Foods That Help with Diarrhea

What to Eat and Drink to Ease Diarrhea Symptoms

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If you have occasional bouts of watery stools, there is a long list of foods that help with diarrhea. In mild cases, a short-term diet of bland, "binding" foods may be all that is needed to ease diarrhea symptoms.

One of the most familiar anti-diarrhea strategies is the BRAT diet (which stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast). But there are other foods that are just as useful, including soft-cooked eggs, low-fat yogurt, clear broths, plain pasta, and saline crackers.

On top of this, you need to keep well hydrated and avoid foods that are high in fiber, fat, sugar, whole grains, or caffeine.

This article provides a list of foods to eat when you have diarrhea—and those to avoid. It also offers preparation tips and describes possible side effects you may experience.

sliced bread in a toaster

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Goals and Benefits of a Diarrhea Diet

If you have diarrhea, a temporary, restrictive diet can bind watery stools and give your bowels a chance to rest. It can also help restore lost fluids and balance electrolytes (electrically charged minerals like sodium and calcium) in your body.

The purpose of a diarrhea diet is to eat foods that firm up stools (poop) and to limit foods that can make stools watery.

This includes eating foods that are high in soluble fiber. This is the type of fiber found in potatoes, bananas, and refined wheat that absorbs fluid in the gut and slows down digestion.

On the flip side, you need to limit foods that are high in insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is the type found in bran, fruits, and whole grains that doesn't absorb fluid and speeds up digestion.

The diarrhea diet is intended for the short-term treatment of occasional diarrhea, It can also help ease sudden, severe bouts of diarrhea in people with chronic (persistent) conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and celiac disease.

What to Eat and Avoid on a Diarrhea Diet

Unlike some diets, a diarrhea diet is easy to follow because there are foods that clearly help with diarrhea and others that clearly don't.

To increase the effectiveness of the diet, eat smaller, snack-sized meals several times a day rather than three large meals that place undue stress on the digestive tract.

Foods to Eat
  • White bread or toast

  • Clear broth

  • Coconut water

  • Plain pasta

  • White potato (peeled)

  • Bananas

  • White rice

  • Canned pears

  • Farina

  • Applesauce

  • Eggs (soft-cooked)

  • Low-fat yogurt

  • Chicken breast (skinless)

  • Saltine crackers

  • Decaffeinated tea (weakly brewed)

  • Pretzels

Foods to Avoid
  • Dairy (except yogurt)

  • Fried, fatty, or spicy food

  • Whole grains

  • Nuts and seeds

  • Beans and legumes

  • Raw vegetables

  • Corn

  • Onion and garlic

  • Potato chips

  • Sugar-free candy

  • Cabbage and broccoli

  • Dried fruit

  • Nut butters

  • Carbonated drinks

  • Coffee

  • Citrus fruit and juice

  • Alcohol

Fruit

Bananas are bland and easily digested, making them a good choice for settling diarrhea. They are also a good source of potassium, an important electrolyte that can be lost with diarrhea.

Applesauce is a better choice than raw apples as the fruit's skin contains insoluble fiber. Applesauce also has pectin that can help bind stools.

Vegetables

Vegetables can be hard to digest when eaten raw. You can make them more friendly by peeling them, removing their seeds, and cooking them thoroughly. The skin of a potato is especially problematic and should always be removed.

Avoid broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, peas, green leafy vegetables, and corn as they tend to cause gas and bloating. Steaming, boiling, or roasting vegetables until soft is better than frying or eating them raw.

Grains

Hot cereals like farina are easy to digest and are often vitamin-fortified. Oats are also a rich source of soluble fiber and can help firm stools.

Whole grains, nuts, and seeds are great for easing constipation but should be avoided if you have diarrhea. Refined wheat, on the other hand, binds stools and can be found in food products like white bread, regular pasta, saltines, and pretzels.

Dairy

Avoid dairy products until your diarrhea improves as lactose (the sugar found in dairy products) can be difficult to digest and end up aggravating diarrhea.

The one exception is a small serving of low-fat yogurt which contains probiotic bacteria. Probiotics help restore the healthy balance of microorganisms in the gut that aid in normal digestion.

Meat

White meat chicken, roasted or broiled, is one of the best meats for people with diarrhea. Lean, fat-free cuts of turkey, beef, pork, and fish also are fine. Avoid sauces, gravy, mayonnaise, butter, or heavy spices.

On the other hand, you need to avoid fatty red meat, particularly ground beef or processed meats like sausage, bacon, and salami thigh in saturated fat.

Beverages

It’s important to replace fluids and electrolytes lost to diarrhea. Plain water is best, but coconut water or electrolyte-rich sports drinks may be used as long as long as they are low in sugar. Bone broth can also help replace fluids and lost sodium.

Avoid caffeinated coffee, tea, and colas as well as alcoholic beverages because they can stimulate bowel movements. You'll also want to skip carbonated beverages that can cause gas and bloating.

