Plain, low-fat foods like bananas, white rice, brothy soups, and oatmeal are some of the best choices for calming an upset stomach. They’re easy to digest, unlikely to trigger more acid production, and gentle enough to eat even when you feel nauseous. But you don’t need to limit yourself to just a handful of bland items. A wider range of soft, well-cooked foods can settle your stomach while actually giving your body the nutrients it needs to recover.
Start With the Basics: Rice, Oats, and Toast
White rice and oatmeal are two of the easiest starches for your stomach to break down. They’re low in fat, low in fiber (especially white rice), and absorb excess liquid in the digestive tract. Cook them with a bit more water than usual so they’re softer and even easier to digest. Plain toast and unsweetened dry cereals work the same way, giving your stomach something to work with without overloading it.
You may have heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It’s a fine starting point for the first day or two of stomach flu, food poisoning, or traveler’s diarrhea. But Harvard Health notes there’s no reason to restrict yourself to just those four foods. Brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, and crackers are equally gentle and offer more variety.
Why Bananas and Melons Help
Bananas are one of the few fruits that won’t irritate an already sensitive stomach. They’re alkaline, meaning they don’t add acid to your system, and they contain a type of starch that gets converted into compounds in the colon that help your body reabsorb salt and water. That’s especially useful if you’re dealing with diarrhea. Bananas also replenish potassium, an electrolyte you lose quickly through vomiting or loose stools.
Melons are another good low-acid option. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, and pineapple tend to make things worse for people with heartburn or reflux, but melon, cantaloupe, and honeydew sit much more comfortably. Johns Hopkins lists bananas, melons, cauliflower, and fennel among the alkaline foods least likely to aggravate your stomach.
Ginger for Nausea
Ginger is one of the most reliable natural options for nausea. The active compounds in fresh ginger work directly on the lining of the stomach and intestines, helping to regulate muscle contractions that can cause cramping and that uncomfortable churning feeling. Ginger also improves blood flow to the digestive tract, which helps cells in the stomach and small intestine function normally.
Fresh ginger tea is one of the simplest ways to get these benefits. Slice a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger root, steep it in hot water for five to ten minutes, and sip it slowly. Ginger chews and ginger ale (made with real ginger, not just flavoring) are alternatives, though the tea delivers the most concentrated dose. If you’re dealing with morning sickness, motion sickness, or post-meal queasiness, ginger is worth trying before anything else.
Peppermint Tea for Cramping
If your stomach trouble feels more like cramping or tightness than nausea, peppermint tea can help. Peppermint relaxes the smooth muscles in the stomach wall, which reduces the spasms that cause that clenching, uncomfortable feeling. A warm cup after eating is often enough to ease mild indigestion or bloating.
One thing to keep in mind: peppermint can relax the valve between your stomach and esophagus, which may worsen heartburn or acid reflux. If your discomfort is more of a burning sensation in your chest or throat, ginger or chamomile tea is a better choice.
Bone Broth and Soups
Bone broth is rich in amino acids like glutamine, glycine, and proline, all of which support the repair and maintenance of the gut lining. These nutrients help reduce intestinal permeability, sometimes called “leaky gut,” and can calm inflammation in the digestive tract. Sipping warm bone broth also keeps you hydrated and delivers minerals like sodium and potassium that you lose during vomiting or diarrhea.
Any clear, brothy soup works well when your stomach is upset. Chicken soup with soft noodles or rice is a classic for a reason. Avoid cream-based soups, which are high in fat and harder to digest. The warmth alone can help relax tense stomach muscles, and the salt content supports rehydration.
When You’re Ready for More
Once the worst has passed and you can keep bland foods down, it’s important to start adding more nutritious options. Sticking with only rice and toast for too long deprives your body of the protein, vitamins, and healthy fats it needs to recover. Harvard Health recommends gradually adding cooked squash (butternut or pumpkin), cooked carrots, sweet potatoes without skin, avocado, skinless chicken or turkey, fish, and eggs. These are all easy to digest but provide significantly more nutrition than the bare-minimum bland foods.
Eggs are a particularly good transition food. Scrambled or soft-boiled, they’re gentle on the stomach and packed with protein. Avocado adds healthy fat without the heaviness of dairy or fried foods. The key is to keep portions small and eat more frequently rather than sitting down to a large meal.
Staying Hydrated Matters as Much as Food
If you’re vomiting or have diarrhea, dehydration is a bigger immediate risk than not eating. Your gut absorbs water most efficiently when sodium and glucose are present in roughly equal amounts. That’s the principle behind oral rehydration solutions you can find at most pharmacies and supermarkets. These premixed drinks are designed to replace the exact electrolytes you’re losing.
If you don’t have a rehydration solution on hand, small sips of water, diluted juice, or broth will work. Avoid gulping large amounts at once, which can trigger more nausea. Take a few sips every ten to fifteen minutes and gradually increase as your stomach settles. Coconut water is another option that provides natural electrolytes without added sugar.
Foods That Will Make It Worse
Knowing what to avoid is just as important as knowing what to eat. Spicy foods are one of the biggest culprits. Capsaicin, the compound that makes chili peppers hot, directly irritates the stomach lining and triggers a localized inflammatory response. Even relatively small amounts can cause a burning sensation in the upper digestive tract, heartburn, and reflux. People who already have digestive conditions like dyspepsia or GERD tend to react even more strongly, reporting increased abdominal pain and heartburn after eating spicy foods.
Other common triggers to skip while your stomach is recovering:
- High-fat and fried foods slow down digestion and sit in your stomach longer, increasing the chance of nausea and bloating
- Dairy products like milk, cheese, and ice cream can be difficult to digest, especially if inflammation has temporarily reduced your ability to process lactose
- Caffeine and alcohol both increase acid production and can irritate an already inflamed stomach lining
- Carbonated drinks introduce gas into your digestive system, which can worsen bloating and cramping
- Raw vegetables and high-fiber foods require more digestive effort, which your stomach isn’t ready for when it’s inflamed
The general rule is simple: if it’s soft, plain, and cooked, your stomach can probably handle it. If it’s greasy, acidic, spicy, or raw, give it a few more days.