When you have food poisoning, it’s important to avoid foods that could make your symptoms worse or prolong your illness. At the same time, you need to stay hydrated and get nutrients to help your body recover. So what can you eat when you have food poisoning?
Can you eat solid food with food poisoning?
In most cases of food poisoning, it’s best to stick to liquids and easily digested foods at first. Solid foods can be hard to digest and may worsen diarrhea or vomiting. Here are some tips:
- Avoid fatty, greasy, or spicy foods – These foods take longer to digest and can further irritate your stomach.
- Avoid dairy products – Dairy can make diarrhea worse. Lactose intolerance is also common during food poisoning.
- Avoid fruits, vegetables, whole grains – These foods contain fiber that can be hard to digest until your symptoms improve.
- Avoid alcohol – Alcohol can further dehydrate you and interact with medications.
In general, bland starches tend to be easiest on the stomach. Plain toast, saltine crackers, rice, or boiled potatoes are good options when you are ready to try solid foods.
What liquids should you drink with food poisoning?
Drinking plenty of fluids is important to prevent dehydration when you have food poisoning. Good liquid choices include:
- Water – Water is the best way to stay hydrated. Drink small sips frequently to avoid vomiting.
- Electrolyte replacement drinks – Drinks like Gatorade or Pedialyte replace lost electrolytes and are better than plain water.
- Clear broths – Chicken, vegetable, or beef broth provide sodium and nutrients.
- Weak tea – Plain black tea can help replenish fluids.
- Fruit juices – Diluted juices like apple juice provide potassium and nutrients.
- Oral rehydration solutions – Products like Pedialyte contain the ideal balance of water, salts, and sugars.
Avoid drinks with caffeine, alcohol, or large amounts of sugar as these can worsen diarrhea. If you are having trouble keeping liquids down, try taking small sips every 5-10 minutes.
Are bananas good to eat with food poisoning?
Bananas are often recommended when you have food poisoning. Bananas are easily digested and provide a good source of potassium, an electrolyte that is often lost during diarrhea and vomiting.
Bananas also contain pectin, a type of soluble fiber that can help absorb fluid in the intestines and reduce diarrhea. Unripe bananas contain more pectin than ripe bananas.
So bananas can be a good choice when you feel able to eat solid foods after food poisoning. Start with small amounts of peeled, mashed banana and see if this is tolerated.
Can you eat bread with food poisoning?
Plain bread products like toast, crackers, and bagels can be gentle options when recovering from food poisoning. Avoid whole grain or seeded breads, as the fiber may be difficult to digest. White bread or sourdough bread may be better tolerated.
The starch and carbohydrates in plain bread can help settle the stomach and absorb excess fluids in the gut. This helps firm up loose stools. Bread also provides energy when the body may not be absorbing nutrients well.
If toast or bread exacerbates nausea, try having it with ginger tea, which can help soothe the stomach. Introduce bread in small amounts and stop eating if it makes symptoms worse.
Is rice a good food to eat with food poisoning?
Plain white rice is usually well tolerated when recovering from food poisoning. Rice is a bland, starchy food that is easy on the digestive system. It can help absorb excess moisture in the intestines.
Rice also provides energy from carbohydrates. This gives your body fuel to recover when you may not be eating much or absorbing nutrients properly.
Start with small portions of plain white rice, either on its own or in soup. Stop eating if the rice seems to worsen nausea or diarrhea. Avoid fried rice or rice with heavy spices or butter until your stomach has fully recovered.
Can you eat eggs with food poisoning?
Eggs are not usually recommended when recovering from food poisoning. Eggs are high in fat and protein, which take longer to digest. They can potentially worsen diarrhea.
However, scrambled eggs or egg whites might be tolerated in small amounts for some people. Egg whites provide protein without the fat of the yolks.
If you try eggs, have just 1-2 scrambled eggs or egg whites, well-cooked until solid. Stop eating them if you notice worsening symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, or diarrhea. It’s best to avoid eggs until your symptoms have resolved.
Is yogurt good to eat with food poisoning?
Yogurt contains live bacteria cultures that can potentially help restore healthy gut flora after food poisoning. However, dairy products like yogurt may worsen diarrhea symptoms. Those with lactose intolerance may struggle to digest yogurt when unwell.
If you want to try yogurt, choose a low-fat, low-sugar yogurt. Avoid yogurt with fruit, seeds, or granola mixed in. Start with a small serving of plain yogurt. If tolerated, the yogurt cultures could help accelerate recovery of your gut health after food poisoning.
Can you eat soup with food poisoning?
Soup can be one of the best foods to eat when recovering from food poisoning. Clear broth soups provide hydration and nutrients from vegetables, chicken, or beef. The warm broth can be soothing.
Avoid creamed soups, chowders, or soups containing fatty meats, dairy, or greasy oils. Focus on clear broth soups with minimal ingredients. Chicken noodle soup with plain noodles and chicken broth is a good choice.
Start with small servings of a few spoonfuls. Drink the broth first, then try a few noodles or pieces of chicken if tolerated. Soup provides energy and electrolytes without upsetting your stomach.
What foods should you avoid with food poisoning?
It’s important to avoid foods that may worsen common food poisoning symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Foods to avoid include:
- Fatty, greasy, or fried foods
- Very sweet foods and desserts
- Spicy hot foods
- Raw fruits and vegetables
- High fiber foods like beans, bran, nuts
- Milk, soft cheeses
- Alcohol, caffeinated drinks
- Rich, heavy foods like casseroles or lasagna
Focus on light, bland foods and broths. Introduce higher fiber foods gradually over several days as your symptoms improve and your bowel movements return to normal.
