What Foods Can I Eat When I Have the Stomach Flu
- Experts say the best manner to care for viral gastroenteritis — aka the tum flu — is to focus on staying hydrated by eating ice chips, depression-sugar fruits, and drinking plenty of water.
- Once you experience ready to consume solid food, showtime with items that are simple to digest like toast, crackers, white rice, and steamed potatoes. Subsequently that, y'all can try adding more than complex carbs and poly peptide from foods like oatmeal and difficult-boiled eggs.
- When you're recovering from the stomach influenza, spicy, high-fat, sugary, acidic foods and drinks, java, and alcoholic beverages should be avoided.
- This articlewas medically reviewed by Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, nutrition and wellness expert with a private practice based in New York Metropolis.
- Visit Insider's Health Reference library for more advice.
Viral gastroenteritis — commonly known as the tummy flu — is an infection of the intestines that involves inflammation of the lining of the breadbasket, and can crusade such unpleasant symptoms every bit nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pain, cramping in the belly, and sometimes fever.
You can contract this illness in several different means: Past having direct contact with some other infected person, by eating foods or drinking liquids that are contaminated, or by touching surfaces or objects that are contaminated before touching your mouth.
Like other viral infections, the stomach flu tin can't be treated with antibiotics, merely most people with salubrious immune systems will get ameliorate on their own within ane to three days. Experts say the best way to care for viral gastroenteritis is to focus on hydration, but it tin be hard to get enough fluids or go along food down when you're feeling nauseous, experiencing bouts of airsickness, or dealing with tum pain.
Here are some foods and fluids that experts say are easier on the stomach and may help with nausea that you can consume with the stomach flu.
What to eat when you accept the stomach flu
When you feel ready to introduce solid foods back into your nutrition, Sashini Seeni, MBBS, a general practitioner at DoctorOnCall, recommends starting slowly with minor portions of easy-to-assimilate foods.
The Brat diet
BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) has long been a popular strategy for managing gastrointestinal symptoms of the stomach flu, specially in children. However, the diet lacks many primal nutrients like protein, fat, and vitamins A and B12 and so it doesn't offer optimal nutrition for your recovering gut and should not be followed for more than than a few days, says Sashini Seeni, MBBS, a full general practitioner of medicine at DoctorOnCall.
"The Deviling nutrition for a limited time is unlikely to cause pregnant side furnishings, merely people should avoid using the diet in the long term," Seeni tells Insider. "Prolonged apply of the BRAT diet may atomic number 82 to malnutrition and depression energy."
Ice chips
Information technology's imperative to stay hydrated when you take the stomach flu. Notwithstanding, if you detect information technology hard to swallow plenty liquids without feeling nauseous or airsickness, experts concur that eating ice chips is a great way to slowly retain your fluids.
First, see if your breadbasket can handle ice chips without having an adverse reaction, says Jay Woody, Doctor, an emergency medicine physician and main medical officer of Intuitive Health. If you've been vomiting, Seeni advises waiting two hours before trying ice chips — then try sucking on small amounts at kickoff to come across if yous can tolerate them.
Potatoes
According to Seeni, plain potatoes are a solid nutrient selection because they're easy to assimilate and loaded with potassium — an electrolyte that can become depleted during the stomach flu due to vomiting and diarrhea. One medium potato with skin provides 632 mg of potassium, which is 24% of the recommended daily value for women, and xvi% of the recommended daily value for men.
The best method of cooking your potatoes — or other vegetables — when yous have the tum flu is to steam them because it breaks down some of the hard-to-digest fibers. Also, avoid additives like butter and cheese considering they contain fatty that may upset your delicate digestive land. Instead, a trivial salt and pepper should do the fob.
Ginger
Ginger root is known to accept antiemetic properties, meaning it may help to ease nausea and vomiting. Given that ginger can cause mild abdominal discomfort, heartburn, and gas in some people, it's best to kickoff with a small dose. If you lot're pregnant, have gallstone disease, or take blood-thinning medication, be certain to consult with your physician before taking ginger.
Crackers or pretzels
For the same reason that rice and toast are ordinarily recommended for people with stomach flu, Seeni says crackers and pretzels are a expert choice because they're made upwardly of simple carbs that are speedily and hands digested, plus they are low in fatty and fiber. That ways they're less likely to upset your stomach.
