When your stomach is upset, the best foods are bland, soft, and low in fat. Bananas, plain rice, applesauce, toast, brothy soups, boiled potatoes, crackers, and oatmeal are all safe choices that are easy to digest and unlikely to make things worse. The goal is to give your digestive system as little work as possible while still getting some calories and nutrients in.
The BRAT Diet and Beyond
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It’s a fine starting point for the first day or two of stomach flu, food poisoning, or traveler’s diarrhea. But you don’t need to limit yourself to just those four foods. Brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, plain crackers, and unsweetened dry cereals are equally gentle on your stomach.
What these foods have in common is that they’re soft, low in fiber, and low in fat. Fat slows digestion and keeps food sitting in your stomach longer, which is the last thing you want when you’re already nauseous. Fiber, while normally healthy, can irritate an already inflamed gut. Bland foods move through your system without triggering extra acid production or putting stress on your digestive tract.
Foods to Add as You Start Feeling Better
Once the worst has passed and you can keep bland foods down, start working in options with more nutritional value. Cooked squash (butternut or pumpkin), cooked carrots, sweet potatoes without the skin, avocado, skinless chicken or turkey, white fish, eggs, and tofu are all good next steps. These are still easy to digest, but they provide the protein and nutrients your body needs to actually recover.
Other options that tend to sit well include creamy peanut butter on toast, refined pasta, canned fruit, gelatin, pudding, custard, and graham crackers. Weak tea is fine too. The common thread is soft textures, mild flavors, and minimal fat. If something is steamed, baked, or boiled rather than fried, it’s generally a safer bet.
Staying Hydrated Matters More Than Eating
If your upset stomach involves vomiting or diarrhea, replacing lost fluids is more urgent than getting food in. Water is the obvious choice, but plain water alone doesn’t replace the sodium and other electrolytes you lose. Oral rehydration solutions, which you can find at any pharmacy, are specifically designed with a balance of sodium and glucose that helps your gut absorb fluid efficiently. Broth, diluted fruit juice, and electrolyte drinks also work.
Take small, frequent sips rather than gulping large amounts. Drinking too much at once can trigger more nausea. If you can’t keep any liquids down for more than a few hours, that’s a sign you may need medical help.
Ginger for Nausea
Ginger is one of the few natural remedies with solid clinical evidence behind it. Studies have tested doses ranging from about 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams per day, typically divided into smaller amounts taken three or four times throughout the day. You can get this through ginger capsules, ginger tea made from fresh ginger root, or even ginger chews. It’s particularly well studied for pregnancy-related nausea, but many people find it helpful for general stomach upset too.
Probiotics Can Speed Recovery
If your upset stomach involves diarrhea, probiotics may help you bounce back faster. A large evidence review found that probiotics reduced the average duration of diarrhea by roughly one day. You can find probiotics in yogurt (if dairy doesn’t bother you), kefir, or over-the-counter supplements. Look for products that contain well-studied strains, which are typically listed on the label.
What to Avoid Until You Feel Better
Some foods and drinks actively make an upset stomach worse. Fried and greasy foods are high in saturated fat, which takes significantly longer to break down and slows your whole digestive process. Spicy foods can irritate your gut lining and swing you between constipation and diarrhea. Caffeine and carbonated drinks can worsen acid reflux. Alcohol directly irritates the gut and can cause more nausea and vomiting.
Dairy is worth mentioning separately. If you’re lactose intolerant, even mildly so, an upset stomach can make that sensitivity worse. Skip milk, cheese, and ice cream until things settle. Also avoid common pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin, which can increase nausea and irritate your stomach lining.
If you have sensitive digestion in general, certain otherwise healthy foods can produce extra gas and bloating: beans, onions, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, asparagus, and dried fruits like raisins, apricots, and prunes. These are fine when you’re feeling normal, but they can add to your discomfort during a flare-up.
Signs Your Stomach Pain Needs Attention
Most upset stomachs resolve on their own within a day or two. But certain patterns signal something more serious. Pain that starts near your belly button and migrates to your lower right side, especially if it worsens when you move, cough, or take deep breaths, can indicate appendicitis. Upper abdominal pain that gets worse after eating, accompanied by nausea, fever, and a rapid pulse, may point to pancreatitis.
Seek emergency care if the pain is severe enough to interfere with normal functioning, if you can’t keep any liquids down, if you develop a fever along with abdominal pain, or if you notice swelling in your abdomen. Pain that resembles a previous episode but feels different this time, more intense or accompanied by new symptoms, also warrants a visit.