Potatoes
What to Eat
- Dairy (except yogurt)
- Fried, fatty, or spicy meat
- Whole grains
- Nuts and seeds
- Beans and legumes
- Raw vegetables
- Corn
- Onion and garlic
- Potato chips
- Sugar-free candy or gum
Canned Fruit
The worst foods for diarrhea
- High sugar foods. Soda, juice, lemonade, and other similar drinks should be put on the backburner when a child has diarrhea.
- Fatty foods. Chips, French fries, and pastries should be avoided until diarrhea has resolved. ...
- High fiber foods. Broccoli, corn, and peas are high fiber vegetables and can worsen diarrhea.
- Caffeine. ...
- Dried fruit. ...
Green Beans
Some foods containing soluble fiber include:
- Grains, including oatmeal, oat bran, bran cereal, rye bread, pearl barley, brown rice
- Nuts and Seeds, including flax, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, lentils
- Legumes, including navy beans, black beans, lima beans, pinto beans and kidney beans
- Vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, asparagus, turnip, carrots, eggplant
Squash
Fruit: Bananas are bland and easily digested, making them a good choice for settling an upset digestive system. They are a good source of potassium , an important electrolyte that can be lost when you have diarrhea, as well as a rich source of pectin, a soluble fiber.
Lean Meat
What is the best diet for someone with diarrhea?
What are the Worst Foods for diarrhea?
What foods should you eat to control diarrhea?
What fruit is good for diarrhea?
What to eat when you have diarrhea?
While you're still having diarrhea, stick to peeled, plain potatoes instead. Avoid broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, peas, green leafy vegetables, and corn, as they tend to cause gas . Grains: Hot cereals like farina are easy to digest and fortified with nutrition. As you recover, you may want to add oatmeal as well.
What is the purpose of diarrhea diet?
Foods used in the diarrhea diet are meant to reduce your trips to the bathroom. They offer key nutrients, add fiber to firm up your stool, and help to keep electrolytes in balance.
Why is diarrhea important?
Having diarrhea causes your body to lose a lot of water, and preventing dehydration is especially important to your wellbeing when you are following the diarrhea diet. Babies, young children, and the elderly are especially at risk.
What to do if you can't drink water after diarrhea?
If you aren't feeling any better after a couple of days of following the diarrhea diet, call your doctor. If you can’t drink enough fluid, get a high fever, see blood in your stool, or are experiencing severe pain, go to the emergency room.
What vegetables can I cook to help with diarrhea?
If you’re following the diarrhea diet, one of the best ways to make fruits and veggies easier on your system is to cook them. Carrots, green beans, beets, acorn squash, and peeled zucchini are easy to steam, even in the microwave. You can also boil your favorites.
How to get rid of diarrhea in a day?
Try warm broth or sips of water first and see how you feel. Depending on the cause of diarrhea, you may want to stick to clear liquids for a few hours to a full day. Once you feel like eating, choose bland food and start with small portions. Give your stomach time to rest between light meals and snacks.
How many loose stools can you have in a day?
Comparison to Other Diets. Diarrhea, or having more than three loose or watery stools per day, can happen for a variety of reasons. While it’s uncomfortable and unpleasant, diarrhea can usually be managed at home with rest, plenty of fluids, and the easily digested foods that make up the diarrhea diet.
What foods help with diarrhea?
Bland foods that may help with diarrhea include: hot cereals, such as oatmeal, cream of wheat, or rice porridge. bananas. applesauce. plain white rice. bread or toast. boiled potatoes. unseasoned crackers. These foods may be especially helpful on the first day of dealing with diarrhea.
How to help a person with diarrhea?
Home care. People with diarrhea should also ensure they get enough rest, as putting the body in stressful situations while dealing with diarrhea may make matters worse. Limit physical activity while diarrhea symptoms are presenting, as strenuous activity may put the body at a greater risk of dehydration.
How often does diarrhea disappear?
