Bland, low-fiber foods like white rice, bananas, plain toast, and boiled potatoes are the most reliable choices when you have diarrhea. They’re easy to digest, unlikely to irritate your gut, and they help firm up loose stools. But what you eat matters less than how you eat it: small portions, frequent meals, and plenty of fluids will do more for your recovery than any single food.
Best Foods During Active Diarrhea
When your stomach is at its worst, stick with foods that are soft, plain, and low in fat. White rice, ripe bananas, plain toast, applesauce, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, and saltine crackers are all gentle on the digestive tract. Brothy soups and dry cereal also work well. The goal is to give your body calories and some nutrients without triggering more cramping or loose stools.
You may have heard of the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast). It’s fine as a starting point for the first day or so, but it’s no longer recommended as a strict plan. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against following it for more than 24 hours in children because it lacks protein, calcium, vitamin B12, and enough fiber to actually help the gut recover. For adults, the same logic applies. Use those foods as a base, but don’t limit yourself to only those four items.
Foods That Help Firm Up Stools
Soluble fiber is your best ally for getting stools back to normal. Unlike insoluble fiber (the rough, scratchy kind in wheat bran), soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance in your gut. This gel helps absorb excess water in the colon, firming up loose or liquid stool. It works in both directions: softening hard stool in constipation and thickening watery stool in diarrhea.
Good sources of soluble fiber that are also easy on the stomach include oats, oat bran, ripe bananas, applesauce, and peeled, cooked potatoes. Barley and white rice also contain some. Berries are especially rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber, though you may want to wait until you’re feeling better before adding them back since their seeds and acidity can bother some people mid-episode.
Adding Protein as You Improve
Once your stomach starts settling, usually after the first 24 to 48 hours, you can begin adding more nutritious foods. Scrambled eggs, baked chicken with the skin removed, and plain turkey are good early protein options. Chicken noodle soup is a classic for a reason: it provides sodium, a small amount of protein, and liquid all at once. The broth also helps guard against dehydration.
Low-sugar yogurt and kefir are worth considering even though dairy is generally on the “avoid” list during diarrhea. These fermented foods contain live bacterial cultures that can support your gut’s recovery. Just choose plain varieties and skip anything loaded with added sugar, which can pull more water into the intestines and make things worse.
Why Probiotics Help
Two probiotic strains have the strongest evidence for shortening diarrhea: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (often labeled LGG) and Saccharomyces boulardii. In clinical trials, both reduced the duration of infectious diarrhea by roughly one day. That may not sound dramatic, but when you’re miserable, cutting a day off matters.
These strains are also effective at preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea. In one large analysis, Saccharomyces boulardii cut the risk of antibiotic-related diarrhea roughly in half for both adults and children. You can find both strains in supplement form at most pharmacies. Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and some aged cheeses contain beneficial bacteria too, though in lower and less standardized amounts.
Replacing Lost Electrolytes
Diarrhea drains potassium, sodium, and water from your body fast. Low potassium can leave you feeling weak and fatigued even after the diarrhea itself stops. Ripe bananas, potatoes, fish, and apricot or peach nectar are all potassium-rich foods that are relatively gentle on a recovering stomach.
For fluids, water is the foundation, but it doesn’t replace the salts and sugars your body is losing. Electrolyte drinks, diluted fruit juice, broth, and weak decaffeinated tea are all better options during active diarrhea. If you want to make a simple rehydration drink at home, the World Health Organization’s formula is straightforward: about 4 cups of water, half a teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Sip it throughout the day rather than drinking large amounts at once.
Foods and Drinks to Avoid
Some foods actively make diarrhea worse by pulling extra water into the intestines or speeding up digestion. The main culprits:
- Caffeine accelerates the digestive system. This includes coffee, tea, chocolate, and many sodas.
- Dairy products like milk, soft cheese, and ice cream contain lactose, which many people struggle to digest even under normal circumstances. Diarrhea can temporarily reduce your ability to break down lactose, making the problem worse.
- Fatty and fried foods that aren’t absorbed properly in the small intestine pass into the colon, where they trigger fluid secretion and more loose stools.
- Fructose in large amounts draws water into the bowel. Fruit juice, regular soda, and sweetened applesauce are common sources. People who consume more than 40 to 80 grams of fructose per day often develop diarrhea from the sugar alone.
- Sugar alcohols like sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol, found in sugar-free gum, candy, and some medications, are poorly absorbed and cause osmotic diarrhea.
- Spicy foods can irritate the lining of the digestive tract and often contain hidden fats that compound the problem.
- Alcohol is both dehydrating and irritating to the gut.
If you notice that diarrhea keeps returning even when you’re not sick, the trigger may be a specific food sensitivity. Gluten, high-fructose foods, and the broader group of poorly absorbed sugars known as FODMAPs (found in wheat, onions, garlic, beans, and certain fruits) are among the most common dietary causes of chronic loose stools.
A Practical Recovery Timeline
In the first six hours of a stomach illness, focus only on ice chips. Don’t try to force food or large amounts of liquid. After six hours, if you’re keeping ice chips down, move to clear liquids: water, broth, diluted apple or grape juice. Keep everything flat and transparent, avoiding carbonated drinks.
After about 24 hours, try small amounts of bland solid food. This is where bananas, plain rice, toast, oatmeal, and crackers come in. Eat small portions and see how your body responds before eating more. Over the next few days, gradually add scrambled eggs, skinless chicken, cooked vegetables, and low-sugar yogurt. Monitor how each new food makes you feel before adding the next one.
Most people are back to their normal diet within a week. Continue avoiding caffeine, fried foods, fatty foods, spicy foods, and alcohol until you’ve had at least a couple of days of normal bowel movements. Reintroducing these too early is one of the most common reasons recovery stalls.