What's the best thing to eat to prevent a hangover? A nutritionist's guide

October 5, 2025 •

4 min read

Consuming a meal before drinking can lower blood alcohol levels by 25-45% compared to drinking on an empty stomach. Learning what's the best thing to eat to prevent a hangover can significantly impact how your body processes alcohol and how you feel the next day.

Quick Summary

Eating a balanced meal of healthy fats, protein, and complex carbohydrates before drinking can slow alcohol absorption. Replenishing lost electrolytes, vitamins, and amino acids is key to recovering more comfortably.

Key Points

Eat before you drink: A meal containing protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs helps slow alcohol absorption.
Prioritize eggs and salmon: These foods contain amino acids and omega-3s that help the liver process alcohol and reduce inflammation.
Replenish electrolytes: Combat dehydration and fatigue by consuming potassium-rich foods like bananas, sweet potatoes, and coconut water.
Boost B vitamins: Foods like oats and eggs help replenish the B vitamins that alcohol depletes.
Soothe your stomach: Ginger and bland foods like toast can ease nausea the morning after.
Moderate and hydrate: The most effective prevention strategy is to drink in moderation and sip water between alcoholic drinks.

The Science of a Hangover

A hangover is a physiological response to excessive alcohol consumption, triggered by several factors beyond simple dehydration. When you drink, alcohol is metabolized by your liver, creating a toxic byproduct called acetaldehyde. The faster your body absorbs and processes alcohol, the more acetaldehyde builds up, and the worse you feel. This process also places a heavy burden on your body, leading to inflammation and oxidative stress.

Additionally, alcohol acts as a diuretic, meaning it makes you urinate more frequently, leading to dehydration and the loss of essential electrolytes like potassium, magnesium, and sodium. It can also interfere with blood sugar regulation, causing levels to drop and contributing to fatigue, confusion, and shakiness. A strategic nutritional approach, focusing on nutrient-dense foods before and after drinking, can help mitigate these effects.

The Best Pre-Drinking Strategy

The goal of eating before you drink is to slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream. By filling your stomach, you dilute the alcohol and give your body more time to process it at a manageable pace. The optimal meal will include a strategic combination of macronutrients.

The Power Trio: Healthy Fats, Protein, and Fiber

Healthy Fats: Foods rich in healthy fats, like those found in avocados, salmon, and nuts, are digested slowly. This delay in gastric emptying means alcohol enters your bloodstream more gradually, preventing a sudden spike in blood alcohol concentration (BAC).
Protein: Similar to fats, protein takes longer to digest and helps keep you feeling full. Eggs and lean meats like chicken or fish are excellent choices. Eggs also contain cysteine, an amino acid that assists the liver in breaking down the toxic acetaldehyde.
Complex Carbohydrates and Fiber: Unlike simple sugars that cause a rapid blood sugar spike, complex carbs like sweet potatoes, oats, and whole-grain bread release energy slowly. Their fiber content further helps slow alcohol absorption and stabilize blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of fatigue and mood swings.

Foods for Post-Drinking Recovery

Even with the best pre-drinking meal, hangovers can happen. The morning after requires a focus on replenishing lost nutrients and rehydrating the body.

Hydrate and Replenish Electrolytes

Coconut Water or Broth: These are excellent sources of electrolytes like potassium and sodium, which are depleted by alcohol's diuretic effect. A hydrating broth-based soup can also be soothing for an upset stomach.
Bananas and Watermelon: These fruits are high in potassium and water content, helping to rehydrate and restore electrolyte balance.

Boost Vitamins and Support Your Liver

Eggs: The cysteine in eggs remains beneficial for detoxification and boosting the body's antioxidant supply after drinking.
Leafy Greens: Spinach and kale contain folate and antioxidants, which help fight the inflammation caused by alcohol. Add them to a smoothie for easy digestion.
Oatmeal: A bowl of oatmeal provides B vitamins and complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, combating hangover-induced fatigue.

Settle a Queasy Stomach

Ginger: Known for its anti-nausea properties, ginger (in tea, chews, or food) can help calm an upset stomach.
Bland Carbohydrates: Simple, easy-to-digest carbs like toast or crackers can help settle your stomach and provide a gentle energy boost.

Hangover Prevention and Recovery Meal Guide


Meal	Timing	Key Ingredients	Benefits	Notes
Pre-Drinking	1-2 hours before	Salmon, sweet potatoes, greens	Slows absorption, reduces inflammation, high protein, complex carbs	Provides a powerful, nutrient-dense base.
Pre-Drinking Snack	30-60 minutes before	Avocado on whole-grain toast	Healthy fats, fiber, potassium, slow absorption	Quick and easy option for last-minute prep.
Morning After Breakfast	Post-drinking	Scrambled eggs, toast, fruit	Replenishes cysteine and B vitamins, gentle on the stomach	Helps stabilize blood sugar and starts recovery.
Morning After Recovery	Throughout the morning	Coconut water, herbal tea, broth	Replenishes electrolytes, rehydrates, soothes stomach	Crucial for reversing dehydration and lost salts.

A Final Word on Hangover Prevention

While certain foods can certainly help mitigate the symptoms and severity of a hangover, they are not a cure-all. The most effective strategy remains drinking in moderation and staying consistently hydrated with water. For comprehensive health information, consult a resource like the Cleveland Clinic. A well-planned diet can support your body's ability to process alcohol more efficiently, but prioritizing sensible consumption and hydration is always the best path to feeling your best.

The Best Pre- and Post-Drinking Food Choices

Eggs: Rich in cysteine to help break down the alcohol byproduct acetaldehyde.
Avocado: High in healthy fats and potassium to slow absorption and replenish electrolytes.
Oatmeal: Provides sustained energy and B vitamins, stabilizing blood sugar levels.
Salmon: Packed with omega-3 fatty acids to reduce inflammation and protein to slow absorption.
Bananas: An excellent source of potassium to balance electrolytes and rehydrate.
Leafy Greens: Contain folate and antioxidants to fight inflammation.
Coconut Water: A natural source of electrolytes for effective rehydration.
Ginger: A well-known remedy for easing nausea and stomach discomfort.

Frequently Asked Questions

Eating greasy food before drinking can help slow alcohol absorption, but it's not a healthy long-term solution. Greasy food the next day can upset an already sensitive stomach and worsen symptoms.

Yes, drinking water between alcoholic beverages helps prevent dehydration, which is a major factor in hangover symptoms. It also helps you consume less alcohol overall.

Yes, bananas are beneficial for hangovers. They are high in potassium, an important electrolyte that is depleted when you drink alcohol, and their high water content helps with rehydration.

It is best to eat a substantial meal rich in protein, fats, and complex carbs 1 to 2 hours before you start drinking to create a protective buffer in your stomach.

Drinking on an empty stomach causes alcohol to be absorbed into your bloodstream very quickly, leading to a rapid spike in blood alcohol concentration and a higher risk of intoxication and severe hangover symptoms.

Yes, oats are beneficial due to their complex carbohydrates, which provide sustained energy, and their supply of B vitamins and magnesium, which are depleted by alcohol.

Eggs contain the amino acid cysteine, which helps the liver break down acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism. Eating eggs can support your body's detoxification process.