Most people will experience an episode of diarrhea at least once or twice a year that will disappear in a couple of days. Luckily, there are many foods to eat that may help a person reduce the symptoms of diarrhea. There are also some foods to avoid when dealing with a bout of diarrhea, and some additional home care tips to consider.
How long does diarrhea last?
It is a common problem and may occur a couple of times each year. Diarrhea will usually last no more than 3 days. Soft, bland foods, such as toast, will help to absorb excess water and ease the symptoms of diarrhea.
What are the symptoms of diarrhea?
In addition to loose or runny stools, diarrhea is also associated with other digestive symptoms, including: cramps. abdominal bloating and pain. a bubbly feeling in the intestines. an urgent need to have a bowel movement. nausea. vomiting. fever.
How long does it take for diarrhea to clear up?
Parents or guardians should carefully monitor any children with diarrhea. If symptoms do not clear up with 24 hours , they should call the doctor for guidance.
What does it mean when you have mucus in your stool?
Blood or mucus may appear in the stool in more serious cases of diarrhea. This is often accompanied by a fever and requires a visit to the doctor as soon as possible.
What is the best diet for diarrhea?
There is a diet out there called the BRAT diet, which stands for Bananas, Rice, Apples, and Toast. It is all about eating soft and bland foods when dealing with diarrhea. It's a pretty basic diet but the foods recommended are good choices.
What is the best low fiber food?
2. White rice - Rice is another excellent choice for low-fiber eating. In an entire cup of cooked long grain white rice you are only going to get about 0.6g of fiber. White rice is a better option when experiencing the runs than brown rice because it is much more plain. It has the bran and germ removed, which is good because it decreases the fiber content... but on the downside it isn't as nutritious.
What is the best bread to eat?
1. White bread - Bread... invented in Egypt around 10,000 years ago, is always a good choice and very versatile. You can do a lot with it or even eat it plain as can be, toasting it with some butter. White bread in particular is one of the better options because it is very lower in fiber, making it easy on the stomach. One large slice only has about 0.8g of fiber in it.
Can oranges cause diarrhea?
We all know that oranges and some of the other citrus fruits are extremely good sources of vitamin C. However, they will not be listed here due to their acidity, which can increase stomach irritation and just lead to more diarrhea in some cases. The same goes for tomatoes.
Can red peppers help with diarrhea?
8. Red Peppers - Normally peppers wouldn't be that great of a choice for helping with diarrhea, but red peppers are very mild so they are okay. A half cup of sweet raw red peppers has about 95mg of vitamin C, which already hits the RDA for both men and women.
Is diarrhea easy to get rid of?
Diarrhea is probably easier to avoid in the first place than to get rid of once you already have it . The easiest way to do so is simply to eat a well-balanced diet that seems healthy… Generally speaking you want to have lots of colors in your meals and avoid things that are overly spicy, sugary or acidic.
Is fiber good for diarrhea?
Fiber it is great and all, and is necessary for healthy digestion, but when it comes to diarrhea you want to avoid getting too much… generally speaking of course. You also want to avoid eating things that are high in sugar, in particular fructose which is well known to be a bit of a problem during digestion.
What foods can help with diarrhea?
When your health is good, physicians usually recommend whole-grain, high-fiber foods. But high-fiber foods could spell trouble when you have diarrhea. The BRAT foods are low-fiber and can help to make your stools firmer. Bananas also are high in potassium and help to replace nutrients your body has lost because of diarrhea.
How to recover from a diarrheal infection?
Another way to help your gut recover from a diarrheal infection is to consume probiotics — a food or dietary supplement that contains live bacteria, which replaces or adds to the beneficial bacteria usually found in the gastrointestinal tract.
What happens if you have diarrhea three times a day?
The biggest danger with a short bout of diarrhea is dehydration , or the loss of water and nutrients from the body’s tissues. You could become dehydrated if you have diarrhea more than three times a day and aren’t drinking enough fluids. Dehydration can cause serious complications if it isn’t treated.
