The foods most likely to cause constipation share a few traits: they’re high in fat, low in fiber, or contain compounds that slow the muscle contractions pushing food through your gut. Most adults need 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day, and falling short of that consistently is the single biggest dietary driver of constipation. Here are ten foods that work against you.
1. White Bread and Refined Grains
When wheat is refined into white flour, the outer layer of the grain (the bran) is stripped away. That bran is where most of the fiber lives. Fiber increases the weight and bulk of your stool and helps it hold onto water, both of which make it easier to pass. White bread, white rice, regular pasta, and most packaged crackers deliver very little fiber per serving. Swapping even one or two servings a day for whole-grain versions can make a noticeable difference in stool frequency.
2. Red Meat
A large steak or burger patty is high in fat and contains zero fiber. Fat slows digestion overall, giving your colon more time to pull water out of the stool. Meanwhile, the meal is doing nothing to add bulk. Red meat also tends to crowd fiber-rich foods off the plate: the more room a steak takes up in your meal, the less room there is for vegetables, beans, or whole grains. That displacement effect matters just as much as the meat itself.
3. Processed Meats
Bacon, hot dogs, sausages, and deli meats combine the worst of both worlds. They’re high in fat, which slows digestion, and they contain no dietary fiber. Processed meats also tend to be high in sodium, which can contribute to dehydration if you’re not drinking enough water to compensate. Even processed poultry products like turkey sausage or chicken lunch meat, while slightly better, still lack fiber and can contribute to sluggish bowel movements when eaten frequently.
4. Dairy Products
Cheese, ice cream, and whole milk are common constipation triggers, especially in children. The protein in cow’s milk comes in two main forms, and the type found in most conventional dairy (called A1 beta-casein) appears to slow intestinal motility. Research comparing the two protein types found that A1 casein is associated with reduced gut muscle contractions, fewer protective mucus-producing cells in the colon, and more intestinal inflammation. Dairy is also high in fat and contains no fiber. Hard, aged cheeses are particularly binding because they’re concentrated sources of both fat and casein with very little moisture.
5. Fried and Fast Foods
French fries, fried chicken, mozzarella sticks, and most drive-through meals are loaded with fat, which slows gastric emptying. That means food sits in your stomach longer before moving into the intestines, and the entire transit process drags. Fast food meals also tend to be built around refined grains (white buns, tortillas) and offer minimal vegetables. A typical fast food meal might contain 30 or 40 grams of fat and only 2 or 3 grams of fiber.
6. Unripe Bananas
This one surprises people because ripe bananas can actually help with constipation. The difference comes down to chemistry. Green, unripe bananas are high in tannins and resistant starch. Tannins slow peristalsis, the rhythmic muscle contractions that move food through your digestive tract. Resistant starch is a carbohydrate your small intestine can’t easily break down, so it passes into the colon largely intact. As bananas ripen and turn yellow, that resistant starch converts into simple sugars and the tannin content drops. Ripe bananas are rich in soluble fiber, which softens stool and supports regular bowel movements. If you’re prone to constipation, let your bananas get spotted before eating them.
7. Chocolate
Chocolate, particularly milk chocolate, is a frequently reported constipation trigger. It’s high in fat and sugar, low in fiber, and often consumed alongside other low-fiber foods (think cookies, cake, and ice cream). Some researchers suspect that compounds in cocoa itself may slow intestinal contractions, though the evidence is mixed. Interestingly, dark chocolate in small amounts may be less problematic, and one animal study found that chocolate combined with specific probiotic strains actually increased bowel movement frequency. But the standard candy bar or dessert chocolate is a different story, delivering mostly fat and sugar with little to offset them.
8. Persimmons
Persimmons, particularly the astringent varieties eaten before they’re fully ripe, are high in tannic acid. Tannins bind to proteins in the digestive tract and can slow motility significantly. In extreme cases, eating large amounts of persimmons has caused intestinal blockages. Case reports published in gastroenterology journals have documented persimmon-related obstructions in the stomach and duodenum. If you enjoy persimmons, stick to fully ripe fruit in moderate portions. Ripe persimmons are lower in tannins and far less likely to cause problems.
9. Alcohol
Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it increases fluid loss through urine. When your body is dehydrated, your colon compensates by absorbing more water from the stool passing through it. The result is harder, drier stool that’s difficult to move. This effect compounds over multiple drinks or over several days of regular drinking. Beer and wine may seem like they contain enough liquid to offset the dehydration, but the diuretic effect outpaces the fluid you’re taking in. If you drink alcohol regularly and notice constipation, increasing your water intake alongside (or instead of) alcoholic drinks is the most direct fix.
10. Snack Foods and Chips
Potato chips, cheese puffs, pretzels, and similar packaged snacks are made from refined starches, cooked in oil, and heavily salted. They deliver almost no fiber per serving while adding fat and sodium. Because they’re easy to eat in large quantities, they can displace fiber-rich snacks like fruit, nuts, or raw vegetables. A single ounce of potato chips contains less than one gram of fiber. Eating these regularly as your go-to snack creates a cumulative fiber deficit that shows up as infrequent or hard-to-pass stools over time.
The Pattern Behind These Foods
Looking at this list, the underlying pattern is consistent. Constipating foods are some combination of high in fat, low in fiber, and dehydrating. Fat slows the speed at which food moves through your system. Lack of fiber means stool stays small, dry, and hard. And anything that pulls water out of your body (alcohol, excess sodium) leaves less moisture in the colon to keep things moving.
You don’t necessarily have to eliminate any of these foods entirely. Constipation is usually the result of an overall dietary pattern, not a single food. If your total fiber intake consistently hits 25 to 30 grams per day and you stay well-hydrated, the occasional burger or slice of white bread is unlikely to cause problems. The trouble starts when several of these foods dominate your diet at the same time, day after day, with little fiber or water to balance them out.