The BRAT Diet

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BRAT Diet introduction

When you're nauseated, vomiting, or have diarrhea from a virus or other stomach ailment, eating is probably the last thing you want to think about. While your stomach is still unsettled, your doctor may recommend that you suck on ice chips or take small sips of water or flat soda. As you feel better you can start to reintroduce foods, but to help your stomach readjust, doctors often recommend limiting your diet to bland foods.

What is the BRAT diet?

One type of diet that has been prescribed by doctors for people recovering from diarrhea, upset stomach (dyspepsia), and stomach infection (gastroenteritis) is the BRAT diet, which is an acronym for:

Bananas

Rice

Applesauce

Toast

These bland, low-fiber foods are easy to digest and may help with diarrhea, and most people who have a stomach illness can tolerate them pretty well. The BRAT diet has spawned other eating regimens that have a similar effect on upset stomach. They include the BRATY diet, which stands for:

Bananas

Rice

Applesauce

Toast

Yogurt

And the BRATT diet, which stands for:

Bananas

Rice

Applesauce

Tea

Toast

Once your symptoms have subsided, you can start transitioning back to a normal diet, but you'll want to stick to a relatively bland diet for a couple of days. Avoid the following foods:

• Milk and dairy products
• Fried, greasy, or spicy foods
• Rich desserts
• Raw fruits and vegetables such as corn on the cob, onions, beets, raisins, figs, and cherries
• Citrus fruits (oranges, pineapples, grapefruits) and juices
• Alcohol and caffeinated drinks