How long does diarrhea last?
It’s time to call the doctor when diarrhea lasts longer than a few days, Dr. Kirby says. Also see your physician if you experience severe pain or your stool contains significant amounts of blood or pus.
What is the best rehydration solution for a swollen ear?
Over-the-counter rehydration solutions such as Pedialyte® will do the job, Dr. Kirby says. Or, follow Mom’s advice and have some chicken soup with saltine crackers or pretzels.
How often do you get diarrhea?
Eat the right foods to ease your symptoms and discomfort. Most of us experience diarrhea a couple of times a year, whether it’s from a bacterial infection, a food allergy or simply something you’ve eaten that disagrees with you. Diarrhea usually is not serious and often disappears within a day or so. Advertising Policy.
How to prevent dehydration?
The best way to guard against dehydration is to consume liquids that contain salt and sugar, says digestive disease specialist Donald Kirby, MD, Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition. The salt slows down the fluid loss, while the sugar helps your body to absorb the salt.
What foods can help with diarrhea?
drinks and foods containing fructose. fruits such as apples, peaches, and pears. spicy foods. diet drinks and sugarless gum and candies containing sweeteners such as sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol. Research shows that following a restricted diet does not help treat diarrhea in most cases. Most experts do not recommend fasting or ...
Can you lose appetite after diarrhea?
If you have diarrhea, you may lose your appetite for a short time. In most cases, when your appetite returns, you can go back to eating your normal diet. Parents and caretakers should give children with diarrhea their usual age-appropriate diet and give infants breast milk or formula.
Can you give a child with diarrhea breast milk?
Parents and caretakers should give children with diarrhea their usual age-appropriate diet and give infants breast milk or formula. Your doctor may recommend changing your diet to treat some causes of chronic diarrhea, such as lactose intolerance or celiac disease.
What to eat for diarrhea?
Continue with primarily bland, low-fiber foods for lunch and dinner. Applesauce, which has a lower fiber content than raw apples, makes a soothing choice when suffering from diarrhea. A baked white potato sprinkled with a no-salt seasoning or a bowl of white rice will fill you up and be easy for your stomach to digest. Baked or poached chicken or clear soup makes a healthy, easily digestible addition to either lunch or dinner. Serve with a plain white roll with no butter. While the doctors at the National Institutes of Health recommend avoiding most dairy products, yogurt with live bacteria cultures such as Lactobacillus acidophilus may help lessen your diarrhea, while replenishing your digestive system with healthy bacteria.
How to get rid of diarrhea from eating a lot of food?
Eat small amounts of food throughout the day rather than three large meals. A smaller meal may digest more easily, and not trigger further bouts of diarrhea. In addition to applesauce, blueberries make a sweet, diarrhea-friendly food, according to Theresa Cheung, author of "The IBS Healing Plan." Choose dried blueberries over fresh because of the higher concentration of tannins and antibacterial properties in the dried berries. Soothing drinks include peppermint or chamomile tea. If your doctor recommends sports drinks or fluid replacement drinks, use them to replenish electrolytes you lose through excessive diarrhea.
What causes diarrhea in healthy people?
The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse reports that infections cause the majority of diarrhea episodes in healthy people. The infection may come from a bacteria that is present in food you eat, a viral infection or infection from a parasite present in water or food.
How many times a day does a woman have diarrhea?
She has a Bachelor of Science in finance from Florida State University. Diarrhea involves passing frequent loose stools, typically more than three times a day, according to the World Health Organization. Always ask your doctor for a thorough evaluation if your diarrhea does not subside within a few days.
What to eat with no salt?
A baked white potato sprinkled with a no-salt seasoning or a bowl of white rice will fill you up and be easy for your stomach to digest. Baked or poached chicken or clear soup makes a healthy, easily digestible addition to either lunch or dinner. Serve with a plain white roll with no butter.
Can blueberries cause diarrhea?
