Milly Gaines
If you're experiencing nausea or vomiting, it's important to focus on foods that are bland and gentle on the stomach. This is where the BRAT diet—consisting of bananas, rice, apples or applesauce, and toast—comes in. While once recommended for its effectiveness in easing nausea and vomiting, it's now considered too restrictive. Instead, it's best to opt for soft fruits like bananas, avocados, and canned fruit; steamed or boiled vegetables; and low-fibre starches such as white bread and rice. Dry foods like crackers, pretzels, and cereals are also good options. It's best to avoid strongly flavoured foods, as well as coffee, spicy dishes, and fried foods. Staying hydrated is key, so make sure to sip on water throughout the day, and consider electrolyte beverages to replace lost electrolytes.
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What You'll Learn
Focus on hydration and rehydration
Vomiting can lead to dehydration, so it's important to focus on hydration and rehydration. Start by taking small sips of water every 15 minutes for the first three to four hours. You can also suck on ice chips. After that, you can introduce clear fluids like water, diluted juices, and ginger ale. Ginger has natural anti-inflammatory properties and can help soothe inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. You can drink raw ginger steeped in hot water, enjoy it as ginger tea, or cook it into a soup.
It is also recommended to eat foods that are mostly liquid, like Jell-O, clear broth, and popsicles. These foods provide hydration and are easy to digest. As your stomach recovers, you can introduce small amounts of bland, soft, and starchy foods like bananas, rice, applesauce, crackers, cooked cereals, toast, and jelly. Bananas are a good source of potassium, which can help replace lost electrolytes.
If you are able to tolerate more solid foods, choose dry, plain, and bland options that require little to no preparation and have no strong odor. Examples include dry foods such as crackers, pretzels, toast, noodles, and cereals. These foods are less likely to trigger nausea and can be quickly eaten without causing further discomfort. It is important to avoid fatty foods as they digest more slowly and can cause nausea.
To prevent dehydration, choose liquids that contain some sugar and salt, such as Pedialyte or apple juice with a pinch of salt. Clear, cool beverages are generally recommended, and you should take whatever you feel you can tolerate. It is also important to avoid sugary or caffeinated drinks, as they can contribute to dehydration.
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Eat dry, bland, starchy foods
When you are throwing up, it is recommended that you eat dry, bland, and starchy foods. This is because nausea and vomiting can be triggered by strong-smelling foods, and bland, dry, and starchy foods are often more easily tolerated by the body. It is also important to eat foods that are nutritious and provide energy to help your body stay strong and recover.
Some examples of dry, bland, and starchy foods that you can eat when you are throwing up include:
- Crackers
- Pretzels
- Toast
- Cereals
- Noodles
- Rice
- Bread
- Potatoes
These foods are quick and easy meal fixes that require little to no preparation and have no strong odor. They can also be helpful in settling your stomach. It is important to note that everyone is different, and different foods work for different people. It may take some trial and error to find the right foods that ease or trigger your nausea and vomiting.
In addition to eating dry, bland, and starchy foods, it is also important to stay hydrated by drinking clear fluids. Water is always a good source of hydration, but if you have been throwing up, you may also need to replace lost electrolytes. You may tolerate sipping cold drinks throughout the day better than drinking a lot at once, especially if you have been vomiting. You can also suck on ice chips to help with hydration.
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Consume foods with high water content
When you are throwing up, it is important to consume foods with high water content to prevent dehydration. Dehydration is a serious complication of vomiting, and it is crucial to focus on rehydration. Eating foods with high water content helps to replenish the body's fluids and restore lost electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium.
Bland, easily digestible foods are recommended when you are throwing up. The BRAT diet, consisting of bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast, is a well-known approach to easing nausea and vomiting. Bananas, in particular, are a good source of potassium, which can help replace lost electrolytes. They are also naturally soft, making them gentle on the stomach and easy for the body to digest.
Other foods with high water content that can be beneficial include soft fruits like applesauce, avocado, pumpkin, canned fruit (packed in water), and melons. These foods provide hydration and essential nutrients while being gentle on the stomach. Steamed or boiled vegetables, such as carrots, green beans, potatoes, and squash, are also suitable options.
Clear, cool beverages are recommended to stay hydrated. This includes clear soups, diluted juices, ginger ale, and electrolyte beverages. You can also suck on ice chips or popsicles to help with hydration. It is important to consume small amounts frequently, as large quantities may be difficult to tolerate.
