4 Foods to Avoid and 4 You Should Eat While Taking Ozempic

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy delay gastric emptying, which means the food can stay in the stomach for extended periods. This might lead to unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea, constipation, and diarrhea.

Eating certain foods (and avoiding others) may help reduce these symptoms, but people taking GLP-1 drugs should still be able to maintain a well-balanced diet, experts say.

4 Foods to Avoid While Taking Ozempic

When you’re on a GLP-1 drug, avoiding certain types of foods can minimize GI discomfort.

1. High-Fat Foods 

Research has shown that a diet containing a lot of high-fat foods can lead to constipation and slower gastrointestinal motility, movement of food from the mouth, through the digestive system, and out of the body.

Eating fried foods or other high-fat foods may worsen constipation caused by GLP-1 drugs, according to Peminda Cabandugama, MD, an endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic.

2. Foods With Added Sugar

If you’re taking Ozempic to manage diabetes, you should avoid eating too much sugar to begin with, said Abby Langer, RD, a Toronto-based dietitian. The same principle applies to people who take GLP-1s for weight management.

“I would definitely watch the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages as well,” Langer said.

3. Refined Carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates such as white bread and white rice, cookies, and pastries can cause constipation and, in turn, nausea. It’s reasonable to assume these foods may worsen the side effects caused by GLP-1 drugs, Cabandugama said.

4. Excessive Alcohol

The U.S. dietary guidelines recommend limiting alcohol intake to no more than two drinks per day for men and no more than one for women. Consuming too much alcohol is unhealthy, and it’s especially important to be mindful of your alcohol intake when you’re taking a GLP-1.

However, some people taking the medication may subconsciously start drinking less. “Reports show that this medication [may cause] a reduction of cravings for alcohol and cigarettes,” Cabandugama said.

3 Foods You Should Eat

In addition to eating a balanced diet, you should drink plenty of water to help avoid dehydration and constipation, Cabandugama said. GLP-1 drugs should be used alongside a nutrient-dense diet with lots of protein and fiber.

1. Protein

You might lose some muscle mass while taking GLP-1 drugs. To stay energized, you should make sure to get enough protein. But keep your potein intake in small portions, as large servings of protein may worsen constipation and nausea. Be sure to pair protein with vegetables to increase your fiber intake.

2. Vegetables

Including greens in your meals will help reduce constipation, and many vegetables can also help you stay hydrated, Cabandugama said

Leafy greens, such as kale and spinach, are a form of insoluble fiber that cannot be broken down in water and absorbed by the body. Instead, these fibrous foods move through your digestive system, encouraging gastric emptying and reducing constipation.

3. Whole Grains

Refined carbs can worsen constipation, but whole grains—such as brown rice, whole-grain bread, and oatmeal—contain fiber and help alleviate this GI symptom instead.

If you plan to incorporate more fiber into your diet, do so slowly. Adding too much fiber too quickly can lead to symptoms like gas, cramping, and bloating.

Appetite Changes While Taking Weight Loss Drugs

Some research has shown that semaglutide—the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy—may reduce your cravings for salty and spicy foods, starchy foods, and dairy. This is because GLP-1 agonists can change a part of the brain responsible for cravings, Cabandugama said.

If you start taking a GLP-1 and find your appetite for certain foods reduced, you should speak with a healthcare provider about how to make sure you’re still getting proper nutrition, Langer said.

“When people have side effects, it’s important to eat what you can tolerate and try to get enough protein,” she added.

Incorporate Exercise Alongside Weight Loss Drugs

In addition to emphasizing protein, vegetables, whole grains, and hydration, your prescribing healthcare provider will recommend that you exercise regularly—at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly—while taking a GLP-1 agonist.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in 2023 found that people who combined exercise with their GLP-1 agonist medication reduced the severity of metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, and inflammation compared to those taking the medication alone.

Cabandugama said that some people taking the medication for weight loss instead of diabetes ask if they can skip a dose ahead of special occasions, such as Thanksgiving, so they may be able to eat more.

The answer, he said, is always no because these medications shouldn’t be used for aesthetic purposes to help someone achieve a certain pant size. Instead, they should be used to help people who are at risk of disease or death due to their weight better manage it.