What's the Best Meal to Eat After Food Poisoning?

January 4, 2026 •

3 min read

According to the CDC, approximately 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness each year in the United States. Knowing what's the best meal to eat after food poisoning can make a significant difference in your recovery, helping to soothe your sensitive digestive system and replenish lost nutrients without causing a setback.

Quick Summary

Ease back into eating after food poisoning by focusing on bland, low-fat, low-fiber foods. Hydration is crucial, with options like electrolyte drinks and broths recommended. Gradually reintroduce solid foods, listening to your body's signals to avoid further irritation.

Key Points

Hydration is Key: Start with small, frequent sips of electrolyte-rich fluids like oral rehydration solutions or clear broths before attempting solid food.
Start Bland: Begin your food reintroduction with bland, low-fiber foods like the BRAT diet—Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast—which are easy on the digestive system.
Introduce Foods Gradually: Add lean proteins and cooked vegetables one at a time as your stomach settles to ensure you tolerate them well.
Avoid Irritants: Steer clear of high-fat, spicy, sugary, and high-fiber foods, as well as caffeine and alcohol, which can irritate a sensitive stomach.
Consider Probiotics: Once you feel better, incorporate probiotic-rich foods like yogurt or kefir to help restore the healthy gut bacteria lost during the illness.
Listen to Your Body: Only eat when you feel ready, and if you experience a setback, revert to the simpler, blander foods until your symptoms improve.

Rehydrating and Replenishing After Food Poisoning

After a bout of food poisoning, the body is often dehydrated and depleted of electrolytes due to vomiting and diarrhea. Before solid foods, the first priority is rehydration. Small, frequent sips of fluid are easier for a sensitive stomach to tolerate than large gulps.

Oral Rehydration Solutions: Products like Pedialyte are specifically formulated with the ideal balance of sugar and salt to aid hydration.
Clear Broths: Chicken or vegetable broth can help replenish sodium and other electrolytes lost during the illness.
Diluted Juices: Watered-down apple or cranberry juice can provide some sugar for energy without being overly sweet.
Decaffeinated Teas: Herbal teas like ginger or chamomile can help soothe the stomach and relieve nausea.

The BRAT Diet and Beyond: Your Recovery Plan

For many years, the BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast) has been the go-to recommendation for recovering from digestive upset. These foods are bland, low in fiber, and starchy, which can help bind stools and are gentle on the digestive system. However, modern medical consensus suggests that while BRAT foods are safe, a slightly broader diet is often better for recovery and nutrition.

Phase 1: Bland and Simple Foods

When you feel ready to eat solid food again, start with small portions of these gentle options:

Bananas: Easy to digest and a good source of potassium to replace lost electrolytes.
White Rice: Bland and low in fiber, it's gentle on the stomach.
Applesauce: Less fiber than whole apples, plus it contains pectin, a soluble fiber that can help with digestive symptoms.
White Toast or Saltine Crackers: Starchy and bland, these can help settle an upset stomach.
Plain Oatmeal: Low-sugar versions are a gentle source of energy.
Boiled or Scrambled Egg Whites: A good source of protein that's easier to digest than whole eggs.

Phase 2: Gradually Reintroducing Foods

As your stomach settles, you can slowly begin adding back other low-fat, cooked foods. Listen to your body and introduce items one at a time to see how you tolerate them.

Lean Protein: Skinless chicken breast or turkey, baked or boiled.
Plain Baked Potatoes: A starchy, easy-to-digest vegetable.
Cooked Vegetables: Simple, boiled vegetables like carrots and spinach.
Probiotic-rich Foods: Plain yogurt or kefir can help rebalance the beneficial bacteria in your gut that may have been disrupted.

Foods and Drinks to Avoid After Food Poisoning

Equally important to knowing what to eat is knowing what to avoid. Some foods can aggravate the digestive system and prolong recovery.

High-Fat Foods: Fried foods, greasy meats, and heavy sauces are hard to digest and should be avoided.
Dairy Products (excluding yogurt): Lactose can be difficult to digest temporarily after food poisoning.
Spicy Foods: Strong spices can irritate the stomach lining.
High-Fiber Foods: While generally healthy, too much fiber can worsen digestive symptoms initially.
Caffeine and Alcohol: These can both irritate the gut and worsen dehydration.
Excessive Sugar: Sugary drinks and foods can worsen diarrhea.

Recovering from Food Poisoning: Bland vs. Regular Diet

Here is a comparison of what to eat and what to avoid during the recovery process.


Feature	Bland Recovery Diet	Regular Diet (After Recovery)
Carbohydrates	White rice, white toast, saltine crackers	Whole grains, brown rice, complex carbs
Protein	Scrambled egg whites, boiled chicken breast	Lean meats, fish, legumes
Fruits	Bananas, applesauce, peeled peaches	All fruits and berries
Vegetables	Plain boiled carrots, potatoes, squash	Raw vegetables, high-fiber greens
Fats	Minimal to no added fat	Healthy fats from nuts, avocados
Dairy	Plain yogurt (with live cultures)	All dairy products, including cheese and milk
Liquids	Oral rehydration solutions, broths, herbal teas	Coffee, caffeinated sodas, alcohol
Key Characteristic	Easy to digest, soothing	Nutritionally balanced, higher fiber

Conclusion

Recovering from food poisoning requires a gentle approach to eating. Starting with clear fluids and bland, easy-to-digest foods like those in the BRAT diet is key to settling your stomach and replenishing lost nutrients. As you feel better, you can gradually reintroduce lean proteins and cooked vegetables, all while avoiding greasy, spicy, and high-sugar items. Paying close attention to your body's signals and staying hydrated will put you on the fastest track to a full recovery. If symptoms are severe or persist for more than a couple of days, it's always best to consult a healthcare professional. You can learn more about foodborne illnesses from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Frequently Asked Questions

It's best to wait until vomiting and diarrhea have subsided and you can tolerate small sips of clear fluids. This can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or more, depending on the severity of your illness.

Yes, the BRAT diet is a safe starting point due to its bland, low-fiber nature. However, it is very restrictive, and most doctors now recommend moving toward a broader, balanced diet as soon as you can tolerate it to ensure you get adequate nutrition.

Most dairy products, with the exception of some probiotic-rich yogurts, should be avoided for a few days. Lactose can be difficult to digest and may aggravate your sensitive stomach.

Sports drinks can help replenish electrolytes but often contain too much sugar, which can worsen diarrhea. Oral rehydration solutions are generally a better choice, or you can dilute a sports drink with water.

If your symptoms return, go back to drinking clear fluids and reintroduce bland foods more slowly. Your body is telling you it's not quite ready yet.

Traditional ginger ale contains very little natural ginger. However, the carbonation and small amount of sugar can sometimes be soothing. Herbal ginger tea is a more potent remedy for nausea.

You should consult a healthcare professional if you experience severe symptoms like a high fever, signs of severe dehydration, bloody diarrhea, or if your symptoms don't improve within a couple of days.