8 Foods That Cause Constipation & What to Eat Instead

Written by

Jenny Dwork

Published on June 18, 2026
Updated on August 17, 2026

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Carmen Fong

Constipation often starts like this. You eat a normal breakfast, get busy, and by afternoon your stomach feels tight, heavy, and off. Later, you strain, pass small hard stools, or feel like you still have to go even after using the bathroom. That pattern can feel random, but it often is not.

What you eat and drink changes the texture and speed of stool in the same way the ingredients in concrete change how easily it pours. Your colon needs enough fiber to add bulk, enough water to keep stool soft, and enough movement in the gut to push everything forward. When meals are built around low-fiber starches, heavy fats, alcohol, or foods that replace fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, stool can become drier, smaller, and slower to pass.

Some foods slow things down because they crowd out fiber. Others affect digestion more directly. High-fat meals can delay stomach emptying. Alcohol can leave you dehydrated. Some starchy foods, including unripe bananas, contain more resistant starch, which can be harder to move through if the rest of your diet is low in fluids and fiber. That mechanism matters even more if you are pregnant, taking iron or calcium supplements, or using a GLP-1 medication, since each of those can already slow gut movement.

The goal is not to label one item as “bad.” It is to understand which patterns tend to back people up, why they do it, and what to change first if your bowel habits have shifted.

Low-Fiber Refined Grains

White bread, white rice, regular pasta, and many crackers are some of the most common foods that cause constipation. They’re soft, easy to eat, and everywhere, which is part of the problem. When these foods crowd out beans, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, stool often becomes smaller, drier, and harder to pass.

The issue isn’t just what refined grains lack. It’s also how they behave in the gut. Some starchy foods can act like a sponge, pulling in water as they move through the digestive tract. If you’re already running low on fluids, that can leave stool firmer and slower to move.

Why they can slow you down

Think of fiber as the scaffolding that gives stool shape and softness at the same time. Refined grains have had much of that structure removed. What’s left is mostly easy-to-digest starch, with far less of the roughage that helps the colon do its job.

Real-life examples include:

• Breakfast habits: Toast made with white bread, a plain bagel, or a pastry

• Quick lunches: White sandwich rolls, deli wraps made with refined flour tortillas, or instant noodles

• Snack foods: Pretzels, saltines, cheese crackers, and packaged baked goods

Practical rule: If most of your carbs are white, beige, or highly packaged, your gut may be missing the bulk it needs.

What to eat instead

A better move is upgrading the base of the meal, not overhauling everything at once.

• Swap your grain: Choose brown rice, quinoa, barley, or oats more often.

• Read the label: Look for “whole” grain as the first ingredient on bread and pasta.

• Build in moisture: Pair starches with vegetables, beans, broth-based soups, or fruit.

• Start gradually: If you jump from very low fiber to very high fiber overnight, you may feel gassy or bloated.

A turkey sandwich on white bread may sit very differently than the same sandwich on whole-wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, and a side of fruit. The meal isn’t dramatically different. The fiber load is.

Cheese and High-Fat Dairy

Cheese is a frequent trigger because it brings two things the constipated gut doesn’t love: high fat and almost no fiber. A lunch of cheddar cubes, crackers, and little else may feel filling, but it often doesn’t give the colon much material to work with.

For some adults, dairy-heavy eating patterns seem to make bowel movements less frequent or harder to pass. Hard cheeses like cheddar, Swiss, and parmesan are common culprits, but full-fat milk, ice cream, cream cheese, and heavy cream can contribute too.

What’s happening in the gut

Fat slows digestion. That doesn’t make fat “bad,” but when a meal is heavy in fat and low in fiber, food can move more slowly through the digestive tract. If the rest of the day is also low in fluids and plant foods, stool can dry out along the way.

This matters even more if you already strain with bowel movements. Ongoing constipation can contribute to painful anorectal symptoms, and rectal bleeding from straining or hemorrhoids is something worth taking seriously.

Cheese isn’t always the only problem. Often it’s cheese replacing higher-fiber foods meal after meal.

Smarter ways to include dairy

You don’t necessarily need to cut dairy completely. Many people do better when they change the context.

