiber choices that work to prevent it.
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7 Best Foods to Help Relieve Constipation
Discover the top 7 foods that can help prevent constipation and improve your digestive health.
1. Dairy Products
Cheese, ice cream, and other dairy products have high calcium content, which carries high-binding properties and may lead to constipation in some people, says Christine Lee, MD, a gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic. “Dairy also lacks fiber, which potentiates its constipating power,” she says.
People with lactose intolerance are especially prone to experiencing diarrhea, gas and bloating, which, apart from being uncomfortable, are generally harmless.
Toddlers and children may also be especially sensitive to dairy, says Kelly Kennedy, RDN, a contributor to Everyday Health.
Kennedy also notes that, “on the opposite end of the spectrum, fermented dairy products such as yogurt or kefir can improve gut health and may decrease the likelihood of constipation.”
These types of fermented dairy products contain probiotics, or live microbes that can have a beneficial effect on our health, and on gut health in particular. Probiotics can help your body break down and absorb food more effectively, and many people take probiotics in some form to relieve constipation. You can find them in food or in supplements, and there are benefits to both.
2. Red Meat
Red meat is high in protein and often contains more fat than other types of meat, which can take a longer time to digest. “Additionally, red meat is devoid of fiber, the most important nutrient when it comes to constipation,” Kennedy says. “Eating red meat may take the place of a higher-fiber option such as legumes, further worsening constipation.”
Instead of adding more foods that cause constipation to your meal, make sure that your steak comes with plenty of fiber-rich foods, like a baked potato (with the skin) and a large salad for constipation relief.
According to the National Institutes of Health, similar to red meat, eggs, and chicken skin can also contribute to constipation, and for the same reason: their high protein content and lack of fiber.
3. Fried Foods
Greasy, fried foods, such as french fries, doughnuts, onion rings, and even heavily breaded foods like fish and poultry, take longer to digest than healthier options. “As a result, they can slow things down in your digestive tract, the exact opposite of what you want if you’re feeling constipated,” Kennedy says. Arielle Leben, RD, a registered dietitian at NYU Langone’s inflammatory bowel disease center, notes that in some people, greasy, fried foods will trigger more urgent, looser bowel movements. “For others who are eating fried, greasy foods in place of dietary fiber sources like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, it may lead to constipation due to inadequate fiber intake,” she says. “A fast-food meal typically consists of a protein and carbohydrate (burger and fries), which are not good sources of dietary fiber.”
Fried and processed foods may also be high in salt, which has also been linked with constipation. Not only does salt absorb water from stool, making its movement through the digestive tract more difficult, but such foods also tend to be low in fiber and water, according to a study published in the journal Nutrients in 2021. Some studies have also linked a diet high in salt to disruptions in the gut microbiome — the balance of healthy and harmful microbes in your gut — that may also contribute to constipation.
4. Processed Snacks and Desserts
Potato chips, pretzels, cookies, pastries, and other processed snack foods have high salt, processed sugar, and fat content, and are low in water content. “All these factors combined cause constipation,” Dr. Lee says. These snack foods are also often poor sources of dietary fiber. “If these foods are replacing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in the diet, it may lead to constipation because of inadequate fiber intake,” Leben says. Lee recommends opting for foods that have high water content and natural sugars, such as:
If you can’t give up your savory snacks, Leben recommends looking at the grams of fiber in the products and the ingredient list when grocery shopping. “There are plenty of chips, crackers, and other snack foods on the market made from whole grains, vegetables, or legumes that are good sources of fiber,” she says.
5. Refined Carbs
Many pastries and highly processed snack foods also contain refined carbohydrates, which can have negative effects on digestion, Kennedy says. Other culprits in this category include white bread and white rice. “Refined carbs are stripped of their fiber during processing,” she says. “When you choose these foods, you’re missing an opportunity to add fiber to your diet, which can help alleviate constipation. Swapping those foods for whole-wheat bread and brown rice, for example, could go a long way to helping ease constipation.”
If you're experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms, prebiotics and probiotics may help. Check out our list of the best prebiotics and probiotics, as recommended by experts.
Certain conditions relating to gluten, or proteins found in wheat, can mean that eating foods containing gluten can cause constipation. In particular, this is true of both celiac disease and gluten intolerance (also known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or simply gluten sensitivity).
Despite this shared symptom, the two conditions are very different. Celiac is an autoimmune disease in which eating gluten damages your small intestine, while gluten intolerance makes eating gluten potentially very uncomfortable, but not necessarily harmful.
Another related condition that is sometimes confused with these two, wheat allergy, is completely different. In people with wheat allergy, the immune system overreacts to wheat as if it were a threat, with potentially life-threatening results.
6. Frozen Dinners
Meals in a box may be convenient, but they rarely have the nutritional merits of a meal you prepare yourself, which puts them on the list of foods that can cause constipation. “Frozen dinners are generally high in salt, fat, and preservatives: three key items not good for the digestive system and known to cause havoc to the digestive tract,” Lee says. Leben notes that not all frozen foods are bad for health and digestion.
“Frozen fruits and vegetables can be convenient, cost-effective ways to boost fiber intake and help relieve constipation,” she says. “The nutritional quality of frozen foods varies, and label reading is essential. Look for meals that incorporate fiber from vegetables and whole grains while also limiting saturated fat.”
7. Bananas
Interestingly, bananas can either be a cause of constipation or a source of constipation relief, depending on their ripeness. “Bananas, when fully ripe, contain soluble fiber and thus can help treat constipation,” Lee says. “However, unripe, or green, bananas have high levels of resistant starch, which can be very binding and cause constipation.” Because of this, unripe bananas can be used to treat diarrhea, she notes.
8. Alcohol
When considering what foods make you constipated, remember that it might not be what you’re eating. Alcohol intake has not been directly linked with constipation, but it is linked with dehydration, which can contribute to constipation. For that reason, avoiding alcohol may be a way of obtaining relief from constipation.
The Takeaway
Constipation is caused by lack of fiber.
Certain foods can contribute to constipation, especially if you have food sensitivities.
Because of their low nutritional value and high salt content, fried and processed foods can contribute to constipation.
If you're experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms, prebiotics and probiotics may help. Check out our list of the best prebiotics and probiotics, as recommended by experts.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Rollet M. Association between Dietary Factors and Constipation in Adults Living in Luxembourg and Taking Part in the ORISCAV-LUX 2 Survey. Nutrients. December 28, 2021.
Gluten Issues: Is It Celiac Disease, an Intolerance or a Wheat Allergy? Cleveland Clinic. October 16, 2025.
Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.
In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.
Franco is also a corporate wellness consultant who conducts wellness counseling and seminars for organizations of every size. She taught sports nutrition to medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, taught life cycle nutrition and nutrition counseling to undergraduate students at LaGuardia Community College, and precepts nutrition students and interns. She created the sports nutrition rotation for the New York Distance Dietetic Internship program.
She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.
Ashley Welch has more than a decade of experience in both breaking news and long-form storytelling. She is passionate about getting to the crux of the latest scientific studies and sharing important information in an easy-to-digest way to better inform decision-making. She has written about health, science, and wellness for a variety of outlets, including Scientific American Mind, Healthline, New York Family, Oprah.com, and WebMD.
She served as the health editor for CBSNews.com for several years as a reporter, writer, and editor of daily health news articles and features. As a former staff member at Everyday Health, she covered a wide range of chronic conditions and diseases.
Welch holds a bachelor's degree from Fordham University and a master's degree from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, where she studied health and science reporting. She enjoys yoga and is an aspiring runner.
