What foods to avoid while on Saxenda

Decreased appetite. Way fewer cravings. Feeling full more quickly. You’ve probably noticed a lot of changes in your body after starting a weight-loss medication like Saxenda. But some other changes can veer into being pretty unpleasant, like feeling nausea, heartburn, and upset stomach. This is because GLP-1 medications like Saxenda can cause gastrointestinal side effects, especially when you first start it or go up in dosage (for a complete list of side effects, please visit the Saxenda website). That’s where food choice comes into play. Avoiding or limiting certain foods when taking Saxenda can help you minimize some of those side effects—not to mention boost your health so you feel your best while you’re losing weight.

How does Saxenda work?

Saxenda is the brand name for liraglutide, a once-daily injectable GLP-1 agonist medication. “Saxenda mimics the action of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1),” says Albert Abayev, RD, clinical dietitian at the Center for Weight Management and Metabolic Health at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. “This helps with weight loss by slowing down your gastric emptying and affecting areas of your brain that process hunger and satiety.”


It’s a two-pronged approach: Food moves more slowly out of your stomach, so you stay fuller for longer, and your brain receives signals to suppress your appetite, also making you less hungry. The result: weight loss. In a 2015 study in The New England Journal of Medicine, people with obesity who took 3.0mg of liraglutide combined with diet and exercise lost an average of 18 pounds over 56 weeks and 63 percent of participants lost at least five percent of their body weight.

Why is diet so important when taking Saxenda?

Before diving into what foods to eat less of, it’s important to understand why your diet matters when you can, in all likelihood, lose weight without changing food choices. Side effects are a big reason. Common side effects on Saxenda include nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, upset stomach, and stomach pain—issues that can make you so uncomfortable that, in some rare cases, you need to stop taking the medication completely. Eating certain things can make these GI problems worse, so cutting back on those problematic foods can make you feel better.


Prioritizing healthy foods can also help maximize your overall health while losing weight. Studies on weight loss with liraglutide—as well as other GLP-1s like semaglutide and tirzepatide—pair these medications with lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise. “Medication alone won’t lead to the results that most people are looking for,” says Bigio. And don’t forget that these habits level up your well being in a multitude of ways, from bolstering heart health to strengthening muscles and bones.


Speaking of muscles, when you lose weight you will naturally lose muscle mass along with fat. Your eating habits can’t stop that from happening completely, but prioritizing protein can help you hold on to more muscle. This is where a lifestyle program like the WeightWatchers Points Program can be so helpful. It will keep you focused on your eating and exercise habits while losing weight on Saxenda, so you work towards true weight health.

What foods should you limit while taking Saxenda?

When taking a GLP-1 like Saxenda, no food is truly off limits—everything can be consumed on occasion. That said, there are some you may want to enjoy a little less often (at least until you know they don’t make your side effects worse).

• High-fat foods: Foods that contain a lot of saturated fat—chips, cookies and cakes, pizza, fried foods—are digested more slowly. This isn’t a big deal on its own, but Saxenda also slows gastric emptying, so when you eat meals high in fat while taking the medication, food sits in your stomach for even longer. This can trigger side effects like upset stomach and nausea, says Lauren Bigio, MS, RDN, clinical bariatric dietitian at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. If you are going to eat something in this category, consider eating a smaller portion.
  
  

• Acidic foods: Indigestion is a common side effect of Saxenda, so it’s worth trying to avoid foods that may pile on the discomfort by triggering heartburn and acid reflux. The exact list of foods that do that can be different for everyone, but Abayev recommends starting out by limiting foods that are high in acid, which include orange juice, citrus fruits, tomatoes, coffee, black pepper, and spicy foods.
  
  
• Sugar-sweetened beverages: Drinking things with a hefty dose of sugar, like soda, sports drinks, and sweet tea, may contribute to nausea you feel on Saxenda, says Bigio. On top of that, they can fill you up without adding any nutrients. Soda has another strike against it–the bubbles in carbonated beverages can bring on gas and heartburn, according to research in Gastrointestinal Disorders.
  
  As always, please speak with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet.

5 tips to reduce side effects on Saxenda

Changing your diet is one way to help reduce possible side effects, but it’s not the only way. Here are some other things you can do to feel better:

• Eat regularly. Skipping meals can cause low blood sugar, which can worsen symptoms like nausea, says Abayev. Another benefit to eating throughout the day: It can ensure you’re getting enough nutrients even when you aren’t super hungry.
  
  
• Shrink your meal size: Larger meals can cause GI discomfort, especially when you’re on a GLP-1 medication. Smaller servings to the rescue. “People get really full, really quickly on Saxenda,” says Bigio. “Feeling very full when already having side effects from the medication can leave you even more uncomfortable.” Reducing portions can help you make sure that you don’t eat to the point of discomfort.
  
  
• Watch your healthy fats, too: Foods that are higher in unsaturated fats, such as avocado, nuts, and seeds, can also lead to digestive distress if you eat too much of them, says Bigio. These foods are incredibly good for you because they’re rich in vitamins, minerals, heart-healthy fats, and fiber and you should eat them, but you may want to decrease your portion size.
  
  
• Aim for easy-to-digest foods: Foods that are lower in fat and sugar can be easier for your body to digest, says Bigio. If side effects are acting up, eat more bland foods (like broth) and well-cooked fruits or vegetables. If you feel nauseous, bananas, rice, applesauce, toast (a.k.a. the BRAT diet) can be helpful in the short-term to make you feel better, says Abayev.
  
  
• Contact your provider: Your healthcare provider is here to help. If the above diet changes don’t help with side effects, they may look at adjusting your dose, changing your medication completely, or prescribing anti-nausea medication to lessen your symptoms.

The bottom line

Saxenda is an FDA-approved weight-loss medication that slows gastric emptying and decreases your appetite. But it can also cause gastrointestinal side effects like nausea and acid reflux. Tweaking your diet, like by decreasing how much fat you eat and avoiding foods that cause heartburn, can help, as can eating smaller portions and eating regularly throughout the day. If you still have serious side effects, even when changing your eating habits, talk to your healthcare provider to see if the dosage or medication could be adjusted.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be regarded as a substitute for guidance from your healthcare provider.