Bland, low-fiber foods like bananas, white rice, applesauce, and plain toast are among the best choices when your stomach is upset. These foods are soft, easy to digest, and unlikely to further irritate your gastrointestinal tract. But they’re just the starting point. Depending on whether you’re dealing with nausea, cramping, or diarrhea, different foods and drinks can help in different ways.
Start With Clear Liquids
Before you worry about food, focus on fluids. Vomiting and diarrhea pull water and electrolytes out of your body fast, and dehydration often makes nausea worse. Clear liquids give your stomach something to work with without asking it to do much digesting.
Good options include water, clear broth or bouillon, strained fruit juices without pulp (apple or white grape), sports drinks, plain gelatin, and popsicles without fruit pieces or cream. Tea and coffee without milk are fine too, though caffeine can be irritating if your stomach is especially sensitive. Sip small amounts frequently rather than gulping a full glass, which can trigger more nausea.
Most people only need a clear liquid phase for a few hours to a day. If you can’t keep liquids down for more than 24 hours, that’s a sign something more serious may be going on.
The BRAT Diet and Why It Works
BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These four foods are soft, bland, and low in fiber, which means they move through your digestive system without demanding much effort. They’re gentle enough to eat when almost everything else sounds terrible.
Each one brings something slightly different to the table. Bananas replace potassium lost through vomiting or diarrhea. White rice provides easy calories without the fiber load that can aggravate an already irritated gut. Applesauce contains pectin, a type of soluble fiber found in fruit that may slow the movement of stool through your intestines, helping firm things up if you’re dealing with diarrhea. Plain white toast gives you simple carbohydrates your body can convert to energy quickly.
That said, the BRAT diet is nutritionally limited. It’s low in protein, fat, and several vitamins. Think of it as a one- to two-day reset, not a week-long plan. Once your symptoms start improving, gradually add other mild foods back in.
Other Gentle Foods Worth Trying
You don’t have to stick strictly to those four foods. Plenty of other options are just as easy on your stomach:
- Crackers (saltines or plain): Similar to toast, they’re starchy and bland. The salt also helps with electrolyte replacement.
- Plain oatmeal: Cooked soft, it’s easy to digest and more filling than toast alone.
- Boiled or baked potatoes (no butter or sour cream): Another good source of potassium and gentle carbohydrates.
- Steamed or boiled chicken (skinless): When you’re ready for protein, plain chicken is one of the least irritating options.
- Clear soups or broth-based soups: Warm broth delivers fluids, sodium, and a small amount of nutrition in an easy-to-tolerate form.
The common thread is low fat, low fiber, minimal seasoning, and soft texture. If it’s fried, creamy, crunchy, or heavily spiced, save it for when you’re feeling better.
Why White Rice Beats Brown Rice
If you normally eat brown rice for the health benefits, this is one time to switch. Brown rice has significantly more fiber, and fiber is harder for an irritated digestive system to process. White rice is easier to digest precisely because the outer bran layer has been removed. People with conditions like irritable bowel syndrome are often advised to choose white rice during flare-ups for the same reason. Once your stomach settles, you can go back to whole grains.
Ginger for Nausea
Ginger is one of the most studied natural remedies for nausea. It appears to work by blocking certain serotonin receptors in both the gut and the brain, which are involved in triggering the urge to vomit. Most clinical research has used between 250 mg and 1 g of powdered ginger root daily, typically split across multiple doses.
You don’t need capsules to get the benefit. Ginger tea (made from fresh sliced ginger steeped in hot water), ginger chews, or even flat ginger ale with real ginger can help. For pregnancy-related nausea specifically, studies have used about 250 mg of ginger four times a day with good results. Start with a small amount and see how your stomach responds, since too much ginger on a completely empty stomach can occasionally cause mild heartburn.
Peppermint for Cramping
If your upset stomach comes with cramping or abdominal spasms, peppermint may help. The menthol in peppermint relaxes the smooth muscle lining your digestive tract, which can ease that clenched, painful feeling in your gut.
Peppermint tea is the simplest way to try this. One important caveat: because peppermint relaxes muscles throughout your digestive tract, it can also relax the valve between your esophagus and stomach. If your upset stomach involves acid reflux or heartburn, peppermint may actually make that worse. Stick to ginger instead if reflux is part of the picture.
Probiotics Can Shorten Recovery
If your stomach troubles involve diarrhea, probiotics may help you recover faster. The evidence is strongest in specific strains. In one study of hospitalized children on antibiotics, those given a probiotic yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii had diarrhea lasting an average of 2.3 days compared to 9 days in the group that didn’t receive it. Other research has found that Lactobacillus strains can shorten diarrhea duration by roughly one to two days.
You can find these strains in supplement form at most pharmacies. Yogurt with live active cultures is another option, though the concentration of beneficial bacteria is lower than in supplements. If dairy sounds unappealing or tends to bother your stomach, a capsule is the better route. Look for products that list specific strain names on the label rather than just “probiotic blend.”
Foods and Drinks to Avoid
What you don’t eat matters just as much as what you do. Fat naturally slows stomach emptying, which means greasy or fried foods sit in your stomach longer and can worsen nausea, bloating, and discomfort. Skip anything fried, creamy, or made with butter or heavy oils until you’re feeling normal again.
Spicy foods containing capsaicin can directly irritate an already inflamed stomach lining. Dairy products (other than plain yogurt) are harder to digest for many people during a stomach illness, partly because a temporary drop in the enzyme that breaks down lactose is common during intestinal infections. Alcohol, carbonated drinks, and highly acidic foods like citrus and tomatoes can all add to irritation. Raw vegetables and high-fiber foods like whole grains, beans, and nuts require more digestive work and are better saved for after recovery.
How to Ease Back Into Normal Eating
The transition matters. Going from toast and broth straight to a burger is a reliable way to end up feeling terrible again. After a day or two on bland foods, start adding items one at a time. Try a small portion of steamed vegetables, a piece of plain fish, or some well-cooked pasta. If your stomach handles it without protest, add something else at the next meal.
Most mild stomach bugs and food-related upsets resolve within one to three days. If you’re still unable to keep bland foods down after 48 hours, or if you notice blood in your stool, a fever above 101.3°F, or signs of dehydration like dark urine, dizziness, or dry mouth, those are signs that warrant medical attention rather than another day of crackers and ginger tea.