Bland, low-fiber foods like plain white rice, bananas, toast, and applesauce are among the best options when your stomach hurts. These foods are easy to digest, unlikely to trigger nausea, and help calm your digestive system while it recovers. But you’re not limited to just those four items, and what works best depends on the type of stomach trouble you’re dealing with.
The BRAT Diet and Beyond
The BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) has been a go-to recommendation for decades, and for good reason. Plain white rice is low in fiber and adds bulk to loose stools, helping slow down bowel movements. White toast absorbs excess liquid in the digestive tract. Bananas supply potassium, a mineral your body loses quickly during diarrhea or vomiting. And both bananas and applesauce contain pectin, a soluble fiber that binds water and helps firm up watery stools.
That said, there’s no clinical evidence that restricting yourself to only these four foods speeds recovery. Brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and unsweetened dry cereals are equally gentle on the stomach and give you more variety. The key is choosing foods that are bland, low in fat, and simple to digest. If your appetite returns, you can generally go back to eating normally, even if symptoms like mild diarrhea linger.
Start With Clear Liquids
If your stomach ache comes with nausea or vomiting, solid food may not appeal to you at all. Clear liquids are the gentlest starting point. They keep you hydrated, replace electrolytes like sodium and potassium, and put minimal strain on your digestive system. Good options include water, clear fat-free broth (like bouillon or consommé), sports drinks, pulp-free apple or white grape juice, and plain tea. Avoid adding milk or cream to tea or coffee.
Once you can keep liquids down comfortably, transition to the bland solids described above. There’s no set waiting period. The NIDDK notes that most experts don’t recommend fasting or following a restricted diet for stomach illness. Eat when your appetite returns, and let your body guide you.
Ginger for Nausea
Ginger is one of the most effective natural options for nausea-related stomach aches. A compound in ginger root called gingerol improves gastrointestinal motility, meaning it helps food move through your stomach and into the rest of the digestive tract rather than sitting there. When food lingers too long in the stomach, it creates that heavy, nauseated feeling. Ginger helps prevent that.
Johns Hopkins Medicine recommends getting ginger from food and beverages rather than supplements, which can contain unlisted ingredients. Freshly grated ginger root, ginger paste, dry ginger powder, and ginger tea all work well. Even a small amount steeped in hot water can provide relief within minutes.
Peppermint for Cramping
If your stomach ache involves cramping or spasms, peppermint can help. It works by relaxing the smooth muscle in your digestive tract, which reduces the painful contractions that cause crampy stomach pain. Peppermint tea is the simplest way to try it.
One important caveat: peppermint also relaxes the valve between your esophagus and stomach. If your stomach pain is related to acid reflux or heartburn, peppermint will likely make it worse by allowing stomach acid to travel upward. Skip it if you notice burning in your chest or throat.
Fermented Foods for Recovery
Once the worst of your stomach ache has passed, fermented foods can help restore the balance of beneficial bacteria in your gut. Kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso all contain probiotics that support digestion and promote gut health. Kefir is particularly rich in live organisms, more so than yogurt.
The key is introducing these foods gradually. Start with about a quarter cup per day for a week. If you don’t experience bloating or gas, increase to half a cup the next week, working up to a cup daily. Jumping straight to large servings of fermented food on an already sensitive stomach can backfire and cause more discomfort. Kombucha is an option too, but many brands are loaded with added sugar, and the carbonation can irritate a tender stomach. It’s better as an occasional choice than a primary source of probiotics.
Foods to Avoid Until You Feel Better
What you don’t eat matters just as much as what you do. Several food categories are known to irritate the stomach lining or worsen symptoms:
- Spicy foods can trigger heartburn and intensify nausea.
- High-fat or greasy foods are harder to digest and slow gastric emptying, which prolongs that uncomfortable full feeling.
- Dairy products like milk, cheese, and ice cream can be difficult to process when your gut is inflamed, especially if you have any degree of lactose sensitivity.
- Acidic foods like oranges, grapefruits, tomatoes, and lemons irritate the stomach lining directly.
- Alcohol relaxes the sphincter in your esophagus, increasing heartburn, and acts as a direct irritant to an already inflamed gut.
- Caffeine stimulates acid production, which can worsen pain if your stomach lining is sensitive.
These are temporary restrictions. Once your stomach feels settled for a full day, you can begin reintroducing your regular foods. Most people tolerate their normal diet within 24 to 48 hours of symptoms improving.
A Practical Eating Plan
If your stomach ache is severe enough that eating feels impossible, start with small sips of water or broth. Once you can keep liquids down, try a few bites of plain rice, a banana, or some toast. Eat small amounts frequently rather than full meals. This puts less strain on your digestive system at any one time.
As you improve, add in boiled potatoes, oatmeal, plain crackers, and brothy soups. Ginger tea between meals can help manage lingering nausea. After a day or two of bland eating, you can begin returning to your normal diet. Introduce fermented foods like yogurt or kefir once you’re consistently keeping food down, and build up the serving size slowly over a few weeks to get the most gut health benefit without triggering new discomfort.