When nausea hits, bland, easy-to-digest foods are your best bet. Plain crackers, broth, boiled potatoes, and small sips of water or an electrolyte drink can settle your stomach without making things worse. The key is eating small amounts frequently rather than forcing a full meal, and choosing foods that are low in fat, low in fiber, and light on aroma.
Why the BRAT Diet Is Outdated
For years, the standard advice was to stick to bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. That combination is gentle on the stomach, but the Cleveland Clinic now notes it lacks essential nutrients and is no longer recommended as a strict protocol. The American Academy of Pediatrics specifically advises against it for children with diarrhea because it’s too restrictive to support recovery.
The underlying logic still holds: bland, soft foods are easier to keep down. But you don’t need to limit yourself to just those four items. A wider range of mild foods gives your body more of what it needs to bounce back.
Best Foods to Start With
When nausea is at its worst and you’re not sure you can keep anything down, start with the gentlest options:
- Saltine crackers or dry cereal absorb stomach acid and require almost no digestion.
- Brothy soups provide fluid and a small amount of sodium, which helps if you’ve been vomiting.
- Plain oatmeal sits easily in the stomach and offers more energy than crackers alone.
- Boiled or baked potatoes (without butter or heavy toppings) are starchy and filling without irritating the gut.
- Ice chips or popsicles are useful when even water feels like too much. Let ice melt in your mouth to take in fluid gradually.
Once you’ve kept these down for a few hours and the nausea starts fading, you can step up to slightly more nutritious options: scrambled eggs, skinless chicken or turkey, and cooked vegetables like carrots or zucchini. These add protein and vitamins without overwhelming your digestive system.
Why Protein Helps More Than You’d Expect
Most people reach for carbs when they’re nauseous, which makes sense since plain toast and crackers feel safe. But protein may actually do more to calm your stomach. A study published in the American Journal of Physiology found that protein-rich meals reduced nausea more effectively than meals with the same number of calories from carbohydrates or fat. The protein meals also reduced abnormal stomach contractions, the irregular muscle activity that contributes to the queasy feeling.
This doesn’t mean you should eat a steak. Think small and mild: a few bites of plain chicken, a hard-boiled egg, or a small serving of plain Greek yogurt (if dairy doesn’t bother you). Pairing a little protein with your crackers or toast gives your stomach something more stabilizing to work with.
Serve Food Cold or at Room Temperature
Hot food releases more aroma than cold food, and smell is one of the fastest triggers for nausea. If the thought of cooking makes you gag, that’s your body reacting to the steam and odor before you’ve even taken a bite. Serving food cold or at room temperature cuts down on those airborne triggers significantly. Cold applesauce, a room-temperature roll, chilled broth, or a refrigerated banana are all easier to tolerate than anything fresh off the stove.
Foods and Drinks That Make Nausea Worse
Fat is the biggest culprit. Fatty and fried foods slow down gastric emptying, meaning food sits in your stomach longer. That lingering fullness intensifies nausea. Skip greasy takeout, butter-heavy dishes, cheese, and anything deep-fried until you’re feeling consistently better.
High-fiber foods are the other category to avoid. Raw vegetables, whole grains, beans, and fibrous fruits like raspberries take longer to break down. When your stomach is already struggling, fiber can create a backlog that worsens discomfort. Stick with low-fiber, peeled, or well-cooked options until your digestion normalizes.
Other common irritants include spicy food, acidic drinks like orange juice or coffee, carbonated beverages (for some people), and alcohol. Strong-smelling foods, even healthy ones like broccoli or fish, can trigger waves of nausea before you take a single bite.
How to Eat: Timing and Portions
Eating a large meal when you’re nauseous almost always backfires. Your stomach empties liquids faster than solids, so starting with clear fluids and working up to soft solids is a reliable progression. Take small sips of water, broth, diluted fruit juice, or weak uncaffeinated tea. If those stay down for 15 to 30 minutes, try a few bites of something solid.
Aim for five or six tiny meals spread through the day rather than three normal-sized ones. An empty stomach can actually worsen nausea because stomach acid has nothing to work on, so going long stretches without eating isn’t ideal either. A few crackers every couple of hours keeps acid in check without overloading your system. Eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and stop before you feel full.
Ginger and Other Natural Remedies
Ginger has the strongest evidence behind it of any natural anti-nausea remedy. Clinical trials have tested ginger extract at doses of 1,000 to 2,000 mg per day for chemotherapy-related nausea, and it’s widely used for motion sickness and morning sickness as well. You don’t need supplements to get the benefit. Ginger tea, ginger chews, flat ginger ale made with real ginger, or a small piece of crystallized ginger can all help. Start with a small amount and see how your stomach responds.
Peppermint is another option. Peppermint tea or even just inhaling peppermint oil can relax the muscles in your digestive tract and reduce the urge to vomit. It’s not as well-studied as ginger, but many people find it soothing.
For pregnancy-related nausea specifically, vitamin B6 has solid clinical backing. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends 10 to 25 mg taken three or four times a day. This is well within safe limits (the tolerable upper intake for adults is 100 mg per day in the U.S.), but it’s worth noting that the European Food Safety Authority set a more conservative ceiling of 12 mg per day. If you’re pregnant and considering B6, talk with your provider about the right dose for your situation.
Hydration Matters More Than Food
If you can’t eat anything, focus on fluids first. Dehydration from vomiting or diarrhea is a more immediate concern than missing a few meals. Water is fine, but if you’ve been vomiting repeatedly, an electrolyte drink or oral rehydration solution replaces the sodium and potassium you’re losing. Alternate small sips every few minutes rather than drinking a full glass at once, which can trigger more vomiting.
Signs that dehydration is becoming serious include dark urine, dizziness when standing, a dry mouth that doesn’t improve with sipping water, and unusual confusion or sleepiness. If you’ve had diarrhea for more than 24 hours, can’t keep any fluids down, notice blood in your stool, or develop a fever above 102°F, those are signals to seek medical attention rather than trying to manage things with food alone.