• Pair it with fiber: Add cheese to a bean salad, whole-grain toast, or sliced pears instead of eating it alone with refined crackers.

• Watch portion and frequency: A little feta on a grain bowl is different from cheese showing up at every meal.

• Try cultured options: Some adults find yogurt easier to tolerate than dense, high-fat cheese.

• Check the pattern: If constipation gets worse after pizza nights, charcuterie boards, or cheese-heavy snacks, that’s a clue.

A grilled cheese on white bread with no produce is a classic constipation setup. The same meal on whole-grain bread with tomato soup and a side salad is gentler on the gut.

Red and Processed Meats

Steak, burgers, bacon, sausage, deli meats, and jerky often show up on lists of foods that cause constipation for a simple reason. They contain no fiber. On top of that, many are high in fat, salt, or both.

The bigger issue is what gets squeezed out of the meal. A plate built around meat can easily push off beans, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. Over time, that pattern adds up.

The pattern matters more than one meal

A 2022 systematic review summarized an adult observational study showing that higher intake of sugary products was linked to a higher constipation score, while higher intake of grains and lipid-rich foods was linked to lower constipation scores in that analysis. The review reported a positive association for sugary products and lower constipation scores with grains and lipid-rich foods in that study’s model, which suggests constipation is often tied to the overall dietary pattern, not a single nutrient in isolation, as described in the systematic review on diet and constipation.

That’s why a bacon-and-egg breakfast with white toast may feel very different from eggs with black beans, avocado, and fruit. The problem usually isn’t one bite of meat. It’s the repeated low-fiber pattern around it.

Better ways to build the plate

If you eat meat, you can make it less constipating by changing what sits next to it.

• Keep the portion reasonable: Let vegetables, beans, or whole grains take up more of the plate.

• Choose less processed options: A plain chicken breast or turkey cutlet is different from sausage links or hot dogs.

• Add a fiber side automatically: Think lentils, roasted Brussels sprouts, brown rice, or a big salad.

• Get help if it’s ongoing: Persistent issues may need chronic constipation treatment options, especially if medications are involved too. Bummed’s Lubiprostone offering is designed to restore your body’s natural digestive rhythm and lead to smoother bowel movements.

Unripe Bananas

You grab a quick breakfast because your stomach already feels off. It is toast, a banana, and coffee. If the banana is still firm and slightly green, that “healthy” choice can act more like a traffic jam than a helper.

The reason is chemistry, not confusion. Unripe bananas contain more resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that resists digestion in the small intestine and travels farther into the gut. For some people, that is fine. But if stool is already moving slowly, and especially if you are not drinking enough fluid, that starch can add to the dry, heavy feeling that makes constipation worse.

Ripeness changes the story. As a banana turns from green to fully yellow with brown speckles, more of that starch converts into simpler sugars. The fruit usually becomes easier to digest and less likely to feel binding.

That helps explain why one person says bananas keep them regular and another says bananas back them up. Both can be right. They may be eating different bananas.

This is also why ripeness matters if you are considering eating bananas for losing weight, because the starch content shifts as the fruit matures.

Some groups need to pay closer attention here. People taking GLP-1 medications often have slower stomach emptying to begin with, so a very unripe banana may sit heavily. Pregnant individuals can also be more constipation-prone because hormonal changes slow bowel movement, and iron supplements may add to the problem.

How to make bananas easier on a constipated gut

Use bananas strategically instead of cutting them out completely.

• Pick the ripeness carefully: Fully yellow bananas are usually a better choice than green or pale yellow ones.

• Add water-friendly fiber: Pair banana with chia, oats, kiwi, berries, or yogurt instead of eating it alone.

• Watch the meal pattern: Toast, rice, applesauce, and unripe banana in the same day can create a low-fluid, binding combination.

• Consider your risk factors: If you are pregnant, using GLP-1 drugs, or taking iron, it helps to be more selective about banana ripeness and the rest of the meal.

• Support movement too: Food is only part of the picture. Gentle walking, fluids, and habits that improve gut motility can matter just as much.

A ripe banana with oats and berries can land very differently than a green banana eaten with dry toast. Same fruit. Different starch. Different result.

