Bland, low-fiber foods that are easy to digest work best when you have diarrhea. Bananas, white rice, applesauce, toast, brothy soups, boiled potatoes, and oatmeal are all safe choices that won’t irritate your gut further. But you don’t need to limit yourself to just a handful of foods, and eating a slightly wider range of gentle options will actually help you recover faster by giving your body the nutrients it needs.
Why the BRAT Diet Is a Starting Point, Not a Plan
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It’s been recommended for decades, but no studies have actually tested whether it works better than other approaches. Harvard Health notes that while sticking to these four foods is fine for a day or two, a less restrictive diet makes more sense for recovery. The problem with BRAT is that it’s low in protein, fat, and many vitamins, so staying on it too long can slow healing.
A better approach is to use BRAT foods as your base and add other gentle options as soon as your stomach tolerates them. Think of it as a spectrum: start with the blandest foods you can handle, then gradually expand.
Best Foods to Eat During Diarrhea
The goal is to choose foods that are soft, low in fiber, and unlikely to stimulate your gut. These all fit the bill:
- White rice and plain pasta: Low in fiber and easy to digest. Avoid brown rice or whole wheat, which contain insoluble fiber that can speed things up.
- Bananas: Especially ripe ones. They’re rich in potassium, a mineral you lose in large amounts through diarrhea. Low potassium can leave you feeling weak and fatigued.
- Applesauce: Provides soluble fiber, which absorbs excess water in the intestines and helps firm up loose stool.
- Plain toast or crackers: White bread is better than whole grain here. The lower fiber content is gentler on your digestive system.
- Brothy soups: Chicken broth or clear vegetable broth replaces both fluids and sodium. Keep them simple, without cream or heavy spices.
- Boiled or baked potatoes: Eat them without the skin. Potatoes are another good source of potassium and are very easy to digest.
- Oatmeal: Contains soluble fiber that thickens stool by absorbing water in the intestines. Cook it with water instead of milk.
Once your symptoms start improving, you can add cooked carrots, sweet potatoes (without skin), cooked squash like butternut or pumpkin, skinless chicken or turkey, fish, eggs, and avocado. These foods are still bland and easy to digest but provide the protein and nutrients your body needs to bounce back.
How Soluble Fiber Helps
Not all fiber is the same. Insoluble fiber, found in leafy greens, fruit skins, nuts, seeds, and popcorn, speeds food through your gut and will make diarrhea worse. Soluble fiber does the opposite. It dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance that slows digestion and absorbs excess fluid from loose stool.
Soluble fiber also delays gastric emptying, meaning food moves out of your stomach more slowly. This gives your intestines more time to absorb water and nutrients. Good sources of soluble fiber that are gentle enough during diarrhea include oatmeal, applesauce, bananas, and peeled white potatoes. Psyllium husk supplements also contain soluble fiber and have been shown to improve stool consistency in people with watery diarrhea.
Replacing Lost Fluids and Electrolytes
Diarrhea pulls water and minerals out of your body quickly. Dehydration is the main risk, especially if episodes are frequent or last more than a day or two. You need to actively replace what you’re losing.
Water alone isn’t enough. You also need sodium and potassium. Broth provides sodium. Bananas, potatoes, fish, and apricot or peach nectar are good potassium sources that won’t upset your stomach. Sports drinks and oral rehydration solutions work well too. Popsicles made from fruit juice are another option if drinking large amounts of liquid feels uncomfortable. Aim to take small, frequent sips rather than gulping down a full glass at once.
Foods and Drinks to Avoid
Some common foods and drinks actively make diarrhea worse by stimulating your gut or pulling more water into your intestines.
Caffeine speeds up your digestive system, which is the last thing you want when things are already moving too fast. Coffee, tea, energy drinks, and caffeinated sodas should all wait until you’ve recovered. Alcohol has a similar stimulating effect and also contributes to dehydration.
Dairy products are tricky. Milk, ice cream, cheese, and butter contain lactose, a sugar that many people have difficulty digesting even under normal circumstances. When your gut is already irritated, the temporary drop in your ability to break down lactose can make diarrhea worse. The exception is yogurt with live active cultures, which contains less lactose and may provide beneficial bacteria. Lactose-free milk and soy-based alternatives are also fine.
Sugar-free gum and candy often contain sugar alcohols like sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol. These are poorly absorbed in the gut and pull water into the intestines, loosening stool. Even small amounts can trigger diarrhea in sensitive individuals. Check labels on “sugar-free” or “diet” products.
Other foods to skip: fried or greasy foods, spicy dishes, acidic foods like citrus and tomato sauce, sugary desserts, and raw vegetables. Anything with insoluble fiber, including salads, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds, should wait until your digestion normalizes.
The Role of Probiotics
Probiotic-rich foods and supplements can shorten a bout of diarrhea, particularly when it’s caused by a stomach bug or antibiotics. A large analysis of 84 clinical trials found that certain probiotic strains reduced diarrhea duration by roughly one day compared to placebo. Saccharomyces boulardii, a beneficial yeast, performed the best overall. It also cut the risk of diarrhea lasting two or more days by about 78%.
You can get probiotics from yogurt with live cultures, kefir (if you tolerate dairy), fermented soy products like miso, and supplements. If you’re choosing a supplement specifically for diarrhea, look for one containing Saccharomyces boulardii or Lactobacillus reuteri, which had the strongest evidence behind them.
Feeding Children With Diarrhea
Kids follow similar principles but with a few important differences. Breastfed infants should continue breastfeeding, as breast milk provides both hydration and immune factors that help fight infection. Formula-fed babies can typically continue their regular formula, though switching to a lactose-free formula may help if diarrhea persists.
For older children, offer the same gentle foods recommended for adults: bananas, rice, toast, boiled potatoes, and brothy soups. Swap regular milk for lactose-free milk or soy milk until symptoms resolve. Yogurt with live cultures is a good option. Avoid whole milk, ice cream, sugary juices, and anything fried. Children dehydrate faster than adults, so keeping up with fluids is especially important. Oral rehydration solutions designed for children are the most effective way to replace lost electrolytes.
How to Transition Back to Normal Eating
There’s no set timeline for returning to your regular diet. The general pattern is to start with clear liquids and the blandest foods when symptoms are at their worst, then add soft, cooked foods with more nutritional value as your stool starts firming up. Most people can reintroduce lean proteins like chicken, fish, and eggs within a day or two of improvement.
The foods you should add back last are dairy (other than yogurt), raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fatty foods, and anything spicy or acidic. Give your gut a few days of normal stool before testing these. If a particular food triggers a return of loose stool, back off and try again in another day or two. Your intestinal lining needs time to fully heal, and rushing the process can restart the cycle.