Best Foods to Eat When You Have Diarrhea

Dealing with diarrhea can be uncomfortable, but choosing the right foods can help soothe your stomach and speed up recovery. While no food is a magic cure, a strategic diet can significantly ease symptoms. Often, a short-term focus on bland, easily digestible foods is recommended. Think of options like potatoes, rice, and bananas to gently help firm up your stools.

One well-known approach is the BRAT diet, an acronym for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. However, the list of beneficial foods extends further, encompassing soft-cooked eggs, low-fat yogurt, clear broths, plain pasta, and saltine crackers.

Crucially, managing diarrhea also involves staying well-hydrated and knowing when it’s necessary to seek medical advice if your condition doesn’t improve or worsens.

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Foods That Can Help Manage Diarrhea

Adopting a specific diet for diarrhea can be surprisingly straightforward. Certain foods are known to be gentle on the digestive system and can help alleviate symptoms, while others should be avoided. The positive effects of dietary changes are often noticeable relatively quickly, and this dietary approach is intended for short-term use.

For optimal results, it’s advisable to eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day instead of larger, heavier meals. This approach minimizes stress on your digestive system.

Here’s a list of foods generally recommended when you have diarrhea:

White bread or toast: Easy to digest and provides simple carbohydrates for energy.
Clear broth: Helps replenish fluids and electrolytes.
Coconut water: A natural source of electrolytes, aiding in hydration.
Plain pasta: Simple and easy on the stomach, offering a source of energy.
White potato (peeled): Cooked potatoes are bland and help bind stools.
Bananas: Part of the BRAT diet, bananas are easily digestible and rich in potassium.
White rice: Another component of the BRAT diet, white rice is gentle on the stomach and helps firm stools.
Canned pears: Softer and easier to digest than fresh fruit, providing some nutrients.
Farina (milled wheat): A type of hot cereal that is easily digestible.
Applesauce: Cooked apples are easier to digest than raw apples and contain pectin, which can help bind stools.
Eggs (soft-cooked): A good source of protein that is gentle when softly cooked.
Low-fat yogurt: Contains probiotics that can be beneficial for gut health, but ensure it’s low-fat and dairy is tolerated.
Chicken breast (skinless): Lean protein that is easy to digest when skinless and plainly cooked.
Saltine crackers: Bland and salty, they can help settle the stomach and provide sodium.
Decaffeinated tea (weakly brewed): Hydrating and soothing, but avoid strong brews and caffeine.
Pretzels: Similar to saltine crackers, they provide salt and are easy to digest.

Conversely, these foods are typically best to avoid when experiencing diarrhea:

Dairy (except yogurt): Lactose in most dairy products can be difficult to digest and may worsen diarrhea.
Fried, fatty, or spicy food: These can irritate the digestive system and exacerbate symptoms.
Whole grains: High in insoluble fiber, which can stimulate bowel movements.
Nuts and seeds: Also high in insoluble fiber and can be difficult to digest.
Beans and legumes: Can cause gas and bloating, potentially worsening discomfort.
Raw vegetables: Harder to digest and can be irritating to the gut.
Corn: Can be difficult to digest for some, especially during digestive upset.
Onion and garlic: Can be irritating to the digestive system for some individuals.
Potato chips: High in fat and salt, and generally not easily digestible.
Sugar-free candy: Artificial sweeteners can have a laxative effect.
Cabbage and broccoli: Cruciferous vegetables known to cause gas and bloating.
Dried fruit: High in fiber and concentrated sugars, which can worsen diarrhea.
Nut butters: High in fat and fiber, making them harder to digest.
Carbonated drinks: Can cause gas and bloating and may irritate the stomach.
Coffee: Caffeine can stimulate bowel movements.
Citrus fruit and juice: Acidic and can irritate the digestive tract.
Alcohol: Can dehydrate you and irritate the stomach.

