When you have food poisoning, the best things to eat are bland, easy-to-digest foods like plain rice, toast, bananas, crackers, and broth-based soups. But timing matters just as much as food choice. If you’re still actively vomiting, don’t try to eat yet. Focus on small sips of water or an oral rehydration solution first, and wait until you can keep liquids down before reaching for solid food.
Start With Liquids, Then Ease Into Food
Your first priority is staying hydrated. Vomiting and diarrhea drain your body of water and electrolytes fast, and dehydration is the most common complication of food poisoning. Take small, frequent sips of water, diluted broth, or an electrolyte drink. Don’t gulp large amounts at once, as that can trigger more vomiting.
Once you’ve kept liquids down for a few hours and feel ready, try nibbling on something small and bland. There’s no strict timeline here. Some people feel ready to eat within a few hours of their last vomiting episode, while others need a full day. Don’t force food down if your stomach isn’t ready. Let your body set the pace.
The Best Foods During Recovery
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These are fine starting points, but you don’t need to limit yourself to just those four foods. The real principle is choosing things that are bland, low in fat, and easy for your stomach to process. Good options include:
- Plain white rice or plain oatmeal
- Dry toast or saltine crackers
- Bananas
- Brothy soups (chicken broth, vegetable broth)
- Boiled or baked potatoes (without butter or toppings)
- Plain grits or unsweetened dry cereal
Stick with small portions. A few bites at a time is perfectly fine, especially on the first day. If it stays down and your stomach feels okay, you can gradually eat a little more at your next attempt.
Adding More Nutrition as You Improve
The BRAT diet is low in protein, fat, and several vitamins, so it’s not something to stay on for more than a day or two. As your symptoms ease, start adding foods that are still gentle but more nutritious. Cooked carrots, sweet potatoes without the skin, butternut or pumpkin squash, avocado, skinless chicken or turkey, fish, and eggs all fit this category. They’re bland enough to be well tolerated but give your body the protein and nutrients it needs to actually recover.
Think of it as a gradual ramp-up over two to four days. Day one might be just broth and crackers. Day two could include rice with a small piece of plain chicken. By day three or four, most people can return close to their normal diet.
Foods and Drinks to Avoid
Some foods are likely to make diarrhea, cramping, or nausea worse while your gut is still irritated. Hold off on these until you’re fully recovered:
- Fatty or fried foods: Pizza, fast food, and anything greasy slows digestion and can worsen nausea.
- Dairy products: Milk, cheese, and ice cream contain lactose, a sugar that’s harder to digest when your gut is inflamed. Some people have trouble with lactose for up to a month after a bout of food poisoning.
- Caffeine: Coffee, tea, and caffeinated sodas can stimulate your intestines and make diarrhea worse.
- Sugary drinks and fruit juices: High amounts of simple sugar can draw water into your intestines and worsen diarrhea.
- Spicy foods: These irritate an already sensitive stomach lining.
- Alcohol: It’s dehydrating and irritating to the gut.
- High-fiber raw vegetables and whole grains: Normally healthy, but rough on a recovering digestive system. Save the salads and bran cereal for later.
What About Probiotics?
You’ll see probiotics recommended frequently for stomach issues, but the evidence is weaker than most people assume. A large Cochrane review of probiotic use during acute infectious diarrhea found no strong support for their effectiveness. Individual studies showed mixed results with significant inconsistencies between them. Probiotics are unlikely to hurt, but don’t count on a supplement or yogurt drink to shorten your illness in a meaningful way. Your money is better spent on electrolyte drinks.
Signs You Need Medical Attention
Most food poisoning resolves on its own within one to three days. But certain symptoms signal something more serious. The CDC recommends seeking medical care if you experience bloody diarrhea, diarrhea lasting more than three days, a fever above 102°F, or vomiting so frequent that you can’t keep any liquids down. Signs of dehydration also warrant a visit: not urinating much, a dry mouth and throat, or feeling dizzy when you stand up. Pregnant women who develop a fever with flu-like symptoms should also contact their doctor promptly.