The best foods for diarrhea are bland, easy-to-digest options that replace lost nutrients without irritating your gut. Bananas, white rice, plain chicken, cooked carrots, applesauce, and toast are all solid choices, but you don’t need to limit yourself to just those. The bigger picture involves replacing fluids and electrolytes, eating enough protein to recover, and avoiding a handful of foods that make things worse.
Beyond the BRAT Diet
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It works fine for a day or two, but it’s too restrictive to follow for longer than that. Those four foods are low in protein and missing several nutrients your body needs to heal. A better approach is to think of BRAT as a starting point, then expand to other bland, cooked foods as your stomach tolerates them.
Good options include cooked squash, sweet potatoes, avocado, plain chicken or turkey, fish, eggs, and soft-cooked carrots. These are all gentle on the digestive system while providing the protein and calories that plain rice and toast lack. You don’t need to force large meals. Small portions eaten frequently tend to sit better than three big ones.
Why Soluble Fiber Helps
Soluble fiber absorbs water in your gut and forms a gel-like substance, which slows digestion and firms up loose stool. This is the opposite of insoluble fiber (think raw vegetables, wheat bran), which speeds things along and can make diarrhea worse. During an active episode, focus on soluble fiber sources: oat bran, peeled and cooked potatoes, ripe bananas, and applesauce. Barley, lentils, and beans are also high in soluble fiber but can cause gas, so save those for when you’re feeling closer to normal.
Replacing Lost Electrolytes
Diarrhea drains potassium, sodium, and water from your body fast. Low potassium leaves you feeling weak and fatigued, and dehydration can turn a manageable illness into something more serious. Ripe bananas are the classic potassium source for good reason: they’re gentle, calorie-dense, and easy to eat when nothing sounds appealing. Potatoes (without the skin), fish, and plain cooked chicken also replenish potassium while giving you protein.
For rehydration, water alone isn’t ideal because it doesn’t replace the sodium and sugar your intestines need to absorb fluid efficiently. You can make a simple oral rehydration solution at home using the World Health Organization formula: about 4 cups of water, half a teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Stir until dissolved and sip throughout the day. This ratio helps your intestines pull water back into your body rather than letting it pass straight through. Sports drinks work in a pinch but contain more sugar than necessary.
Probiotics Can Shorten Recovery
Certain probiotic strains genuinely speed up recovery from infectious diarrhea. A large Cochrane review of multiple trials found that probiotics reduced the average duration of diarrhea by about 30 hours and cut the risk of diarrhea lasting beyond three days by roughly a third. The most studied strains include Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii, both widely available in supplement form and in some yogurts.
If you can tolerate yogurt, it’s one of the easier ways to get probiotics during a bout of diarrhea. Many people who struggle with milk during illness handle yogurt fine because the fermentation process breaks down some of the lactose. Kefir is another option. If dairy feels risky, a probiotic capsule is a reasonable alternative.
Foods and Drinks That Make It Worse
Some foods actively pull water into your colon, which is the last thing you need. The biggest culprits:
- Sugar-free candies and gum. These often contain sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that acts as an osmotic laxative. As little as 10 grams of sorbitol causes bloating and gas in most people, and 20 grams triggers cramping and diarrhea. Children are even more sensitive. Check labels on anything marked “sugar-free” or “dietetic.”
- Fruit juice and high-fructose drinks. Apple juice and pear juice are high in fructose and sorbitol naturally. They can worsen diarrhea, especially in kids.
- Dairy milk. Diarrhea temporarily damages the lining of your small intestine, which can reduce your ability to digest lactose for three to four weeks after the illness resolves. Even if you normally handle milk fine, you may experience bloating and looser stools from dairy during and after recovery.
- Caffeine and alcohol. Both stimulate the gut and increase fluid loss.
- Greasy, fried, or heavily spiced foods. These are harder to digest and can trigger cramping.
- Raw vegetables and high-fiber grains. Insoluble fiber adds bulk and speeds transit, which worsens loose stools during an active episode.
Teas That May Settle Your Gut
Green tea and black tea contain tannins, a type of polyphenol that has anti-inflammatory effects in the gut. Tannic acid, the specific compound involved, helps reduce intestinal inflammation and has been shown to decrease diarrhea severity in animal studies. Chamomile tea is another traditional option that soothes cramping. Keep the tea weak rather than strongly brewed, skip the milk, and avoid adding large amounts of sweetener. The warm fluid also contributes to your hydration.
When to Reintroduce Normal Foods
Most acute diarrhea from a stomach bug or food poisoning resolves within two to three days. You can start reintroducing your regular diet as symptoms improve, but go gradually. Add one new food at a time so you can identify anything that triggers a setback. Dairy is worth reintroducing last. The temporary lactose intolerance caused by gut lining damage typically resolves within three to four weeks, so you may want to ease back into milk and cheese slowly over that period.
If your appetite is still low, prioritize protein-rich bland foods like eggs, chicken, and fish over empty carbohydrates. Your body needs amino acids to repair the intestinal lining, and relying solely on toast and crackers slows that process. Even a few bites of chicken with rice at each small meal makes a meaningful difference in how quickly you bounce back.