Fried and Fast Foods

A common constipation setup looks like this. Lunch is fries and a burger eaten quickly in the car, dinner is takeout, and water barely shows up all day. You feel full, but your colon is working with very little fiber, a heavy fat load, and often a lot of sodium.

Fried and fast foods tend to cause trouble for a few reasons at once. First, they usually replace the foods that help stool move, such as beans, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Second, high-fat meals can sit in the stomach longer and feel especially heavy for people who already have slower gut movement, including some people using GLP-1 medications and many pregnant individuals. Third, the salt content often goes hand in hand with low fluid intake, which can leave stool drier by the time it reaches the colon.

The result is a traffic jam problem. Stool needs bulk, water, and steady intestinal movement to pass comfortably. Fast food often supplies calories without much of that support.

Why fast food tends to backfire

The issue is not only that fried foods are greasy. It is that the whole meal pattern is often constipating. A drive-thru meal may be low in fiber, paired with soda instead of water, and followed by another low-produce meal later in the day.

That matters because fiber works like a sponge and a scaffold. It helps hold water in stool and gives the intestines something to push forward. Fat is not the enemy, but a high-fat, low-fiber meal can slow the process enough that stool becomes harder and more difficult to pass.

This can hit harder in people who are already prone to constipation. Pregnancy hormones slow bowel movement. GLP-1 drugs can slow stomach emptying and reduce appetite, which sometimes means people eat less fiber overall. If convenience foods become the default, constipation becomes much easier to trigger.

How to make convenience food less constipating

Convenience matters. The goal is to change the balance of the meal.

• Choose less frying when you can: Grilled chicken, baked potatoes, rice bowls, wraps, and roasted items are often easier on the gut than deep-fried options.

• Add one real fiber source: Beans, side salad, fruit, oatmeal, brown rice, or extra vegetables can change the meal more than swapping one sauce.

• Watch the salty combo: Fries, nuggets, chips, and very little water can set up dry stool later. Drink water with the meal, not just afterward.

• Be extra careful if you are at higher risk: If you are pregnant or taking a GLP-1 medication, heavy fried meals may sit longer and feel worse. Smaller portions plus a fiber-rich side often go better.

• Support the rest of the system: Regular walking, bathroom timing, hydration, and habits that improve gut motility can matter as much as the meal itself.

A fast meal does not have to become a constipating meal. A sandwich on whole grain bread with a side of fruit and water lands very differently than fried food, soda, and no produce all day.

Alcohol

Alcohol can affect the gut in different ways, but for many adults with constipation, the main issue is dehydration. Alcohol increases fluid loss, and your colon responds by pulling more water out of stool. The result is stool that’s harder, drier, and more difficult to pass.

That’s why a night of drinks can be followed by a frustrating morning in the bathroom. Beer, wine, cocktails, and spirits can all do this, especially if you’re not replacing fluids.

The dehydration effect

Your colon’s job includes reclaiming water. When your body needs more fluid, the colon can pull more of it back from waste. Helpful for survival, not helpful for comfortable bowel movements.

This hits harder when alcohol is paired with other constipating habits, like travel, restaurant food, little produce, and skipping water. It also matters if you’re already dealing with hemorrhoids or fissures, where hard stools can trigger another painful cycle.

How to drink with less fallout

You may not need to avoid alcohol completely, but you do want to reduce the setup for constipation.

• Alternate with water: A glass of water between drinks helps offset fluid loss.

• Eat before and during drinking: Food can reduce the “empty stomach” effect, though it doesn’t erase dehydration.

• Skip all-day dehydration: Coffee in the morning, alcohol at night, and very little water in between is a common constipation recipe.

• Be realistic the next day: If stool feels hard after drinking, increase fluids and choose higher-fiber meals instead of more processed comfort food.

For many adults, the problem isn’t one glass of wine. It’s the combination of alcohol, salty food, poor sleep, and low water.

Caffeinated Drinks

Coffee has a mixed reputation because it can stimulate a bowel movement for some people. But that short-term effect can hide a longer-term problem. Too much caffeine can leave you underhydrated, especially if it crowds out water intake.

That applies to coffee, black tea, energy drinks, and caffeinated sodas. If you’re using caffeine to “make yourself go” but your stool is hard and dry, the strategy may be backfiring.

