After vomiting, most people should wait at least 1 to 2 hours before trying any food, starting with small sips of clear liquids first. For children, the recommendation is more conservative: 6 to 8 hours of clear liquids only before introducing solid food. The exact timing depends on how you feel, but rushing back to eating is one of the most common mistakes people make after throwing up.
Start With Liquids, Not Food
Your stomach needs time to settle before you ask it to digest anything substantial. The first priority after vomiting isn’t food at all. It’s replacing the fluid you just lost. Start with small sips of water or clear liquids about 15 to 30 minutes after your last episode of vomiting. The key word is small: 5 milliliters (about a teaspoon) every 5 minutes, then gradually increase the amount as your stomach tolerates it.
If that teaspoon stays down, slowly work your way up over the next hour or two. Good options for this phase include water, clear broth, diluted juice, ice chips, or an oral rehydration solution. Avoid gulping large amounts at once, even if you feel thirsty. A full glass of water on an irritated stomach can trigger another round of vomiting.
When to Try Solid Food
Once you’ve kept liquids down for a few hours without any nausea returning, you can try a small amount of bland food. For most adults, this means waiting roughly 2 to 4 hours after your last vomiting episode, assuming the liquid phase has gone well. For children, Nationwide Children’s Hospital recommends waiting 6 to 8 hours of successful clear liquid intake before attempting food.
Don’t force yourself to eat just because a certain number of hours has passed. Your body gives you a reliable signal here: appetite. When you start feeling genuinely hungry rather than just empty, that’s usually a sign your stomach is ready. If the thought of food still makes you queasy, wait longer.
What to Eat First
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It’s a fine starting point for the first day or two, but Harvard Health Publishing notes there’s no need to restrict yourself to only those four foods. Plenty of other bland, easy-to-digest options work just as well, including brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and unsweetened dry cereal.
Keep your first meal small. A few crackers or half a banana is enough. If that sits well for 30 to 60 minutes, you can eat a bit more. The goal is to test your stomach gently rather than challenge it with a full plate.
As your stomach settles over the next day or two, start adding more nutritious foods back in. Cooked carrots, sweet potatoes without skin, avocado, skinless chicken or turkey, fish, and eggs are all good next steps. These provide the protein and nutrients your body needs to recover while still being gentle on your digestive system.
Foods and Drinks to Avoid
Certain foods are more likely to re-irritate your stomach or worsen any lingering symptoms. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the main categories to skip include:
- Caffeine: coffee, tea, and caffeinated soft drinks can stimulate your stomach and worsen nausea
- High-fat foods: fried foods, pizza, and fast food are harder to digest and can trigger cramping
- Sugary foods and drinks: sweetened beverages and fruit juices can pull water into your intestines and make diarrhea worse
- Dairy: milk and milk products can be difficult to digest after a stomach illness, sometimes for up to a month afterward, because vomiting temporarily reduces your ability to break down lactose
Spicy foods and alcohol also belong on the avoid list until you’re feeling fully recovered.
Ginger Can Help Settle Nausea
If lingering nausea is keeping you from progressing to food, ginger is one of the few natural remedies with solid evidence behind it. Studies show that ginger taken by mouth significantly reduces both the frequency and intensity of nausea and vomiting compared to a placebo. Ginger tea, ginger chews, or even flat ginger ale (let the carbonation go flat first) can help bridge the gap between vomiting and eating. Peppermint aromatherapy, on the other hand, may provide some comfort but hasn’t proven more effective than placebo in controlled studies.
Children Need a Slower Approach
Kids dehydrate faster than adults, so the hydration phase matters even more. Start with a teaspoon of fluid every 5 minutes and increase gradually. Oral rehydration solutions designed for children are ideal because they replace both water and the electrolytes lost through vomiting. For mild dehydration, the general target is about 50 milliliters per kilogram of body weight over 4 hours. For a 20-pound child, that works out to roughly 15 ounces spread across those 4 hours in tiny, frequent sips.
Don’t push food on a child who is still vomiting or showing no interest in eating. Wait for 6 to 8 hours of keeping clear liquids down, then offer small portions of bland food. Watch for signs of dehydration: no tears when crying, fewer wet diapers than usual (or none for 3 hours), a dry mouth, sunken eyes, or skin that doesn’t bounce back quickly when gently pinched.
Signs of Dehydration in Adults
Adults should also watch for dehydration, especially if vomiting has been going on for several hours or is accompanied by diarrhea. Warning signs include extreme thirst, dark-colored urine, urinating much less than normal, dizziness, confusion, and fatigue. Skin that stays “tented” after being pinched on the back of your hand, rather than flattening immediately, is another reliable indicator.
If you can’t keep any fluids down for more than 12 to 24 hours, if you notice blood in your vomit, or if you develop a fever above 102°F, those warrant medical attention. The same applies to children who are unusually sleepy, irritable, or have a rapid heart rate.