A smaller meal may digest more easily, and not trigger further bouts of diarrhea. In addition to applesauce, blueberries make a sweet, diarrhea-friendly food, according to Theresa Cheung, author of "The IBS Healing Plan.".
Can bananas help with diarrhea?
A bland breakfast that can help you maintain a proper nutrient intake while recovering from diarrhea involves making careful choice. The relatively high potassium content in bananas can help balance and replace the electrolytes in your body that you may lose through frequent diarrhea.
What to eat when you have diarrhea?
The following diet tips may help control diarrhea. People with diarrhea should include binding foods such as bananas, plain white rice, applesauce and white toast while they have active episodes of loose stools. Drink plenty of water or low- sugar beverages to replace the fluids lost from diarrhea. Drink plenty of clear liquids ...
What type of food and drinks should be avoided during diarrhea?
People with diarrhea may be on a clear liquid diet for a day until the body recovers. Below are a few foods and drinks that should be especially avoided during diarrhea.
What causes diarrhea in travelers?
Travelers' diarrhea is generally contracted by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water. Food is the primary source of travelers' diarrhea. Enterotoxigenic E. coli is the cause of up to 70% of all cases of travelers' diarrhea. There are five unique classes of E. coli that causes gastroenteritis. Other bacteria responsible for travelers' diarrhea include Campylobacter, jejuni, shigella, and salmonella. Viruses such as rotavirus and Norwalk virus (norovirus) and giardia lamblia a parasite may cause travelers' diarrhea. Prevention is careful eating and drinking of water.
Why does diarrhea occur in the colon?
In practical terms, diarrhea develops when there is a larger-than-normal amount of water in the stool. When your digestive tract is healthy, processed food from the stomach and small intestines proceeds to the colon. In the colon, water is absorbed from the remaining waste matter until a solid stool is formed.
What are the symptoms of diarrhea?
Symptoms associated with diarrhea are cramping, abdominal pain, and the sensation of rectal urgency. Causes of diarrhea include viral, bacterial, or parasite infection, gastroenteritis, food poisoning, and drugs. Absorbents and anti-motility medications are used to treat diarrhea.
What foods are high in potassium?
High-potassium foods include apricots, avocado, bananas, canned tomatoes, oranges, pears, potatoes and sweet potatoes (especially baked) and tomato juice. High-sodium foods include broth or bouillon, canned soup, salty snacks (chips, crackers, pretzels), seasoned rice and pasta packets. Applesauce is an awesome aid to get your stomach back in ...
What vegetables are easy to digest?
Cooking vegetables such as carrots or spinach makes them easier to digest and they're perfect in egg scrambles or broth-based soups. Eggs are an easier-to-digest alternative and an easy way to meet your protein needs without getting too full, too fast.
What to do if you have diarrhea?
At first after having severe diarrhea, steer clear of fried foods; fruits and vegetables that can make you gassy (like prunes and broccoli): and alcohol, caffeine, and carbonated beverages. Limit your intake of milk products as well.
What to do if you have diarrhea and your stomach can't handle food?
If you feel your stomach can handle some food while you have diarrhea, try something salty like pretzels or soup, or foods high in potassium, such as bananas or skinless potatoes. These will help prevent an imbalance of electrolytes. Drink lots of clear liquids, especially after having a loose bowel movement.
What is the diet for IBS?
The diet involves the restriction of certain carbohydrate-containing foods described by the acronym FODMAP (fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides, and polyols).
How long after diarrhea can you eat?
A good rule of thumb for timing your first food after having diarrhea is to wait until you've passed a normal (soft, formed) stool. At that point, you should be able to go back to eating normally. 4
Why do you need to replace fluids when you have diarrhea?
Diarrhea causes the rapid depletion of water and electrolytes from the system. To compensate for this, you will need to replace fluids on an ongoing basis even if you are finding it hard to keep them down. 3
What foods have live bacteria?