Why the same drink can help and hurt

Caffeine can stimulate the gut in some people. At the same time, it can contribute to fluid loss and reduce your margin for error if you’re already eating a low-fiber diet.

This is common in busy adults who start with coffee, skip breakfast, grab a sandwich and chips for lunch, then wonder why nothing moves later. The bowel doesn’t just need stimulation. It needs enough water and fiber to move stool comfortably.

Better ways to use caffeine

A few simple changes can make caffeinated drinks less constipating.

• Don’t let coffee replace breakfast: Add oats, fruit, chia pudding, or whole-grain toast.

• Keep water nearby: Make hydration automatic, not optional.

• Watch energy drinks: They often combine caffeine with a pattern of stress, irregular meals, and dehydration.

• Try timing changes: If afternoon coffee disrupts your hydration or appetite, switch to decaf or herbal tea later in the day.

For some people, one morning coffee is fine. Four cups and almost no water is a different story.

Certain Supplements

Not every trigger is a food. Sometimes constipation starts after a new supplement. Iron and calcium are two common examples, and multivitamins that contain them can do the same thing.

This comes up often in adults who start supplements for fatigue, bone health, or pregnancy-related needs. The timing can be easy to miss because people assume a vitamin can’t be the reason they suddenly feel blocked up.

Why supplements can be so binding

Iron is especially well known for causing hard stools and difficult bowel movements. Calcium can also contribute to slower transit in some adults. If you already eat a low-fiber diet or don’t drink enough water, the effect is more noticeable.

Medications can stack on top of that. Opioids are a classic example because they act like a stop sign for gut movement. Some antidepressants can slow things down through anticholinergic effects, which reduce secretions and motility. GLP-1 medications can also slow digestion, so constipation becomes more likely when the diet is also low in fiber.

What to do if you suspect a supplement

Don’t stop a recommended supplement on your own, but do bring it up with your provider.

• Track the timeline: If constipation started soon after iron, calcium, or a new multivitamin, that’s useful information.

• Ask about formulation: Some forms are easier to tolerate than others.

• Support the basics: Water, produce, beans, and whole grains matter even more when a supplement is binding.

• Review the full list: It helps to understand supplement interactions and overlapping side effects when more than one product is in play.

A common real-world pattern is iron plus a low-fiber diet plus less movement from fatigue or medication changes. Each factor adds a small brake. Together, they can stop things up fast.

Top 8 Constipation-Causing Foods Comparison

Your Action Plan for Beating Constipation

You eat a normal day of food, stay busy, and only realize something is off when you feel heavy, bloated, and stuck by evening. That pattern is common. Constipation usually builds from several small inputs at once, not one “bad” food.

Start by looking for traffic jams, not villains. A gut works best when stool has enough water, enough fiber, and enough movement to pass through. Refined grains, cheese, fatty takeout, alcohol, and some supplements can interfere with one or more of those steps. The result is stool that is drier, smaller, slower, or all three.

A useful reset is to change the equation at each meal. Swap one refined grain for a whole grain. Add one water-rich plant food, such as berries, kiwi, beans, or cooked vegetables. Drink fluids steadily across the day instead of trying to catch up at night.

Pay extra attention if you are pregnant, taking iron, or using a GLP-1 medication. These groups are more likely to deal with slower gut movement, nausea, lower food intake, or harder stools. In that setting, even foods that seem harmless can add up quickly if meals are low in fiber and fluids are inconsistent.

Keep the plan simple for one week. Make one breakfast swap, one lunch or dinner fiber upgrade, and one hydration habit you can repeat daily. A body that is constipated usually responds better to steady routine than to a single dramatic fix.

Beyond the Plate

Constipation often starts outside the plate. A common example is the person who eats more fiber at breakfast, drinks very little through the day, ignores the urge to go during meetings, then wonders why stool still feels hard and difficult to pass by night.

Your colon works a bit like a slow conveyor belt with a drying chamber built in. Movement, fluids, meal timing, and bathroom habits all affect how fast stool travels and how much water gets pulled out of it. If stool sits too long, the colon keeps absorbing water. The result is a drier, firmer stool that takes more straining to move.