Dry cereal
Since virtually cereals are low in fat, gratuitous of spices, and fabricated upwards of easily digestible unproblematic carbs, they're relatively gentle on your breadbasket. Moreover, some cereals are fortified with essential vitamins and minerals, which may help yous to get closer to meeting your daily needs while your gut is recovering.
Since dairy products can make diarrhea worse, and some people recovering from viral gastroenteritis have problems digesting lactose for up to a calendar month or more afterward getting sick, it'south advisable to eat cereal either dry or with unsweetened nut or oat milk.
Seeni says sugar can exacerbate or trigger diarrhea, and so you may want to check the nutrition characterization starting time to make sure the cereal has no more than 10 grams of total sugar and five grams of added carbohydrate per serving. Some good options include:
- Wheaties, 5 grams of carbohydrate per loving cup
- Original Cheerios, 1 gram of sugar per cup
- Corn Chex, iii.ii grams of sugar per cup
Oatmeal
Like rice, oatmeal is another bland food that's typically easy to tolerate when your tum is upset. Not only that, only it's a practiced source of soluble cobweb, which tin can help bind and add bulk to your stool when you're experiencing diarrhea.
According to The Harvard School of Public Health, the breakup of oat fiber has been found to increase the multifariousness of gut microbiota, which may improve diarrhea, among other digestive problems. To avoid aggravating any potential GI issues, it's best to melt oats in water rather than milk and limit how much saccharide you lot add. Keep in heed that instant or quick-melt oats volition be the easiest to digest — but if you lot only have rolled oats or steel-cut oats, you can intermission them into smaller pieces in a food processor or soak them overnight.
Fruit
Many fruits contain up to eighty–90% water, which ways that eating them could help your hydration efforts while recovering from the stomach flu. Fruit also contains a wide multifariousness of vitamins and minerals that can help to support your immune system, besides as repair tissues. Still, information technology'southward all-time to opt for fruits that are low in sugar to avoid aggravating diarrhea. Some general examples of depression-sugar fruits include grapefruits, blackberries, and apples.
Eggs
One of the safest high-protein foods to eat when y'all have the stomach flu is eggs. To avert worsening any diarrhea, hard boil or poach your egg and avoid adding oil, dairy, or spices.
Eggs are not only loftier in protein, but they also offer essential nutrients such equally selenium, a mineral that plays an important role in your immune system.
What to drink when you lot take the tum flu
Fluid loss from symptoms such equally airsickness and diarrhea can pb to dehydration — which, if information technology becomes astringent, must be treated immediately at a hospital. That'southward why experts say it'south disquisitional to drink plenty of the correct liquids while recovering. According to Seeni, signs of dehydration include:
- An intense feeling of thirst
- Dry oral fissure and throat
- Night-colored urine
- Less frequent urination
- Dry peel
- Fatigue
- Dizziness or lightheadedness when standing upward
- The inability to sweat
Experts recommend drinking the following liquids when you accept the stomach influenza:
Water
Due to its lack of flavor, sugar, or caffeine, experts hold that water is by far the all-time liquid to drink when yous're recovering from the stomach flu.
"Clear liquids such as water are easily digested and assistance furnish fluids lost due to diarrhea and vomiting," says Seeni. "Expect until 2 hours accept passed since your final episode of airsickness, and commencement with small frequent sips."
Broth
As yous're easing back into eating foods, experts say broth-based soups can offer an excellent transition from a liquid diet while likewise helping you to stay hydrated.
According to Seeni, broth can exist a expert source of sodium — which is an important electrolyte that's oft lost as a upshot of frequent airsickness and diarrhea. Yet, Moreno adds that bone, chicken, and beef broth alike can be too loftier in sodium, which is why he recommends specifically seeking out a depression-sodium option or diluting it with water.
Juice
While some juices may contain a notable concentration of certain vitamins, Moreno warns that many products are high in sugar, which can brand diarrhea worse past pulling excess h2o into the gut. That'southward why he recommends mixing a clear juice — similar apple juice — with water (using a i:one ratio) to decrease the carbohydrate content while helping with hydration.
A 2022 study found that children with a stomach bug who tried this strategy were less likely to need IV rehydration or hospitalization compared to those who consumed electrolyte-enhanced drinks.
Tea
Co-ordinate to Seeni, herbal teas can be constructive for rehydrating during breadbasket flu. Try to avoid caffeinated teas, which tin dehydrate you farther. If y'all're experiencing nausea, she advises drinking tea with ginger or peppermint — both of which may assistance to subtract that detail symptom.
