Should you eat with traveler's sickness? A Nutrition Guide for Recovery

October 7, 2025 •

4 min read

According to some estimates, traveler's sickness affects up to 50% of international travelers annually. The question often arises: should you eat with traveler's sickness? The answer hinges on your symptoms and the types of food consumed, with proper hydration being the critical first step to recovery.

Quick Summary

Prioritizing rehydration is crucial during traveler's sickness, followed by a gradual reintroduction of bland, easy-to-digest foods. Avoid common irritants like spicy or greasy items and listen to your body's signals for a faster recovery.

Key Points

Prioritize Hydration: Your first and most critical step is to replace lost fluids and electrolytes with water or oral rehydration solutions to prevent dehydration.
Start with Bland Foods: Once vomiting subsides and your appetite returns, begin with small, frequent portions of easy-to-digest foods like the BRAT diet.
Avoid Irritating Foods: Steer clear of spicy, fatty, high-fiber, and dairy-heavy foods, which can worsen symptoms and delay recovery.
Introduce Probiotics: Consider taking a probiotic supplement before, during, and after travel to help restore your gut's healthy bacteria balance.
Listen to Your Body: Never force yourself to eat if you're nauseous. The best plan is to eat when you're hungry and stop when you feel discomfort.
Know When to Seek Help: Consult a doctor if symptoms are severe, include a high fever or bloody stools, or last for more than a few days.

The Immediate Aftermath: Hydration is King

When the first symptoms of traveler's sickness, such as diarrhea and vomiting, begin, your body starts rapidly losing fluids and electrolytes. The most critical step is to focus on replacing these lost fluids and salts, not on solid food. Dehydration can significantly worsen symptoms, prolonging recovery time, so it's essential to act quickly.

Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS)

Commercial ORS packets are the gold standard for rehydration, containing a precise balance of water, salts, and glucose to help your body absorb fluids efficiently. For less severe cases or as a supplement to ORS, clear fluids are beneficial:

Clear broth: Provides much-needed sodium and minerals.
Diluted fruit juice: Can replenish some electrolytes, but use caution with high-sugar drinks, which might worsen diarrhea.
Decaffeinated tea: Herbal teas like ginger or chamomile can be soothing on the stomach.
Coconut water: A natural source of electrolytes.

It is important to avoid dehydrating beverages like alcohol and caffeine. Highly sugary sodas can also aggravate diarrhea.

Easing Back into Solids: The BRAT Diet and Beyond

Once vomiting has stopped and your appetite starts to return, you can begin the slow process of reintroducing solid foods. This is not the time for heavy, complex meals. The goal is to nourish your body without irritating your sensitive digestive system. The 'BRAT' diet—Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast—is a tried-and-true approach for a reason, though a modern, slightly less restrictive diet is often recommended for better nutrient intake.

Expanding Your Diet with Bland Foods

After successfully tolerating the basics of the BRAT diet, you can broaden your food choices to include other bland and easily digestible options.

Bananas: Rich in potassium, an essential electrolyte lost during diarrhea.
White rice: Provides simple carbohydrates for energy without taxing the digestive tract.
Applesauce: A source of pectin, a soluble fiber that can help firm up stools.
White toast or crackers: Bland and easy to digest.
Oatmeal or cream of wheat: Warm, soothing, and easy on the stomach.
Baked potatoes without the skin: Another excellent source of potassium.
Plain boiled or baked chicken: A source of lean protein.
Steamed carrots or zucchini: Cooked vegetables are gentler to digest than raw ones.

Eating smaller, more frequent meals can also prevent overwhelming your weakened digestive system.

Foods and Drinks to Avoid

Avoiding certain foods is as important as knowing what to eat. Giving your digestive system a complete break from irritants is crucial for recovery. The table below provides a clear guide on what to avoid.


Food Category	Reason for Avoidance during Traveler's Sickness
High-fiber foods	Can increase intestinal motility, worsening diarrhea.
Spicy foods	Irritates the stomach lining and digestive tract.
Fatty and greasy foods	Difficult to digest and can lead to nausea and indigestion.
Dairy products	Often causes temporary lactose intolerance after a stomach illness.
Raw fruits and vegetables	Can be hard to digest and potentially carry pathogens.
Caffeine and alcohol	Act as diuretics, leading to further dehydration.
Highly sugary foods and drinks	Can worsen diarrhea due to osmotic effects in the intestines.
Street vendor food	A high-risk source of contamination.

The Role of Probiotics in Post-Sickness Recovery

After a bout of traveler's sickness, your gut microbiome is likely out of balance, with beneficial bacteria depleted. Restoring this balance is a key step towards full recovery and can help prevent future issues.

Sources of Probiotics

Supplements: Probiotic supplements can be a direct way to repopulate your gut with beneficial bacteria. Look for strains like Saccharomyces boulardii or combinations of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
Fermented foods: Once your stomach has healed, fermented foods like yogurt or kefir with 'live and active cultures' can help reintroduce healthy bacteria. Start cautiously, as some dairy can still be problematic initially.

It is often recommended to start taking a suitable probiotic supplement a week or so before your trip, continue throughout, and for some time after your return to help strengthen your digestive defenses.

Conclusion: Listen to Your Body for a Swift Recovery

Ultimately, the best approach for managing traveler's sickness is to listen to your body and adopt a conservative approach to eating. Prioritize hydration immediately, using ORS or clear fluids, before gradually reintroducing bland solids. The BRAT diet and its variations are a good starting point, but the key is to expand your diet slowly as your symptoms improve. Avoid irritating foods and drinks, and consider a probiotic to aid in restoring gut health. For a comprehensive guide on travel health, including nutritional advice, refer to resources from reputable organizations like the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), which provides extensive recommendations for avoiding and managing illnesses while traveling. [Link to CDC Travel Health site: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel]

By following these guidelines and being patient with your body's recovery process, you can get back on your feet faster and enjoy the rest of your travels. Don't hesitate to seek medical attention if symptoms persist or worsen.

Frequently Asked Questions

The BRAT diet stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. It is a traditional diet for an upset stomach because the foods are bland and easy to digest. While still a useful starting point, modern nutritional advice suggests expanding to other bland foods for better nutrient intake.

An emergency ORS can be made by mixing 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 6 teaspoons of sugar into 1 liter of clean, boiled water. Stir until dissolved and let it cool before drinking.

Dairy products are best avoided because many people experience temporary lactose intolerance after a stomach illness, which can aggravate diarrhea and other symptoms.

Over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medications can provide temporary relief, but they are not recommended if you have a fever or bloody stools. They are also generally not recommended for children.

You should start eating solid food only after vomiting has stopped and your appetite returns. Begin with small amounts of bland, easy-to-digest foods and see how your body tolerates them.

Studies show that some probiotics, such as Saccharomyces boulardii, can be effective in preventing traveler's diarrhea. It is often recommended to start taking them in the weeks leading up to and throughout your trip.

You should seek medical help if you experience a high fever, bloody stools, severe abdominal pain, signs of severe dehydration (like dizziness or little to no urination), or if symptoms last for more than a few days without improvement.