Be aware that drinking very hot or very cold beverages can stimulate bowel movements. Stick to room-temperature beverages wherever possible.

Desserts

Ice pops can prevent dehydration, especially in small children. Brands like Pedialyte make freezer pops that are low in sugar and offer added nutrition. Avoid ice cream, baked goods, pudding, and whipped topping.

You will also need to avoid hard candies and other sweets made with artificial sweeteners like sorbitol, xylitol, or erythritol which have a mild laxative effect. 

Modifications to the Diarrhea Diet 

The approach to a diarrhea diet is different for adults and kids. Children have different nutritional needs and can become dehydrated more quickly than adults simply because of their smaller body size.

Most healthcare providers agree that if a child is already eating foods included in the diarrhea diet, these foods can used for the short-term treatment of diarrhea. But changing a baby or toddler's diet dramatically can be harmful at a time when nutrients are needed to build strong bones, organs, and immune function.

As such, there is no approved "diarrhea diet" for children. Any bout of diarrhea in babies and toddlers should be treated under the guidance of a pediatrician.

Expert Recommendations

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) no longer recommends the BRAT diet for children with diarrhea due to the risk of nutritional deficiencies. The AAP also adds that "there is not sufficient evidence that following this restrictive diet is necessary or warranted (in children)."

Modifications may also be made for the following medical conditions:

  • Diabetes: If you have diabetes, your healthcare provider may want you to add special nutritional supplements, like Glucerna, to keep your blood sugar stable during recovery from diarrhea.
  • IBS: If you experience frequent diarrhea due to IBS, your healthcare providers may recommend the addition of a probiotic supplement.
  • SIBO: If you have diarrhea from a bacterial infection or condition like small bowel bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), you may need antibiotics. Probiotic supplements may be prescribed to reduce the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea by as much as 50% to 60%.

Possible Side Effects

Generally speaking, a diarrhea diet in older children and adults poses few risks. However, if the diet is used for too long, it can lead to signs and symptoms of nutritional deficiency, including:

  • Fatigue
  • Paleness
  • Weakness
  • Breathing difficulty with physical exertion
  • Increased sensitivity to cold
  • Depression
  • High blood pressure

A diarrhea diet is not intended for long-term use. If the diet doesn't significantly improve symptoms within a couple of days, you may need other treatments, including anti-diarrhea drugs like Imodium A-D (loperamide). Speak with your healthcare provider.

If symptoms have eased by day three, you can start to incorporate other foods back into the diet over the course of a week to 14 days.

How It Compares to Other Diets

The diet recommendations for recovering from a brief bout of diarrhea overlap with those of other diets that can be used to treat chronic bowel conditions or help people before and after surgery. 

Low-Fiber Diet

For adults eating 2,000 calories a day, the daily recommended intake for fiber is at least 28 grams, or about an ounce. On a low-fiber diet, you restrict your intake to around 10 to 15 grams of fiber per day. 

If you limit your fiber intake to manage diarrhea, carefully consider which sources of fiber you choose to include in your diet. 

Low-Residue Diet

A low-residue diet is similar to a diarrhea diet but with additional limitations. It's usually prescribed temporarily when you are preparing for or recovering from a procedure such as a colonoscopy.

One of the main concerns for people on a low-residue diet is the limit on dairy products. You’ll have to restrict your intake to 2 cups of dairy per day. Dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt don’t add fiber, but they do leave undigested material behind in the colon. 

You may find dairy makes digestive symptoms worse and choose to avoid these foods while following the diarrhea diet too.

Low-FODMAP Diet

FODMAP is an acronym for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. These short carbohydrate chains are present in many foods, but especially grains, beans, and legumes.  

The small intestine doesn’t absorb short-chain carbohydrates very well. If you’re lactose intolerant, you’re already familiar with related symptoms. Some people find that foods high in FODMAPs tend to trigger or worsen digestive symptoms such as abdominal pain, gas, and bloating. 

A low-FODMAP diet is similar to other low-fiber diets, such as the BRAT diet and a low-residue diet, but isn’t as limited. High-fiber foods are avoided on a low-FODMAP diet, but unless you are lactose intolerant, you won’t have to restrict dairy products. 

You may find low-FODMAP foods appealing as you transition from the diarrhea diet back to your normal diet.

Summary

You can often manage occasional bouts of diarrhea by changing the foods you eat for a few days. The diarrhea diet is a short-term strategy focused on foods that are bland, binding, and gentle on your digestive tract. Ample hydration is also needed.

Dietary changes in babies and toddlers with diarrhea should be overseen by a pedestrian. Restrictive diets of any sort may be harmful to small children.

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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Additional Reading

By Barbara Bolen, PhD
Barbara Bolen, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and health coach. She has written multiple books focused on living with irritable bowel syndrome.