Electrolyte-enhanced drinks
After experiencing vomiting and diarrhea, Seeni says electrolyte-enhanced drinks like Pedialyte may be a skilful pick of beverage considering it has an optimal balance of carbohydrate and electrolytes.
"If you lot or your kids are having trouble keeping liquids down, taking small sips of Pedialyte would be a good beginning," she says. "Afterwards that, increment the corporeality equally much every bit you are able."
Another example is coconut h2o, which can help your trunk to rehydrate by supplying fluids while also replenishing of import minerals you lost, says Seeni. "Replacing lost fluids and electrolytes is the of import handling of stomach flu. Oral rehydration solutions are often recommended at the first onset of diarrhea and airsickness, especially for infants and children," says Seeni.
Although sports drinks assist replenish fluids and electrolytes, some can be loftier in carbohydrate. Hence, Moreno suggests diluting them with water. Moreover, the CDC reports that not-caffeinated sports drinks can help with mild aridity, but they may not replace important nutrients and minerals.
Breast milk for infants
Since infants tin get dehydrated very apace, Moreno says it'south advisable to keep supplying them with chest milk while they're recovering from gastroenteritis. However, if you're ever uncertain about what your infant can tolerate, he recommends calling your pediatrician for specific guidance.
"Breast milk for infants may assistance in fighting diarrhea," Seeni tells Insider. "Since vomiting and diarrhea can lead to aridity, they can be very dangerous. Chest milk is hands digested and more likely to stay down when your baby is sick."
What foods and drinks to avoid when you have the stomach flu
Some foods and drinks can brand stomach influenza symptoms worse. Here's what experts recommend avoiding:
Apple cider vinegar: According to Moreno and Woody, it's important to stay away from acidic substances, which can irritate your stomach and thus trigger tum pain, nausea, or other GI symptoms. Apple cider vinegar is highly acidic, and then it'southward all-time to exercise caution in consuming it while you lot accept the tummy flu.
Fatty foods: Full-fatty dairy products, fried foods, certain types and cuts of crimson meat, and nut butters can be high in fat — which isn't ideal when you take the stomach flu. Since these foods are more than difficult to digest, Moreno advises fugitive them while your gut is recovering.
"High-fat foods could brand y'all feel queasy and may lead to diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting," says Seeni. "As well, when sick with the tum flu, some people accept problems digesting lactose, a protein in milk and milk products."
Spicy foods: You lot probably won't be in the mood for spicy food when you have the breadbasket influenza, but in case you have a hankering, it's all-time to avert because experts say eating it can worsen gastritis symptoms. You can gradually reintroduce spices and seasoning equally yous begin to recover.
"Gentle spices similar cinnamon can have anti-inflammatory properties but hot spices could leave you running to the bathroom," says Seeni. "Spicy foods may also trigger nausea and vomiting for some people."
Citrus fruit: Due to their high acrid content, you might want to limit your consumption of citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes — depending on the severity of your symptoms.
Java: Since coffee can brand your intestines contract, Seeni says to avoid it. She also points out that caffeinated drinks can impair your slumber quality, which may hinder your recovery from the breadbasket flu.
Booze: Alcohol acts as a diuretic, meaning it causes your body to flush fluids out of your arrangement more quickly. For this reason, Oz recommends staying away from any alcoholic beverages, equally they can further dehydrate you lot.
Insider'due south takeaway
When you're recovering from the stomach flu, spicy, loftier-fat, sugary, and acidic foods and drinks should exist avoided — as should coffee and alcoholic beverages.
"Staying away from these foods and drinks will help reduce nausea and vomiting, equally well every bit diarrhea, cramping, bloating, and gas," says Woody.
The nigh important thing to focus on while recovering is hydration — ideally by drinking enough of water, herbal tea, and other articulate or diluted liquids, sucking on ice chips, and consuming goop.
Bland foods like crackers, toast, dry out low-saccharide cereal, potatoes, apple tree sauce, bananas, and rice may also be tolerable, and y'all tin slowly innovate foods similar fruit, steamed vegetables, and eggs for more nutritional variety.
If you suspect you lot need treatment for dehydration or other severe symptoms, seek firsthand care from medical professionals.
Related articles from Health Reference:
- Y'all can't sweat out a cold, and trying to could go far harder for you lot to recover
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