What Foods Prevent Seasickness? Your Guide to a Nausea-Free Trip

November 19, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motion sickness is a common inner ear disorder that affects many people traveling by sea. Finding the right foods to eat can significantly help prevent seasickness and keep you comfortable during your journey.

Quick Summary

An upset stomach, dizziness, and nausea can ruin a trip. Certain foods, like ginger and bland crackers, can help calm your digestive system and prevent these symptoms, while others like greasy or spicy foods should be avoided.

Key Points

Embrace Ginger: Consume ginger in tea, chews, or raw forms to naturally calm an upset stomach and combat nausea.
Stick to Bland Snacks: Opt for low-fat, easy-to-digest foods like crackers, toast, and plain rice to absorb stomach acid and prevent discomfort.
Hydrate Slowly: Sip water, clear broths, or mild juice throughout your journey to stay hydrated without overfilling your stomach.
Avoid Trigger Foods: Stay away from heavy, greasy, spicy, and high-sugar foods that can irritate your digestive system and worsen seasickness.
Plan Ahead: Eat a light, balanced meal before you travel and pack appropriate snacks to maintain a steady, calm stomach.
Consider the BRAT Diet: For severe symptoms, a bland diet of bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast can be effective in the short term.

Understanding How Diet Affects Seasickness

Seasickness, a form of motion sickness, happens when the sensory signals from your eyes and inner ears conflict with each other, creating confusion in the brain. This sensory mismatch often results in nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Your diet plays a crucial role in managing these symptoms, as certain foods can either soothe or irritate your digestive system. Eating bland, easy-to-digest foods can help keep your stomach settled, while heavy, greasy, or acidic meals can trigger or worsen symptoms.

The Best Foods and Drinks to Prevent Seasickness

Packing the right snacks and planning your meals before and during your trip is key. Here are some of the most effective foods and drinks to combat seasickness:

Ginger: Widely regarded as the best natural remedy for nausea, ginger can be consumed in various forms, including fresh, candied, as chews, or in tea. It is known to accelerate gastric emptying and soothe an upset stomach.
Crackers and Toast: Bland, starchy foods like saltine crackers, plain toast, and pretzels can absorb stomach acid and settle a queasy stomach.
Bananas: A core component of the BRAT diet, bananas are easy to digest and rich in potassium, which can help replenish lost electrolytes if vomiting occurs.
Applesauce and Apples: The pectin in apples and applesauce is beneficial for digestion and can help settle the stomach.
Peppermint: Peppermint can have a calming effect on the stomach and is a great option in the form of tea or mints.
Broth: Sipping on clear broth or bouillon helps with hydration and provides some nutrients without upsetting the stomach.
Chamomile Tea: This herbal tea has soothing properties that can help relax the digestive system.
Water: Staying well-hydrated is essential, but it's important to sip water slowly rather than gulping large amounts to avoid overfilling your stomach.

Foods to Avoid When Prone to Seasickness

Just as important as knowing what to eat is knowing what to skip. Avoiding the following can help keep your stomach calm:

Heavy, Greasy, and Fried Foods: These foods are hard to digest and can lead to an upset stomach.
Spicy and Acidic Foods: Spicy peppers, hot sauces, and acidic foods like citrus and tomatoes can irritate the stomach lining and increase acid production.
Dairy Products: Many people find that milk, cheese, and other dairy can be difficult to digest and may cause nausea.
Alcohol and Caffeine: Both act as diuretics, leading to dehydration, and can increase stomach acidity.
Foods with Strong Odors: During seasickness, smells can trigger nausea. Pungent foods like strong cheeses, garlic, and certain fish can be problematic.
High-Sugar Foods: Sugary snacks and sodas can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, potentially contributing to nausea.

Comparison of Seasickness Remedies


Remedy	Mechanism of Action	Best Time to Take	Potential Side Effects	Effectiveness
Ginger	Accelerates gastric emptying; anti-inflammatory	Before or during travel	Heartburn, gas, diarrhea in some	High, especially for mild to moderate symptoms
Bland Crackers	Absorbs excess stomach acid	During travel when nausea starts	None	Moderate, for settling a queasy stomach
Antihistamine Pills	Blocks histamine receptors	Typically, 12-24 hours before travel	Drowsiness, dry mouth	High, but comes with side effects
Acupressure Bands	Applies pressure to P6 point on wrist	Worn before or during travel	None	Varies significantly among individuals

Combining Diet with Other Strategies

While diet is a powerful tool, it is most effective when combined with other seasickness prevention strategies. For example, staying in the fresh air on the deck and focusing your gaze on the horizon can help correct the sensory imbalance causing your symptoms. Additionally, getting plenty of rest before your trip can make you less susceptible to motion sickness.

For those who are particularly sensitive, over-the-counter or prescription medications may be necessary. These should be taken well in advance, as they are most effective for prevention rather than treatment. For example, motion sickness patches may be applied several hours before exposure.

Conclusion: Navigating Your Trip with Confidence

Preparing for a boat trip by considering what foods prevent seasickness is one of the most effective ways to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable experience. By focusing on bland, easy-to-digest foods like ginger, bananas, and crackers, and avoiding fatty, spicy, or heavy items, you can help keep your stomach settled. Remember to stay hydrated by sipping water or broth, and don't hesitate to combine dietary strategies with other preventive measures like getting fresh air and focusing on the horizon. With the right approach, you can leave the discomfort of seasickness behind and fully embrace your time on the water. For more information on managing motion sickness and other health conditions, consider consulting the experts at the Mayo Clinic's website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before a boat trip, eat a light, bland, and balanced meal. Good choices include oatmeal, toast, or crackers. Avoid heavy, greasy, or spicy foods that are hard to digest.

Yes, ginger is a well-known natural remedy for seasickness. It contains compounds that can reduce nausea and speed up the emptying of the stomach. It can be taken as tea, chews, or in capsule form.

Stick to clear, non-caffeinated liquids like water, ginger ale, or herbal teas like peppermint or chamomile. Sip these slowly to stay hydrated. Avoid alcohol and coffee, which can worsen dehydration and stomach irritation.

You should avoid fatty and greasy foods, spicy meals, acidic foods (like citrus), dairy products, and high-sugar items. These can all irritate your stomach and increase nausea.

Yes, bland, starchy foods like saltine crackers are particularly helpful when nausea strikes. They can absorb excess stomach acid and help settle a queasy stomach.

It is best to have a lightly filled stomach. An empty stomach can exacerbate seasickness, while a very full one can also cause discomfort. A balanced, light meal is the ideal middle ground.

Bananas are easy to digest and high in potassium. They help replenish electrolytes, which can be lost through vomiting, and can aid in settling the stomach.