Oatmeal, cream of wheat, farina, or rice porridge. Plain, low-fat yogurt with live bacterial culture. Pancakes or waffles without syrup (check to ensure the product or mix does not contain fully or even partially hydrogenated oils) Unflavored rice cakes.
What are some good foods to eat for breakfast?
Safe breakfast items include: Crisp rice cereal. Eggs boiled or scrambled with a minimum of butter or oil. Oatmeal, cream of wheat, farina, or rice porridge.
How to treat diarrhea in elderly?
Because diarrhea may lead to dehydration, consider consuming at least six, eight-ounce glasses of water per day to help combat fluid loss. In most cases, a combination of alternative and conventional treatment methods may be most helpful in treating your diarrhea. Before using diet and nutrition to help treat your diarrhea, discuss all diet-related topics with your doctor, including the most effective foods for this health purpose, risks and potential side effects. A larger body of scientific research evidence may be needed to evaluate the true health benefits of foods traditionally used in treating diarrhea.
What are the risks of diarrhea?
Risks Associated With Diarrhea 1 Diarrhea involves the rapid loss of fluid from your body, as foods and liquids you ingest are not absorbed by your colon. 2 According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, children and elderly individuals who have diarrhea are at increased risk of dehydration.
What is loose stools?
Diarrhea, described as loose, watery stools, is a common health complaint that affects people of all ages, including seniors. Some seniors may develop chronic diarrhea, or diarrhea lasting four weeks or more, which may be indicative of chronic disease. To improve your understanding of the role of diet and nutrition in treating your diarrhea, ...
How much water should elderly people drink a day?
Because diarrhea may lead to dehydration, consider consuming at least six, eight-ounce glasses of water per day to help combat fluid loss.
Is diarrhea a health problem?
A senior who has chronic diarrhea may experience a significant reduction in her quality of life, feel embarrassment about her health problem and suffer poor self-esteem. In most cases, however, both acute and chronic diarrhea are treatable health problems.
Is apple sauce good for diarrhea?
Applesauce may be a beneficial food in treating your diarrhea. Applesauce is an easily digestible food that contains significant amounts of dietary fiber, including pectin. According to BreastCancer.org, pectin is a water-soluble fiber that helps resolve your diarrhea 2. Applesauce also contains significant amounts of vitamin C. Apples that are heavy and firm, and that display a vibrant color, are optimal for making applesauce .
Benefits of A Diarrhea Diet
How It Works
- The foods in the diarrhea diet are simple because the idea is to give your body the break it needs. The diet may seem hard to follow, but it helps to know that you only need to stick with it temporarily. On the other hand, adding foods back too quickly may make your symptoms worse and your diarrhea last longer. You'll likely be making changes in how much fiber you eat each da…
Considerations
- Whenever you need to make changes to your diet, even if only temporarily, it’s important to consider how it will impact your life. Diarrhea usually isn't a long-term issue, but it can present some day-to-day challenges while you're dealing with it.
Dietary Restrictions
- If you follow a special diet due to a food allergy or prefer to avoid certain foods, you will need to consider that when looking for diarrhea-diet approved options. For example, if you usually buy gluten-free wheat bread, most brands also offer a version that is in the style of soft white bread. If you’re looking for gluten-free pasta, pay close at...
How It Compares to Other Diets
- The diet recommendations for recovering from a brief bout of diarrhea overlap with those of other diets that can be used to treat chronic bowel conditions, or help people before and after surgery.
Summary
- You'll be able to manage a bout of diarrhea on your own in most cases, but that means changing what you eat and drink for a few days. The diarrhea diet will help you to recover by choosing foods that are gentle on your system while still providing key nutrients and fluids.
A Word from Verywell
- At first, you may not mind being on a limited diet because you don’t feel well. If you’re tired and nauseated, then easily digested foods will be a comfort. But once you start feeling better, you may be eager to resume eating as usual. Pace yourself so diarrhea doesn't return, and you'll get back to life (and your favorite tasty foods) a lot faster.