Daily habits shape that process. Walking helps stimulate the muscular contractions that move stool forward. Eating on a regular schedule can trigger the gastrocolic reflex, which is the normal wave of colon activity that often follows meals. Responding to the urge to have a bowel movement matters too. Repeatedly delaying that urge can train the rectum to become less responsive, so stool stays in place longer and gets harder.

Medications can change the same system in different ways. Opioids slow gut motility by acting directly on receptors in the intestines. Some antidepressants and other medicines with anticholinergic effects can reduce the gut’s signaling and leave stool drier. GLP-1 medications slow stomach emptying and can reduce appetite, so some users eat less overall, drink less, and end up with less stool bulk moving through the colon. Pregnancy can create a similar traffic slowdown for different reasons, including hormonal shifts that relax smooth muscle and pressure from the growing uterus.

That is why food triggers rarely act alone.

If you are pregnant, taking iron, or using a GLP-1 medication, prevention usually works better than catch-up. Keep fluids steady through the day. Build meals around foods that add both water and fiber, such as fruit, beans, oats, chia, or cooked vegetables. If nausea or early fullness makes large meals hard, smaller fiber-containing meals often work better than waiting for one perfect healthy meal later.

The bigger pattern matters more than one food choice. As noted earlier, low-fiber processed foods, heavy dairy, and large portions of meat can all contribute to constipation. The main issue is the full chain of events: slower movement, less stool bulk, and more water being pulled out before stool exits. Understanding that chain makes the fix clearer and usually more effective.

When to Talk to a Provider

Constipation deserves medical attention when it’s persistent, painful, or clearly changing your usual bowel pattern. It also deserves attention if straining is leading to anorectal symptoms like hemorrhoids, fissures, itching, or bleeding.

Talk to a provider if constipation isn’t improving with diet and hydration, if bowel movements are painful, or if you’re seeing blood. Ongoing hard stool and repeated straining can keep the cycle going by irritating already sensitive tissue. That’s especially important if you’re pregnant, taking iron, using a GLP-1 medication, or managing pain with opioids.

At Bummed, our board-certified providers help adults manage hemorrhoids, fissures, pruritus ani, and related symptoms that often flare when constipation isn’t under control. If hard stools and straining are part of your bigger picture, treating the consequences and the bowel pattern together usually works better than treating either one alone. Bummed offers Lubiprostone for local pharmacy pick-up, for those struggling with chronic constipation. Consult with a Bummed provider to see if this treatment is right for you.

Frequently asked questions about foods and constipation

Does cheese really cause constipation

For many people, yes. Cheese is low in fiber and often high in fat, which can slow digestion and displace foods that help stool stay soft. It’s more likely to be a problem when it shows up often and replaces higher-fiber foods.

Why is coffee on the list if it helps some people poop

Coffee can stimulate the colon for some adults, but it can also contribute to dehydration if you’re drinking a lot of it and not enough water. That means it may help in the short term while making stool drier over time.

Are bananas bad for constipation

Not always. Unripe bananas are more likely to be binding because of their resistant starch. Riper bananas are usually easier to digest. If you’re already constipated, pay attention to ripeness and what else you’re eating with them.

Can supplements really be the reason I’m constipated

Absolutely. Iron and calcium are common causes. The effect is often stronger when a supplement is combined with low fiber, low fluid intake, or medications that already slow digestion.

What should I eat instead of constipating foods

Try whole grains, beans, lentils, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, and meals with more water content like soups or produce-heavy bowls. The key is a pattern that gives your stool both bulk and moisture.

How fast can diet changes help

Some people notice improvement within a day or two, especially when dehydration is part of the problem. For a more established pattern, it can take longer. Consistency matters more than making one perfect meal.

Bummed content is for general education and should never replace professional medical advice that considers your individual health. If you think you’re experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or head to the nearest emergency department.

Prescription products require an online consultation with a physician who will determine if a prescription is appropriate.

Bummed makes it easier to get discreet, expert help for hemorrhoids, fissures, itching, and constipation-related anorectal symptoms. Start a secure online visit at Bummed to connect with a board-certified provider and see whether personalized prescription treatment is right for you.