When you have diarrhea, the best foods are bland, low-fiber, and easy to digest: white rice, bananas, plain chicken, eggs, oatmeal, brothy soups, and toast. These foods give your gut a break while providing the calories and nutrients you need to recover. Equally important is knowing what to avoid, since certain foods and drinks can make things significantly worse.
Why Bland Foods Help
Diarrhea happens when your intestines push food through too quickly or release too much water into your stool. The goal with food choices is to slow that process down and absorb some of that excess fluid. Soluble fiber does exactly this. It dissolves in water and forms a gel-like material in your stomach that slows digestion, absorbs water, and adds bulk to stool. Bananas and apples both contain pectin, a type of soluble fiber that binds excess water and helps firm things up. Plain white rice works similarly because its starch converts into soluble fiber during digestion.
You may have heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It’s been a go-to recommendation for decades, though there aren’t actually any studies comparing it to other approaches. Harvard Health notes that following BRAT for a day or two is fine, but there’s no reason to limit yourself to just those four foods. A wider range of bland options gives you more protein and nutrients to support recovery.
Best Foods to Eat
Stick with foods that are gentle on your digestive system and low in fat, fiber, and seasoning. Good choices include:
- White rice and plain noodles
- Bananas (also a good source of potassium, which diarrhea depletes)
- Applesauce (unsweetened)
- Toast or crackers (white bread, not whole grain)
- Boiled or mashed potatoes (without butter or cream)
- Brothy soups
- Oatmeal
- Plain chicken, fish, or eggs
- Yogurt and cottage cheese
- Smooth peanut butter
- Well-cooked vegetables (peeled, soft, no raw salads)
Lean protein matters more than people realize during a bout of diarrhea. Chicken, fish, and eggs are all easy to digest when prepared simply (baked, boiled, or steamed rather than fried). These foods provide the building blocks your body needs to recover without taxing your gut. Yogurt is a particularly useful option because it contains beneficial bacteria that can help restore balance in your intestines.
Foods and Drinks to Avoid
Some foods actively worsen diarrhea by drawing more water into the intestines or speeding up digestion. Cutting these out, even temporarily, can make a noticeable difference.
Fatty and Fried Foods
When fatty foods aren’t absorbed properly in the upper digestive tract, they reach the colon and get broken down into fatty acids. This causes your colon to secrete fluid, which triggers more loose stools. Skip fried foods, creamy sauces, and greasy meals until you’re feeling better.
Sugar and Fructose
Sugar stimulates the gut to release water and electrolytes, which loosens bowel movements. Fructose is one of the biggest culprits. People who consume more than 40 to 80 grams of fructose per day commonly develop diarrhea. For context, a single peach has about 2 grams of fructose, while a 16-ounce regular cola has close to 30. Soda, juice beverages, and sweetened applesauce can all contribute.
Sugar-Free Products
Sugar alcohols like sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and erythritol are found in sugar-free gum, candy, and some medications. Your stomach can’t absorb them, so they linger in your intestines and ferment, pulling water in and acting as a laxative. The FDA actually requires products containing added sorbitol or mannitol to carry a warning that “excessive consumption can cause a laxative effect.” If you’re already dealing with diarrhea, these can make it considerably worse.
Dairy (for Some People)
Milk, soft cheese, and ice cream contain lactose, a natural sugar that many people have difficulty digesting. If you suspect lactose is a trigger, cut out dairy products temporarily. Yogurt and hard cheeses are typically better tolerated because they contain less lactose.
Caffeine
Caffeine speeds up the digestive system, which is the last thing you want when things are already moving too fast. Coffee, tea, chocolate, and many sodas all contain caffeine. Switch to water, diluted broth, or an oral rehydration solution while you recover.
High-FODMAP Foods
Fructose, lactose, and sugar alcohols all belong to a larger group of poorly digested sugars called FODMAPs. Other common sources include wheat, rye, onions, garlic, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, beans), honey, pistachios, cashews, asparagus, and artichokes. These foods ferment in the gut and can trigger or worsen diarrhea in sensitive individuals.
Staying Hydrated
Fluid replacement is just as important as food choices. Diarrhea drains water and electrolytes from your body quickly, and dehydration can set in faster than most people expect. Sip water, clear broths, or an oral rehydration solution throughout the day. Bananas and potatoes can help replenish lost potassium. Signs that dehydration is becoming a problem include dark-colored urine, urinating less than usual, extreme thirst, dizziness, and fatigue.
In children, dehydration shows up differently. Watch for a dry mouth, no tears when crying, no wet diapers for three hours, sunken eyes, and skin that doesn’t flatten back quickly after being gently pinched.
When Diarrhea Needs Medical Attention
Dietary changes are enough for most cases of acute diarrhea. But some signs indicate something more serious is going on. The Mayo Clinic recommends contacting a healthcare professional if diarrhea has lasted 24 hours or more, if there’s blood or black stool, if fever reaches 102°F or higher, if fluids can’t be kept down, or if confusion or unusual sleepiness develops. These can signal an infection or level of dehydration that food and fluids alone won’t fix.