When you’re nauseous, the best things to reach for are small amounts of plain, starchy foods and cool, clear liquids. The goal is to settle your stomach without triggering more queasiness, then gradually rebuild your intake as you feel better. What you choose, how much you eat, and when you drink relative to meals all make a real difference.
Best Foods to Eat When Nauseous
Plain, low-fat, starchy foods are the easiest for your stomach to handle. Bananas, white rice, applesauce, toast, crackers, oatmeal, and boiled potatoes all fit the bill. These foods are bland enough to avoid triggering more nausea, and they digest quickly because they’re low in fat and fiber, the two things that slow stomach emptying the most.
You may have heard of the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast). It’s fine for a day or two, but there’s no reason to limit yourself to only those four items. Harvard Health notes that brothy soups, unsweetened dry cereals, and boiled potatoes work just as well. The key is choosing foods that are soft, mild in flavor, and low in grease.
Once your stomach starts to settle, adding more nutritious options helps your body recover faster. Cooked carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes without skin, avocado, skinless chicken or turkey, fish, and eggs are all easy to digest while providing the protein and nutrients your body needs. Pureed vegetables, like steamed cauliflower or carrots blended with a little broth, can be especially gentle if solid textures still feel like too much.
What to Drink and When
Staying hydrated is critical, especially if you’ve been vomiting. But timing matters. Drinking liquids during a meal can make nausea worse by filling your stomach too quickly. Try to separate fluids from food by 30 to 60 minutes, drinking before or after you eat rather than during.
Clear liquids are your safest bet: water, diluted broth, and oral rehydration solutions. If you’ve been vomiting, you’re losing more than just water. You’re also losing sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes that your body needs to function. A proper oral rehydration solution contains a balanced ratio of glucose and sodium designed to maximize absorption. Look for products that follow WHO guidelines, which call for relatively low sugar (under 20 grams per liter) paired with adequate sodium. Many sports drinks contain too much sugar and too little sodium to be ideal, so a pharmacy-grade rehydration solution is a better choice if vomiting has been significant.
Take small, frequent sips rather than gulping large amounts. Ice chips or frozen fruit bars can also help if even sipping feels like too much.
Why Ginger Works
Ginger is one of the most studied natural remedies for nausea, and the evidence is solid. Its active compounds work on multiple pathways in the body. They block certain receptors in the gut that trigger the vomiting reflex, reduce levels of chemical signals involved in nausea, and help the stomach empty faster when it’s been sluggish.
A systematic review of clinical trials found that ginger supplementation at doses of 1 gram per day or less, taken for more than four days, reduced the odds of acute vomiting by 70% in chemotherapy patients compared to a placebo. For everyday nausea, you don’t need to be that precise. Ginger tea made from fresh sliced ginger, ginger chews, or ginger ale made with real ginger (check the label, many brands use only flavoring) can all help. If you’re using a supplement, aim for around 1 gram per day spread across multiple doses.
Peppermint for Quick Relief
Peppermint is another reliable option. A clinical study of 79 chemotherapy patients found that inhaling peppermint essential oil on a cool, damp washcloth reduced nausea intensity more than a washcloth alone. You don’t necessarily need to eat or drink peppermint to benefit from it. Simply smelling peppermint oil can help.
That said, peppermint tea is a popular choice and serves double duty: it provides both the aroma and gentle hydration. If you go with tea, brew it lightly. Strong peppermint can occasionally aggravate acid reflux, which would make nausea worse rather than better.
How to Eat: Portions, Speed, and Timing
What you eat matters, but how you eat can matter just as much. UCSF Health recommends several strategies that consistently help people manage nausea through meals:
- Eat smaller portions more frequently. Five or six mini-meals spread through the day are easier on your stomach than three large ones. If you’re eating less at each sitting, the extra frequency helps you still meet your calorie and protein needs.
- Eat slowly. Rushing through food fills your stomach faster and increases the chance of triggering nausea.
- Stay upright after eating. Don’t lie flat for at least two hours after a meal. Gravity helps keep food moving in the right direction.
- Separate food and drinks. As noted above, taking liquids 30 to 60 minutes before or after meals, not during, prevents your stomach from getting too full.
Temperature can also play a role. Cold or room-temperature foods tend to have less aroma than hot foods, and strong smells are a common nausea trigger. If the scent of cooking bothers you, stick with foods that don’t need to be heated or let hot food cool before eating.
Foods and Drinks to Avoid
Fatty, greasy, and fried foods are the biggest offenders. Fat slows stomach emptying significantly, which keeps food sitting in your stomach longer and amplifies that queasy feeling. High-fiber foods like raw vegetables, whole grains, and beans can have a similar effect.
Spicy foods, very sweet foods, and strongly flavored dishes are also worth skipping until your stomach calms down. Caffeine and alcohol both irritate the stomach lining and can worsen nausea. Carbonated drinks are a mixed bag: some people find flat ginger ale soothing, but the carbonation itself can cause bloating and make things worse.
Vitamin B6 for Persistent Nausea
Vitamin B6 has specific evidence behind it for pregnancy-related nausea. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends 10 to 25 mg of B6, taken three or four times a day, as a first-line treatment for morning sickness. While the strongest research is in pregnant women, B6 plays a role in neurotransmitter production that affects nausea signaling more broadly. Foods naturally rich in B6 include bananas, potatoes, chicken, and chickpeas, several of which already appear on the “safe to eat” list for nausea.
Warning Signs That Need Attention
Most nausea passes on its own or with the strategies above. But certain combinations of symptoms signal something more serious. Seek prompt medical care if nausea and vomiting come with chest pain, severe abdominal cramping, blurred vision, confusion, high fever with a stiff neck, or rectal bleeding.
Get immediate attention if your vomit contains blood, looks like coffee grounds, or is green. The same applies if you’re showing signs of dehydration: excessive thirst, dark urine, dizziness when standing, or weakness. For adults, vomiting that lasts more than two days warrants a doctor visit. For children under two, the threshold is 24 hours; for infants, 12 hours. Unexplained weight loss alongside recurring nausea over a month or longer also deserves evaluation.