What foods stop you feeling nauseous?: A Nutritional Guide to Easing Your Stomach

October 12, 2025 •

4 min read

Over 50% of adults experience nausea each year, but knowing what foods stop you feeling nauseous can help you manage symptoms effectively and regain comfort. Simple dietary changes focusing on bland, easily digestible foods can make a significant difference when you're feeling queasy.

Quick Summary

Managing nausea effectively involves consuming bland, easy-to-digest foods, staying hydrated with clear fluids, and incorporating natural remedies like ginger and peppermint. Avoiding greasy, spicy, and strongly scented foods can also prevent symptoms from worsening.

Key Points

Bland and Starchy Foods: Dry toast, crackers, and plain rice can help settle an empty stomach without irritation.
Ginger Power: Consuming ginger, whether as a tea, candy, or supplement, can effectively reduce feelings of nausea.
Peppermint Relief: Peppermint can calm stomach muscles and is effective for nausea relief, especially through aromatherapy or tea.
Stay Hydrated with Sips: Sip clear fluids like water, broth, or electrolyte drinks slowly throughout the day to prevent dehydration.
Eat Small, Frequent Meals: Avoiding a completely empty or overly full stomach can help manage nausea symptoms.
Avoid Strong Odors: Cold or room-temperature foods are often better tolerated than hot foods, as they have less potent smells.
Opt for Lean Protein: Bland, low-fat protein sources like baked chicken or plain yogurt can help maintain energy without upsetting the stomach.

Understanding Nausea and Dietary Triggers

Nausea, the unpleasant, queasy sensation in the stomach that precedes vomiting, can be caused by a variety of factors, including illness, motion sickness, pregnancy, and certain medications. Whatever the cause, selecting the right foods is a critical step toward feeling better. An empty stomach can often make nausea worse, but so can eating the wrong things. The key is to choose foods that are gentle on your digestive system, have a low odor, and help settle the stomach.

The Best Foods to Combat Nausea

The BRAT Diet and Beyond

A traditional recommendation for an upset stomach is the BRAT diet, which stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. These foods are bland, low in fiber, and easy to digest, making them perfect for a sensitive stomach. While beneficial for short-term relief, it lacks crucial nutrients and is not a long-term solution.

Beyond the BRAT diet, other bland and starchy foods can help:

Crackers and Pretzels: These dry, crunchy snacks can help absorb stomach acids and are easy to tolerate. Keeping some by your bedside can help with morning nausea.
Plain Pasta or Noodles: Boiled plain noodles are another simple carbohydrate that can be easy on the stomach.
Mashed Potatoes: A simple, unseasoned mashed potato provides carbohydrates and is easily digestible.
Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat: Cooked cereals can offer gentle energy and are mild in flavor.

The Power of Ginger and Peppermint

Herbal remedies like ginger and peppermint have long been used to fight nausea due to their soothing properties.

Ginger: Containing compounds like gingerol, ginger can aid gastrointestinal motility, helping food move along the digestive tract and providing relief. It can be consumed in various forms, including fresh, candied, as a tea, or in capsules.
Peppermint: The menthol in peppermint has a calming effect on the stomach muscles, helping them to relax and easing nausea. Peppermint tea, candies, or inhaling peppermint oil (aromatherapy) are popular methods for relief.
Lemon: The citric acid in lemons is thought to aid digestion and soothe the stomach. The scent of lemon, whether from essential oil or a fresh slice, can also ease nausea, particularly during pregnancy.

Hydrating and Replenishing Fluids

Staying hydrated is crucial, especially if vomiting accompanies nausea. Dehydration can worsen symptoms, so small, frequent sips are better than large gulps.

Clear Broth: Chicken or vegetable broth can provide hydration and electrolytes, which are important to replenish after vomiting.
Electrolyte Beverages: Sports drinks or coconut water can help replace lost fluids and minerals.
Ice Chips or Popsicles: Sucking on ice chips or popsicles is an excellent way to rehydrate slowly and steadily, especially if you struggle to drink liquids.

Foods and Habits to Avoid

Just as some foods can help, others can make nausea much worse. These include:

Greasy and Fried Foods: These are difficult to digest and can trigger or worsen nausea.
Spicy and High-Fat Foods: Strong seasonings and heavy foods can irritate the stomach lining.
Overly Sweet Foods: Rich desserts and sugary snacks can sometimes be hard on a sensitive stomach.
Strong-Smelling Foods: Hot food often has a stronger odor than cold food, which can be a trigger. Serving food at room temperature or cooler can help.
Caffeine and Alcohol: Both can cause further irritation and dehydration.

It is also beneficial to practice specific eating habits when feeling unwell. Eating small, frequent meals rather than large ones prevents the stomach from becoming too full. Sitting upright for a while after eating can also aid digestion. It can be helpful to keep a food diary to identify specific triggers.

A Dietary Comparison: Soothing vs. Irritating Foods


Feature	Soothing Foods (for Nausea)	Irritating Foods (for Nausea)
Texture	Dry, bland, soft	Greasy, fried, fatty, heavy
Flavor	Mild, unseasoned	Spicy, strong, overly sweet
Temperature	Cool or room temperature	Hot or extremely cold
Odor	Low odor	Strong odor (especially when hot)
Digestibility	High (easy to digest)	Low (difficult to digest)
Common Examples	Crackers, toast, bananas, broth	Chili, greasy burgers, creamy pastas, coffee

Conclusion

Managing nausea effectively often requires a multi-pronged approach that starts with thoughtful dietary choices. By focusing on bland, starchy foods like those in the BRAT diet, incorporating powerful natural remedies like ginger and peppermint, and prioritizing slow, steady hydration, you can significantly ease stomach discomfort. Remember to avoid known triggers like greasy and spicy foods, which can exacerbate symptoms. Listening to your body and making small, frequent adjustments to your eating habits can help you navigate feelings of nausea with greater comfort. For more specific dietary guidance, consider consulting a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, the BRAT diet is designed for short-term use during acute illness. It is very restrictive and lacks essential nutrients, so it is not suitable for chronic nausea.

Focus on clear, cool liquids such as water, apple juice, herbal teas (ginger or peppermint), clear broth, and electrolyte-rich sports drinks to stay hydrated and settle your stomach.

Yes, strong odors from cooking or hot, fragrant foods can easily trigger or worsen nausea for many people. Opting for cold or room-temperature foods can help.

Ginger can be consumed as a tea, chewed in candied form, or taken as a supplement. Some evidence suggests dried ginger may have higher concentrations of active compounds.

Bland foods are generally low in fat and flavor, making them easier for a sensitive digestive system to process. Their lack of strong smells and tastes helps prevent further irritation.

Yes, peppermint has been shown to help with motion sickness. It can be used via aromatherapy (inhaling the scent) or by sipping peppermint tea.

It is better to eat small, frequent meals or snacks. An empty stomach can sometimes worsen nausea, while large meals can overwhelm your system. Eating small amounts every few hours can help.