Did you know that norovirus affects 21 million people (about the population of New York) in the U.S.? This viral infection is also known as gastroenteritis or stomach flu, which affects the stomach and intestines. It causes symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. While most people recover on their own within a week, it is difficult to consume normal foods and drinks when you have stomach flu. However, there are some foods that you can consume and digest. Read this article to learn the top 10 foods to eat when recovering from gastroenteritis. Log on to www.doralhw.org for a consultation.
Top 10 Foods to Eat When Recovering from Gastroenteritis
During gastroenteritis, people often struggle to eat or digest food. However, some foods are easy to eat and digest and help to recover. These include:
- Clear fluids:
During gastroenteritis, diarrhea and vomiting are the most common symptoms. This means your body loses a high number of fluids which can lead to dehydration if not replenished quickly. Most children, older adults, and people with weak immune systems are prone to dehydration with gastroenteritis, which can be dangerous if left untreated. That’s why you should consume clear liquids. They are easier to digest compared to orange juice and milk. It includes:
- Water
- Soup broth
- Coconut water
- Herbal tea
- Clear fruit juices, like apple, cranberry, and grape juice
- Sports drinks
- Light-colored sports drinks
- Oral rehydration solutions like Pedialyte
These fruit juices and sports drinks may contain high sugar, so don’t consume these beverages in large amounts at once. Also, don’t give them to infants and young children without professional guidance because it may worsen their diarrhea.
- Bland foods:
During gastroenteritis, you can eat bread products like pasta, white rice, wheat, cornflakes, cornbread, etc. that are made from refined, white flour because they are low in fiber and easy to digest. Avoid adding too much syrup to them. According to a 2023 article, a bland diet with easily digestible foods doesn’t put a strain on the stomach. A bland diet includes:
- Low-fat dairy products
- Eggs
- Broth
- Pudding
- Fruit juices
- Cream of wheat
- Tofu
- Lean meats like skinless chicken or fish
- Bland-cooked vegetables like beets, green beans, lima beans, spinach, and carrots
Don’t cook these foods by frying them in fats like butter or oil because it worsens gastroenteritis symptoms. You should cook them by boiling/steaming them.
- Plain potatoes:
Bland foods like plain, boiled potatoes are good choices when you have gastroenteritis because they are soft, low in fat, and easy to digest. It is loaded with potassium, one of the important electrolytes that you lose from vomiting and diarrhea. Just 1 medium-sized or 167-gram potato contains 12% of the DV (daily value) for potassium. However, don’t add high-fat toppings like butter, cheese, and sour cream because it worsens your diarrhea. Instead, you can use a little bit of salt which gives you sodium that you lose with this condition.
- Electrolyte-rich beverages:
Electrolytes are essential minerals that help in many essential bodily functions like fluid balance, blood pressure, heart rate, muscle contraction, and nerve function. During gastroenteritis, you may lose some essential electrolytes, including potassium, magnesium, sodium, and chloride through vomiting and diarrhea. Replacing these lost fluids and electrolytes is considered important in its treatment. Healthcare professionals often recommend oral rehydration solutions, especially for infants and children because they contain water, sugar, and electrolytes in specific amounts that are easy to digest. Sports drinks are another option to restore fluids and electrolytes which contain high sugar content. Research reveals that they may be as effective as oral rehydration solutions used for treating dehydration symptoms, especially in adults.
- Probiotics:
These are live microorganisms that help restore the balance of beneficial gut bacteria. Gastroenteritis symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea can disrupt the diversity of gut bacteria and lower the quantity of good bacteria in the gut, which may impact your health in the long run. Some research reveals that probiotics may help to improve your symptoms and decrease diarrhea duration. Probiotics-rich foods are yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, miso, and coconut milk.
- Eggs:
Eggs are a very nutritious choice during gastroenteritis. When it is prepared with minimal added fat, dairy, and spices, it is easy to digest. It offers protein with 6 grams per large egg, and other nutrients like vitamin B and selenium, an essential mineral for the immune system. However, avoid consuming oil, butter, or lard-fried eggs, as they may worsen your diarrhea.
- Fruits:
When you have gastroenteritis, replenishing fluids is crucial. You can’t rely on beverages for hydration. Fruits are 80 to 90% water along with some essential vitamins and minerals like potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A and C. Fruits like avocados, bananas, oranges, melons, strawberries, peaches, cantaloupe are some of the best fruits for hydration and getting essential nutrients. However, many whole fruits are high in fiber, which makes them difficult to digest. You can take them in juice form or cook them (like applesauce) to make them easier to digest.
- Low-fat poultry and meat:
Your body may digest lean poultry and meats better than high-fat options when you are sick with gastroenteritis. Lean poultry and meat include:
- Skinless, white-meat cuts of chicken and turkey.
- Extra-lean ground chicken, turkey, and beef.
- Low-fat cold cuts of chicken, turkey, and ham.
- Extra-lean cuts of beef, such as top sirloin and eye of round steak.
- Pork chops with the fat trimmed off.
During cooking, avoid frying the meat, instead go for baking, roasting, or grilling to keep the fat content low and prevent upsetting your stomach.
- Ginger:
Ginger is popular for treating nausea, a common symptom of gastroenteritis. While research on ginger for nausea caused by gastroenteritis lacks evidence, some studies have found that it can lower nausea during pregnancy, cancer treatment, and motion sickness. You can use ginger (fresh as a spice or as an ingredient in teas), ginger ale, and candies. Its concentrated amounts are also found in syrups, capsules, and tinctures. However, you should avoid ginger from concentrated sources because it may cause diarrhea in high doses. So, add some ginger root into a soup or brew it in your tea to relieve nausea if you have gastroenteritis.
- Cereal, plain crackers, and pretzels:
These dry foods are also good options because they are free from spices, low in fat and fiber, and made of simple carbs, which are quickly and easily digested. Moreover, these refined grains are often fortified with important vitamins and minerals which help you to meet the daily nutrient requirements when you have gastroenteritis.
Gastroenteritis is a viral infection that upsets your stomach and causes symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. It makes it hard to drink and eat food and digest it. However, you can eat the above-mentioned foods when you’re recovering from gastroenteritis to restore your fluids, as they’re easy to digest, and get the essential nutrients you need for faster recovery.
Need help with gastroenteritis, visit our infectious disease clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment now!!!!! Our infectious disease doctors make sure your condition gets diagnosed and treated properly. For more information or to make an appointment, call us to get a consultation. Call us on +1-347-384-5690. If you need any information on infections, log on to www.doralhw.org get a consultation. We have the best doctors that can help you and improve your quality
