Several everyday foods can calm a stomach ache, depending on what’s causing it. Ginger, bananas, plain rice, applesauce, and peppermint tea are among the most reliable options. The key is choosing foods that are easy to digest, low in fat, and gentle on an irritated digestive lining.
Ginger for Nausea and Cramping
Ginger is one of the best-studied foods for settling an upset stomach, particularly when nausea is involved. Its active compounds, called gingerols, help reduce nausea signals and can ease that queasy, unsettled feeling. You can use it in several forms: fresh ginger sliced into hot water, ginger chews, or ginger tea. Even small amounts are effective. In clinical trials for chemotherapy-related nausea, patients saw improvement with capsules containing roughly 84 milligrams of active ginger compounds per day, which is far less than what you’d get from a strong cup of ginger tea.
If your stomach ache comes with waves of nausea or you feel like you might vomit, ginger is a good first choice. Avoid ginger ale, though. Most brands contain very little actual ginger and are carbonated, which can make bloating worse.
Peppermint for Bloating and Spasms
Peppermint works differently from ginger. The menthol in peppermint acts as a natural muscle relaxant for your digestive tract. It interferes with calcium signaling in smooth muscle cells, which is the same mechanism some prescription antispasmodic medications use. This makes peppermint especially helpful when your stomach ache involves cramping, bloating, or that tight, pressured feeling after eating.
Peppermint tea is the simplest way to get this benefit. Sip it warm, not scalding. One thing to note: if your stomach ache is caused by acid reflux, peppermint can actually make it worse by relaxing the valve between your esophagus and stomach. Stick with ginger or chamomile instead if heartburn is part of the picture.
Chamomile for Stress-Related Stomach Pain
If your stomach tends to flare up during stressful periods, chamomile tea pulls double duty. It contains compounds called apigenin and bisabolol that reduce inflammation in the digestive lining while also producing mild sedative effects. That combination makes it particularly useful for the kind of stomach ache that shows up alongside anxiety, tension, or poor sleep. Brew a cup and drink it slowly. Chamomile is gentle enough to sip throughout the day.
Bland Foods That Let Your Gut Rest
When your stomach is actively upset, the goal isn’t to fix it with the perfect food. It’s to stop making things worse. Bland, low-fiber, low-fat foods require minimal digestive effort, which gives your gut a chance to calm down.
The classic options include white rice, plain toast, bananas, and applesauce. Bananas are especially useful because they’re soft, easy to digest, and replace potassium lost through vomiting or diarrhea. Applesauce contains pectin, a type of soluble fiber that firms up loose stool and coats the digestive tract with a soothing layer. Plain crackers, oatmeal, and broth also work well.
You may have heard of the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) as the standard recommendation for stomach trouble. It’s still fine as a starting point for a day or two, but it’s no longer considered a complete recovery plan. The American Academy of Pediatrics no longer recommends it for children because it lacks protein, calcium, vitamin B12, and enough fiber to actually help the gut heal. For adults, Cleveland Clinic advises treating it as a short-term measure rather than following it strictly for more than 24 to 48 hours.
What to Eat When You’re Recovering
If your stomach ache followed food poisoning or a stomach bug, the timeline for reintroducing food matters as much as the food itself. Eating too much too soon can restart nausea and cramping.
In the first several hours after vomiting stops, stick to ice chips or a popsicle. Don’t try to chew or swallow food yet. After about six hours, if the ice chips stay down, move to sipping clear liquids: water, apple juice, grape juice, or plain broth. Avoid anything carbonated or opaque.
After 24 hours, you can try bland solid foods like bananas, rice, toast, or plain oatmeal. Keep portions small. Most people return to their normal diet within about a week, though everyone recovers at a different pace. The guiding principle is simple: if a food makes you feel worse, stop eating it and go back a step.
Foods and Drinks to Avoid
Some foods that seem harmless can aggravate a stomach ache significantly. While you’re symptomatic, avoid:
- Dairy products: Lactose is harder to digest when the gut lining is irritated, even if you’re not normally lactose intolerant.
- Fatty or fried foods: Fat slows stomach emptying, which can worsen nausea and that heavy, uncomfortable feeling.
- Spicy foods: Capsaicin irritates an already inflamed digestive lining.
- Caffeine and alcohol: Both increase stomach acid production and can trigger cramping.
- Carbonated drinks: The gas adds pressure to an already distressed stomach, worsening bloating and discomfort.
- Raw vegetables and high-fiber foods: These require significant digestive work, which is the opposite of what your gut needs right now.
When Food Won’t Fix the Problem
Most stomach aches resolve on their own with gentle eating and time. But certain patterns suggest something more serious is going on. Pain that starts near your belly button and moves to your lower right side, especially if it worsens when you cough or move, can signal appendicitis. Upper abdominal pain that gets worse after eating, combined with nausea, fever, or a rapid pulse, may point to pancreatitis.
An emergency room visit is warranted if the pain is severe enough to interrupt your ability to function, if you can’t keep any liquids down, if you’re unable to have a bowel movement alongside severe pain (particularly if you’ve had abdominal surgery in the past), or if the pain feels like something you’ve experienced before but noticeably worse. Kidney stones can also cause sudden, intense cramping in the lower abdomen that hits maximum intensity almost immediately.
For everyday stomach aches from mild food reactions, stress, or a passing bug, the foods above give your body what it needs to settle down and recover.