In addition to the BRAT diet and high water content foods, there are other options that can be easily digested and help settle the stomach. These include dry, starchy foods like crackers, noodles, and pretzels. It is important to listen to your body and choose foods that you feel comfortable consuming.
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Avoid fatty foods, sugar and caffeine
Vomiting is your body's way of ridding itself of toxins and poisons. After throwing up, it is important to give your stomach time to recover. Focus on staying hydrated by drinking small sips of water every 15 minutes for the first three to four hours. You can also sip on clear fluids like diluted juices and ginger ale, or suck on ice chips.
When it comes to food, it is best to avoid fatty foods, sugar, and caffeine. Fatty foods can slow down digestion and cause nausea. Opt for dry, starchy, and bland foods like crackers, noodles, toast, and cereals. These foods require little to no preparation and have no strong odour, which is beneficial as the sight and smell of food can trigger nausea.
Sugar, especially refined sugar, can feed opportunistic bacteria in the digestive tract, leading to gastrointestinal issues. Additionally, sugar and caffeinated drinks can cause dehydration, which is a concern when you've been vomiting. Instead, choose low-FODMAP foods like grapes, carrots, and soy milk, which are easy to digest and help create a balanced gut.
If you're experiencing nausea along with vomiting, it's important to eat nutritious foods that provide energy and help your body recover. Bananas are a great option as they are energy-dense and packed with potassium and vitamin B6. Other options include avocados, porridge, stewed fruits, mashed potatoes, and peanut butter. Applesauce is also recommended for those dealing with nausea or diarrhea.
It is generally recommended to avoid solid foods for the first few hours after vomiting and to slowly introduce bland, soft foods as your stomach recovers. Listen to your body and make sure to stay hydrated throughout the recovery process.
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Choose foods with natural sugars and carbohydrates
When you're throwing up, it's important to focus on rehydration, restoring electrolytes, energy supply, settling your stomach, and boosting your immunity. Eating foods with natural sugars and carbohydrates can help with the latter two.
Bananas are a great source of natural sugars and carbohydrates, making them a nutritious, energy-dense snack. They are easy to eat and digest, and they can help with nausea. A medium-sized banana contains 105 calories, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 9% of your daily potassium needs, and 25% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin B6. Bananas are also a good source of potassium, which can help replenish electrolytes lost during vomiting.
Other foods that are rich in natural sugars and carbohydrates include applesauce, avocado, porridge, stewed fruits, mashed potatoes, and peanut butter. Applesauce is part of the BRAT diet, which stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. This bland food combination is easy to digest and shouldn't irritate the stomach. Soft, energy-dense foods like avocados, porridge, and mashed potatoes can also help provide the calories and nutrients needed for recovery.
In addition to natural sugars, it is also important to consume salty foods to replenish lost electrolytes. This can include eating salty snacks or drinking liquids that contain sugar and salt, such as apple juice with a pinch of salt. However, it is important to avoid overly sweet foods, especially if you have been vomiting, as they can cause dehydration.
It is recommended to eat small meals every few hours to help meet your calorie and protein needs. This can aid in recovery by providing the energy and nutrients needed to fight infection and restore strength.
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Frequently asked questions
It is recommended that you give your stomach a rest for a few hours after throwing up. Start by drinking small sips of water or sucking on ice chips, then progress to bland, low-fat foods like bananas, rice, applesauce, crackers, toast, and yogurt.
Avoid fatty foods, as they digest more slowly and can cause nausea. Stay away from sugar and sugary or caffeinated drinks, which can lead to dehydration. Also, avoid raw vegetables, citrus fruits, and spicy foods.
Focus on hydration by drinking clear fluids like water, diluted juices, and ginger ale. You can also try clear soups, flavored gelatin, carbonated beverages, and popsicles. If you have been vomiting, choose drinks with sugar and salt to prevent dehydration, such as Pedialyte or apple juice with a pinch of salt.
The BRAT diet, which stands for Bananas, Rice, Apples or Applesauce, and Toast, was often recommended for nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. However, it is no longer widely suggested due to its restrictive nature.
While one episode of vomiting is usually not concerning, you should see a doctor if you are still vomiting after two days, especially if you have chest or belly pain, blood in your vomit, a high fever, or other concerning symptoms like dehydration or dizziness.
