The best thing to eat after throwing up is something bland, low in fat, and easy to digest, like plain crackers, white rice, or a banana. But timing matters just as much as food choice. Wait at least two hours after your last episode of vomiting before eating or drinking anything, giving your stomach a chance to settle before you ask it to work again.
Start With Fluids, Not Food
Your first priority after vomiting isn’t food. It’s replacing the water and minerals your body just lost. Begin with small, slow sips of fluid rather than gulping down a full glass, which can trigger another round of nausea. A few sips every five to ten minutes is a good pace to start.
Plain water works, but it doesn’t replace the sodium and potassium your body lost. An oral rehydration solution is more effective because the sugar in it helps your small intestine absorb sodium and water in a one-to-one ratio, speeding up rehydration. You can buy premade solutions at any pharmacy, or make your own at home: half a teaspoon of salt and six level teaspoons of sugar dissolved in one liter of clean water. Broth is another good option since it naturally contains sodium.
Avoid sports drinks and sugary beverages. Despite their reputation, the high sugar content can actually worsen diarrhea if that’s part of what you’re dealing with.
The Best First Foods
Once you’ve kept fluids down for an hour or so, you can try small amounts of solid food. The classic recommendation is the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These foods are low in fiber, easy to digest, and unlikely to irritate your stomach. Bananas are especially useful because they’re rich in potassium, one of the key minerals lost through vomiting.
But you’re not limited to those four foods. Other good options include:
- Plain saltine or graham crackers
- Plain boiled or baked potatoes
- Gelatin or popsicles
- White pasta or refined bread
- Hot cereal like cream of wheat
- Clear broth or simple soup
- Eggs (scrambled or boiled)
- Weak tea
The common thread is bland, low-fat, and low-fiber. You want foods that require minimal effort from your digestive system. Keep portions small. A few bites at a time is better than a full plate, even if you feel hungry.
Foods to Avoid
Certain foods are likely to make nausea worse or trigger more vomiting. Fatty and greasy foods sit in the stomach longer because they take more time to digest, which can intensify that queasy feeling. Spicy foods irritate the stomach lining. High-fiber foods like raw vegetables, whole grains, and beans demand more digestive work and can cause bloating and cramping.
Dairy is another common problem after a vomiting episode. When your gut is irritated, it may temporarily produce less lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the sugar in milk. Without enough lactase, undigested lactose moves into your large intestine where bacteria ferment it, producing gas, bloating, and sometimes more diarrhea. Stick with non-dairy options for the first day or two, then reintroduce dairy gradually.
Also skip alcohol, caffeine, and acidic foods like citrus or tomato-based dishes until you’re feeling consistently better.
Ginger and Peppermint Can Help
If nausea is lingering and making it hard to eat, ginger and peppermint are worth trying. Both have antispasmodic effects on the stomach lining and colon, meaning they help calm the muscle contractions that drive the urge to vomit. In a clinical study of chemotherapy patients, peppermint and spearmint reduced vomiting episodes by roughly 60 to 65 percent compared to a placebo, and nausea intensity dropped significantly as well.
You don’t need capsules to get the benefit. Ginger tea, ginger chews, or even just smelling fresh peppermint can help. Weak peppermint tea is a gentle way to settle your stomach while also getting fluids in. Avoid peppermint candy loaded with sugar, though, as that can work against you.
How Quickly to Return to Normal Eating
The BRAT diet and other bland foods are meant to be a short bridge, not a long-term plan. They lack the protein, fat, and variety of nutrients your body needs to recover fully. As soon as you can tolerate bland foods without nausea, start adding in lean proteins like baked chicken, whitefish, or tofu. Cooked vegetables, eggs, and creamy peanut butter are good next steps. Most people can return to their normal diet within 24 to 48 hours after vomiting stops.
If you’re still unable to keep food or fluids down after a full day, pay attention to signs of dehydration: increased thirst, noticeably darker urine, reduced urine output, or feeling lightheaded. In children, watch for lethargy or irritability. Persistent vomiting that lasts more than 24 hours in adults, or that comes with a high fever, severe abdominal pain, or blood in the vomit, warrants medical attention.