Understanding Beneficial Foods in Detail

Bananas and Applesauce: These are often recommended for diarrhea due to their gentle nature. Bananas are easily digestible and provide potassium, an essential electrolyte often lost during diarrhea. Applesauce, particularly over raw apples, is preferred because cooking apples softens the fiber and makes it easier to digest. Applesauce also contains pectin, a substance that can help solidify stools.

Certain Boiled or Steamed Vegetables: Cooking vegetables makes them significantly easier to digest. Peeling them and removing seeds further aids digestion. Potatoes, carrots, and squash, when peeled and boiled, are good choices. It’s best to avoid cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, as these can lead to increased gas and bloating, which can add to discomfort.

Grains: Easily digestible grains like farina (milled wheat) and oats can be beneficial. Farina is often fortified with vitamins, adding nutritional value. Oats are a good source of soluble fiber, which aids in firming up stools. Refined wheat products like white bread, plain pasta, saltines, and pretzels are also helpful in binding stools. It’s advisable to avoid whole grains, nuts, and seeds during diarrhea as they can worsen symptoms.

Yogurt and Kefir: While dairy is generally discouraged, yogurt with live cultures can be an exception. Probiotics in yogurt help restore healthy gut bacteria, which is important for normal digestion. Kefir is another probiotic-rich dairy option. However, it’s crucial to choose low-fat options and monitor tolerance, as lactose in dairy can be problematic for some during diarrhea.

Lean Meats: Plain, white-meat chicken is a top choice when you have diarrhea. Lean cuts of turkey, beef, pork, and fish, prepared without heavy fats or spices, are also acceptable. Avoid rich sauces, gravies, butter, or strong spices. Fatty red meats and processed meats like sausage, bacon, and salami should be avoided due to their high saturated fat content, which can be harder to digest.

Ice Pops and Popsicles: These are excellent for preventing dehydration, especially in children. Options like Pedialyte freezer pops are designed to be low in sugar and provide electrolytes. It’s important to avoid ice cream, baked goods, puddings, and whipped toppings, as well as frozen treats with artificial sweeteners like sorbitol, xylitol, or erythritol, which can have laxative effects.

Best Drinks for Diarrhea

Staying hydrated is paramount when you have diarrhea. Fluid and electrolyte loss is a significant concern. Plain water is always a good choice, but coconut water, electrolyte-rich sports drinks, and bone broth can be even more beneficial due to their electrolyte content. Weakly brewed decaffeinated tea and kefir are also good options. It’s essential to ensure these beverages are low in sugar.

Drinks to avoid until your diarrhea subsides include:

Caffeinated coffee and tea: Can stimulate bowel activity.
Sodas: Often high in sugar and can cause gas.
Alcohol: Dehydrating and irritating.
Carbonated drinks: Can lead to gas and bloating.
Extremely hot or cold drinks: Can potentially upset the stomach.

These beverages can aggravate diarrhea symptoms by stimulating bowel movements or causing gas and bloating, hindering the recovery process.

Benefits of Following a Diarrhea Diet

A temporary, restricted diet during diarrhea serves several key purposes. It helps to bind loose stools, giving your digestive system a chance to rest and recover. Moreover, it aids in replenishing lost fluids and restoring electrolyte balance in your body. Electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, are crucial minerals that become depleted with diarrhea.

The main goal of a diarrhea diet is to consume foods that help solidify stools and avoid those that make them looser. Foods that help are typically rich in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber, found in foods like potatoes, bananas, and refined wheat, absorbs water in the gut, which slows down digestion and helps firm stools.

In contrast, insoluble fiber, found in bran, fruit skins, and whole grains, does not absorb water and can speed up digestion. Therefore, it’s generally recommended to limit insoluble fiber intake until your stools regain a more solid consistency.

A diarrhea diet is intended for short-term relief from occasional diarrhea. It can also be helpful for managing flare-ups in chronic conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and celiac disease.

