The best foods to eat when you have diarrhea are bland, low-fiber, and easy to digest: think white rice, bananas, plain toast, boiled chicken, and eggs. These foods slow digestion, absorb excess water in your gut, and give your body fuel without making things worse. Equally important is what you avoid, since the wrong foods can keep you running to the bathroom long after the initial cause has passed.
Why Bland Foods Help
When your digestive tract is irritated, it pushes food through faster than normal and doesn’t absorb water the way it should. Bland, starchy foods counteract this in two ways. First, they’re low in fiber and fat, so your gut doesn’t have to work hard to break them down. Second, many of them contain soluble fiber, which forms a gel-like material in the stomach that slows digestion, absorbs water, and adds bulk to loose stool.
Bananas, applesauce, and oats are particularly good sources of soluble fiber. White rice and white bread are not fiber-rich, but they’re gentle enough that your gut can process them without cramping or urgency. The goal in the first day or two is to give your intestines less to do while still getting calories in.
The Best Foods to Reach For
You don’t need to limit yourself to four foods. The old BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) is a fine starting point, but medical guidelines now consider it too restrictive to follow for more than a day. The American Academy of Pediatrics no longer recommends it for children because it lacks protein, calcium, and B12, and following it beyond 24 hours may actually slow recovery.
A broader approach sometimes called a “white diet” gives you more to work with:
- Starches: White rice, white bread, plain crackers, cream of wheat, grits, white pasta, pancakes, cooked potatoes without skin
- Fruits: Bananas, applesauce, canned peaches or pears (in juice, not syrup)
- Proteins: Boiled or baked chicken breast, white fish, eggs, soft tofu, cottage cheese
- Other: Plain smooth yogurt, clear broth, saltine crackers, noodle soup
The key with protein is preparation. Tender, well-cooked meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and soy foods made without added fat are all fine. Frying changes everything. Fried chicken, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, fatty cuts of meat, and chunky nut butters are all harder on an inflamed gut and should wait until you’re feeling better.
Hydration Matters More Than Food
Diarrhea pulls water and electrolytes out of your body fast. Most people can keep up by drinking water, clear broths, diluted juices, and sports drinks alongside saltine crackers or similar salty snacks. The combination of fluid, salt, and a small amount of sugar is what your intestines need to reabsorb water effectively.
If you’re losing a lot of fluid and can’t keep up, you can make a simple rehydration drink at home: 4 cups of water, half a teaspoon of table salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. This mimics the ratio used in clinical oral rehydration solutions. Sip it steadily rather than gulping it down, since large volumes at once can trigger more cramping.
Foods and Drinks to Avoid
Some foods actively make diarrhea worse by drawing extra water into your intestines or speeding up gut contractions. The big categories to skip:
- High-fat foods: Fried anything, greasy takeout, rich sauces, fatty meats
- High-sugar foods and drinks: Candy, full-strength fruit juice, soda, energy drinks. Excess sugar pulls water into the bowel through osmosis, worsening loose stools.
- Dairy (temporarily): Even if you’re not normally lactose intolerant, your gut’s ability to digest lactose drops when it’s inflamed. Undigested lactose causes bloating, cramping, and more diarrhea. Plain yogurt and cottage cheese are usually tolerated because fermentation breaks down much of the lactose.
- Caffeine and alcohol: Both stimulate the gut and increase fluid loss.
- Gas-producing vegetables: Broccoli, cabbage, beans, onions, and peppers can add cramping on top of what you’re already dealing with.
- Spicy foods: Capsaicin irritates the lining of the intestines and can speed transit time.
Probiotics Can Shorten Recovery
Certain probiotic strains help your gut fight off the infection or imbalance causing the diarrhea. The best-studied strain for acute diarrhea is a beneficial yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii. A meta-analysis found it reduced the duration of diarrhea by roughly 1 to 2 days compared to standard care alone, with the strongest effect in cases caused by rotavirus. Another well-studied strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, shows similar benefits.
You can get these through supplements available at most pharmacies. Fermented foods like plain yogurt and kefir also introduce helpful bacteria, though the strains and quantities vary. If you go the yogurt route, choose plain varieties without added sugar.
When to Start Eating Normally Again
You don’t need to wait until diarrhea fully stops before reintroducing regular foods. Research from Cochrane reviews found no evidence that eating early (within 12 hours of rehydrating) increases complications or makes diarrhea last longer. In fact, early refeeding appears to be just as safe as waiting 24 to 48 hours, and it ensures your body gets the nutrients it needs to heal.
A practical approach: start with the bland foods listed above on day one, then gradually add back cooked vegetables, lean meats with mild seasoning, and whole grains as your stools begin to firm up. Reintroduce dairy, raw vegetables, and higher-fat foods last, typically after two to three days of improvement. If a food causes a flare, pull it back out and try again a day later. Most episodes of acute diarrhea resolve within two to four days, and your diet can return to normal shortly after.