How to Make Paleo- / Gastritis- / GERD-Friendly Egg Salad

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It’s not surprising that low‑acid or non‑acidic natural foods like eggs and avocados are often featured as top choices for stomach inflammatory conditions such as gastritis and GERD. I dealt with chronic gastritis for several years, and the truth is that even these supposedly “safe” foods can still be problematic for many individuals. Bananas are another well‑known example of this phenomenon, and there are several reasons why certain low‑acid foods can still trigger symptoms.

This is why I want to be clear: even when you see “gut‑friendly” recipes or low‑acid diet recommendations, some of those foods may still be difficult for people with gastritis, GERD, or other digestive disorders. Diet guides such as mine (“Low Acid, Big Flavor”), the Acid‑Watcher Diet (GERD), or the Gastritis Healing Book are excellent resources for identifying the best food options, but that doesn’t mean every approved food will work for every person.

Just as you would avoid certain foods because of allergies unrelated to your gut condition (like a shellfish allergy), you should also avoid any food that continues to act as a gastritis trigger or GERD trigger, even if it appears on an approved list. Conversely, there may be foods not on the approved list that seem to agree with you, but I still strongly caution against relying on them (I’ve heard people swear by everything from ice cream, to popcorn, to pizza!). Some foods outside the recommended list may indeed feel fine in the short term but can still delay mucosal healing or maintain low‑grade inflammation beneath the threshold of noticeable symptoms, subtly slowing recovery.

Some of my biggest personal triggers — all low‑acid foods frequently cited as “safe” — included carrots (even at the stage when I could handle raw vegetables), breads including low‑gluten and gluten‑free options, bananas, rice, figs, dates, and ironically, hard‑boiled eggs and avocado.

This is especially ironic because today’s recipe is a paleo‑compliant egg salad made with hard‑boiled eggs and avocado. But that’s exactly the point: if you stay disciplined and stick closely to the approved foods that do work well for your body, combined with supportive measures such as vitamins, supplements, certain medications, increased physical activity, more rest, an inclined bed, and stress‑reduction practices like yoga, meditation, or cognitive behavioral therapy, the gut can heal. Maybe not perfectly, but meaningfully. While the goal of becoming “cured” may be top of mind, I encourage you to look for ongoing small victories and to be patient with your body.

In my own case, each month became a little easier and more manageable. I eventually went off all medications and turned my health around. Because I had abdominal radiation therapy for cancer treatment in my teens, and due to other medical factors, not to mention my age, I probably will never have a completely “perfect” stomach, but today I have a great appetite and can happily eat anything on a low‑acid diet (and much more) without issues.

Over time, those previously problematic foods became not only tolerable but some of the easiest and most enjoyable foods I eat. I’ve largely shifted from a gastritis‑focused diet to a Paleo‑focused diet, while still avoiding acidic or triggering Paleo-compliant foods such as lemons, limes, black pepper, and hot peppers. These are very “healthy,” generally speaking, but not helpful when battling acid-related stomach conditions.

Paleo foods are unprocessed foods aligned with what humans likely ate throughout most of their evolution: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat, and seafood. Oils and fats are plant‑ or animal‑derived (e.g. EVOO and cold-pressed avocado oil), rather than seed‑based, mainly due to modern processing methods.

In closing, this simple egg‑and‑avocado recipe may already be a fun, nutritious, and totally doable food option you haven’t considered. Eggs and avocados together offer protein, healthy fats, fiber, and micronutrients, and they enhance satiety when eaten together. For those who haven’t tolerated eggs or avocados in the past, I hope I’ve conveyed that there is often significant potential for healing and eventually expanding what you can eat, especially when it comes to simple, whole foods like this.

Everyone’s case is different, and in short, don’t give up!

Yield:

2 servings, or at least enough for two slices of open-faced toast or two sandwiches

(double the recipe as desired)

Want this on toast?? Although this is delicious and I enjoy platter style with other veggies and salads like tuna, etc., it’s of course amazing on toast. My gastritis & GERD cookbook, “Low Acid, Big Flavor,” has a chapter devoted to fermented foods, including making your own sourdough starter, gluten-free starter, and my low-gluten sourdough rye-bread recipe.

Equipment:

• Pot or rapid egg cooker (to make hard-boiled eggs)
• Knife & cutting board
• Small mixing bowl
• Potato masher, small whisk, fork, or any tool as desired to whip the avocado as smoothly as possible, e.g. small food processor
• As needed, measuring spoons

Ingredients:

• 2 large hard-boiled eggs
• 1 small/medium avocado
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil or cold-pressed avocado oil
• Optional: salt to taste (I use around 1/4 tsp)
• Optional: if able to eat raw veggies (usually after 3-6 months of low-acid diet), add 1/2 rib well-chopped or petite diced celery for added nutritition and crunch
• Optional: 1/2 TBSP fresh minced dill, or pinch dried herbs for those who tolerate it well

Instructions:

1. Prepare the hard-boiled eggs. I love to use my Dash rapid egg cooker.

2. Peel the cooled eggs and chop/dice well but not too fine.

3. Peel and scoop out the avocado into a bowl. Add the 1 tsp EVOO. Mash and/or whip very well, until it is as creamy and smooth as possible. May take a couple minutes. (I used a potato masher and then a fork.)

4. Pour the chopped egg into the bowl. Add salt or any extras as noted above, as desired. Gently fold into the avocado, until it is evenly mixed. Serve or cover the egg salad directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Notes: Good for 3 days, but avocado quickly oxidizes and the color may start to brown even after a day, given that acids are avoided in this recipe.