Diarrhea Diets for Children

Dehydration is a greater risk for infants and young children with diarrhea, as they dehydrate more quickly than adults. If a child experiences additional symptoms like fever and vomiting, if diarrhea persists for more than a couple of days, or if they are an infant, medical advice should be sought immediately.

For mild diarrhea in children, the general recommendation is to continue their regular diet, but possibly reduce or eliminate dairy milk temporarily. For more significant diarrhea or if vomiting is also present, electrolyte solutions are recommended in small sips. For nursing infants or those exclusively on formula, breastfeeding or formula feeding should usually continue.

However, it’s always best to consult with a healthcare provider or nurse for specific instructions on managing diarrhea at home and to determine if and when medical attention is necessary. Severe diarrhea or the inability to keep down fluids requires professional medical assessment. For infants under 3 months old with a fever, immediate medical evaluation is crucial.

It’s important to note that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) no longer recommends the BRAT diet for children with diarrhea due to concerns about potential nutritional deficiencies and lack of evidence supporting its necessity or effectiveness in children.

Dietary Modifications for Specific Conditions

Dietary modifications may be necessary for individuals with pre-existing medical conditions. It’s essential to consider individual health needs and consult with a healthcare professional for personalized dietary advice, especially when managing diarrhea alongside other health concerns.

Potential Side Effects of a Diarrhea Diet

Generally, a diarrhea diet poses minimal risks for older children and adults when followed for a short period. However, prolonged use of a very restrictive diarrhea diet can potentially lead to nutritional deficiencies. Symptoms of nutritional deficiency may include fatigue, paleness, weakness, shortness of breath during exertion, increased sensitivity to cold, depression, and even high blood pressure in the long term.

A diarrhea diet is not designed for long-term use. If symptoms do not improve within a couple of days, further medical intervention might be needed. This could include anti-diarrheal medications like loperamide (Imodium A-D).

It’s crucial to consult with a healthcare provider before using anti-diarrheal medications, as they may not be appropriate or safe in all situations, such as certain bacterial infections or colitis.

Once diarrhea symptoms begin to improve, typically within three days, you can gradually reintroduce a wider variety of foods back into your diet over the following week or two.

Other Related Bowel Diets

Dietary recommendations for recovering from short-term diarrhea share similarities with diets used for managing chronic bowel conditions or for pre- and post-surgical dietary management.

Low-Fiber Diet

A low-fiber diet limits daily fiber intake to around 10 to 15 grams, significantly less than the recommended daily intake of at least 28 grams for adults consuming 2,000 calories. If you’re using a low-fiber diet to manage diarrhea, carefully select fiber sources to include in your diet, focusing on easily digestible options.

Low-Residue Diet

A low-residue diet is even more restrictive than a diarrhea diet. It’s often prescribed temporarily in preparation for or recovery from procedures like colonoscopies. One key restriction in a low-residue diet is limiting dairy intake to a maximum of 2 cups per day, as dairy products, although low in fiber, can leave undigested material in the colon. Some individuals may find that avoiding dairy altogether helps alleviate digestive symptoms even on a diarrhea diet.

Low-FODMAP Diet

The Low-FODMAP diet restricts fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs), which are short-chain carbohydrates found in many foods, especially grains, beans, and legumes. These carbohydrates are not easily absorbed in the small intestine and can trigger digestive issues like abdominal pain, gas, and bloating in sensitive individuals, such as those with lactose intolerance. While it also limits high-fiber foods, unlike some other restrictive diets, it doesn’t necessarily require dairy restriction unless lactose intolerance is an issue. Low-FODMAP foods can be a good option when transitioning back to a normal diet after a diarrhea diet.

In Summary

Managing occasional diarrhea often involves making short-term adjustments to your diet. The diarrhea diet is a temporary strategy centered on eating bland, binding foods that are gentle on your digestive system, coupled with ensuring adequate hydration. For infants and toddlers with diarrhea, dietary changes should always be supervised by a healthcare provider due to the potential risks of restrictive diets in young children.