Should you avoid dairy with food poisoning?
It’s usually best to avoid most dairy products when recovering from food poisoning. Milk and soft cheeses can be difficult to digest and may worsen diarrhea. Those with lactose intolerance may struggle to break down lactose sugar in dairy foods when unwell.
However, small amounts of yogurt, butter, and hard cheeses like cheddar may be tolerated. Opt for low-fat varieties. Dairy foods can provide protein and nutrients when recovering, but introduce cautiously and stop if diarrhea worsens.
Can you eat applesauce with food poisoning?
Applesauce can be a good food choice when recovering from food poisoning. Applesauce provides potassium from the fruit and pectin from the skin, a soluble fiber that helps firm up loose stools.
The pureed texture of applesauce makes it easy to digest. Look for unsweetened applesauce without added sugar. Avoid chunkier varieties until your symptoms have resolved.
Start with a few spoonfuls of applesauce. Increase slowly while monitoring for worsening diarrhea or abdominal pain. The nutrients and fiber in applesauce aid recovery.
Is toast good to eat with food poisoning?
Plain white toast is often well tolerated when recovering from food poisoning. Toast is low in fiber and high in starchy carbohydrates, which help absorb excess moisture in the gut and slow diarrhea.
Avoid whole grain, multigrain, or seeded breads, as the extra fiber can irritate the digestive tract. Start with 1-2 slices of plain white or sourdough toast. Allow it to cool before eating. Jelly or honey can make the toast easier to eat if you have a sore throat.
Introduce toast slowly and stop eating if nausea or diarrhea worsen. The simple carbohydrates in toast provide energy when unwell.
Can you eat oatmeal with food poisoning?
Oatmeal contains soluble fiber that can help with diarrhea, but it also has insoluble fiber that may irritate the stomach. It’s best to avoid oatmeal until your symptoms fully resolve.
However, some very well-cooked, mushy oatmeal may be tolerated after the first couple days of food poisoning illness. Avoid chunky oats or granola.
Introduce a small amount of cooked oatmeal cautiously with lots of added water. Stop eating if it worsens nausea or diarrhea. Stick to blander grains like rice or plain toast in the early stages of food poisoning.
Is pasta good to eat when you have food poisoning?
Plain pasta may be tolerated in the later stages of food poisoning as symptoms improve. The starchy carbs can help firm up loose stools. Start with small amounts of white pasta or pasta shapes. Avoid whole wheat pasta at first.
Cook the pasta very soft and well-done. Add a little butter or oil to prevent it from sticking together. Go slow when reintroducing pasta to make sure it doesn’t worsen nausea or diarrhea. Avoid heavy pasta dishes with sauce, cheese, or meat until fully recovered.
Can you eat crackers with food poisoning?
Plain crackers like saltines can help settle the stomach and reintroduce carbs after food poisoning. Avoid heavily flavored or whole grain crackers, which have fiber that can aggravate diarrhea.
Start with 2-3 plain saltine crackers at a time. You can help ease them down with ginger ale or tea. Stop if the crackers worsen nausea. Introduce them slowly as a bland, easy-to-digest food.
Can you eat chicken with food poisoning?
It’s best to avoid chicken until your symptoms fully resolve. Chicken is high in fat and protein, which takes longer to digest. Undercooked chicken can also potentially reintroduce the bacteria that caused food poisoning.
In the later stages of recovery, well-cooked, baked or boiled chicken can be introduced in small amounts. Focus on getting nutrients from broth, rice, toast and bananas in the early illness stages. Introduce simple chicken dishes gradually after several days.
Can you eat potatoes with food poisoning?
Plain baked or boiled potatoes are usually well tolerated a few days into a food poisoning illness. The starch helps absorb excess moisture and firm up loose stool. Potatoes provide potassium, an important electrolyte lost during diarrhea and vomiting.
Avoid fried potatoes, potato skins, or chunky mashed potatoes until fully recovered. Introduce plain baked potatoes without butter or toppings first. Monitor for worsening GI symptoms, and stop eating potatoes if they cause distress.
Can you eat salad with food poisoning?
Raw vegetables and leafy greens should be avoided in the early stages of food poisoning. Fiber and roughage in salads can aggravate diarrhea. Wait until diarrhea has resolved over several days before reintroducing salad.
Start with cooked vegetables over raw ones. When ready for salad, choose softer lettuces like butterhead and avoid raw vegetables. Stop eating salad if diarrhea returns. The fiber will help recovery but delay introducing it until your bowel movements normalize.
Can you eat cheese with food poisoning?
Dairy like cheese may worsen diarrhea from food poisoning due to lactose content. Aged, hard cheeses like cheddar are lower in lactose so more likely to be tolerated after the first few days of illness.
Cottage and soft cheeses should be avoided as they contain more lactose. Introduce small amounts of mild cheddar or mozzarella cheese over soft cheese. Stop eating if diarrhea or cramping worsens. Cheese can provide protein but add it cautiously.
Conclusion
When recovering from food poisoning, focus on hydration and gentle, bland foods at first. Drink plenty of fluids like water, broths and dilute juices. Introduce bland starches like bananas, rice, toast and crackers slowly once vomiting subsides. Avoid fatty, spicy or high fiber foods until diarrhea resolves over several days. Reintroduce salad, dairy, fruit and vegetables gradually as your symptoms improve. Listen to your body and stop eating any foods that worsen nausea, cramping or diarrhea.
