Vomiting is always incredibly unpleasant whether it was due to being pregnant, food poisoning or simply having a stomach bug. In addition, vomiting can lead to side effects that last for some time. That is because after you throw up your body will usually become more fatigued and your digestive system will become more sensitive and weaker. After vomiting most people do not want to eat but in reality having small quantities is essential as it will replenish nutrients, calories and fluids.

Best Foods to Eat After Vomiting

After you throw up it is essential to eat small quantities of foods as your body needs to recover and in order to do so, it must replenish calories, fluids and nutrients. Here are some of the best things to eat after you throw up.

1. BRAT Diet

The BRAT diet is not only good for vomiting, but it also helps with nausea and diarrhea. This plan focuses on consuming foods that are bland and binding as this gives your digestive system the opportunity to relax and therefore recuperate. BRAT represents “bananas, rice, applesauce and toast” and each element has a specific purpose. The rice, applesauce and toast will make sure that your belly is full and the bananas will give you plenty of nutrients such as potassium that you lost while vomiting. You should wait to start the BRAT diet until you have stopped vomiting and feel ready to eat solid foods. You should listen to your body in terms of when to start but many people start 6 to 12 hours after the last time they threw up. You should then continue the diet for one to two days and talk to a doctor if you aren’t able to go back to your normal diet afterwards.

2. Bland Foods

Although your stomach usually doesn’t feel ready to eat after vomiting, it is important to have at least something. If you stick to bland foods, your stomach will find it much easier to accept what you are giving it. You should try small amounts of items such as unbuttered pasta, toast or saltine crackers as these are mild, making them easy to digest. You can also try having some vanilla non-fat yogurt as this is easy on the stomach. Even better, the yogurt will contain probiotics that can help fight the bad bacteria that are in your stomach causing the nausea and vomiting. When selecting yogurt, avoid ones with sugar as your stomach may not be able to handle sweet foods. You can also try eating either cooked rice (moistened with a little bit of low-sodium chicken or beef broth for nutrients) or a baked potato. After you finish eating, try to stay either sitting up or at least slightly reclined for an hour as this will help your stomach digest the food.

3. Liquids

When you vomit you lose a lot of water and that means that your body can become easily dehydrated, especially because it is sick. If you don’t feel up to drinking water, then you should opt for foods that have high water content. Some good ideas are clear soup, broth, flavored gelatin or frozen ice pops. After you are done vomiting, you should try to have a tablespoon of either water or some sort of oral rehydrating solution (like Rehydralyte or Pedialyte). Wait a half hour and if you haven’t experienced diarrhea or vomiting, have another two tablespoons of the same liquid. Keep increasing the amount of liquid you consume every half hour for a total of three hours and then switch to clear liquids. Clear liquids that you should drink include water, clear bouillon or broth, weak and decaffeinated tea, Kool-Aid with decreased sugar, Jell-O, popsicles and sports drinks (but dilute them in water to decrease the sugar content).

Warnings and Tips

When you are trying to recover from vomiting, pay special attention to the following cautions for how to eat after vomiting which are also of vital importance. You should always talk to your doctor if your vomiting lasts for more than just a few hours.

• Don’t eat foods you really like if you anticipate nausea in the future as you may stop liking them.
• You should do your best to consume smaller quantities of food and stick to ones that are lower in fat. Remember that you will need to eat more often to get enough calories.
• Try not to eat foods that are too sweet and instead stick to salty ones.
• Eat your meals slowly.
• Try not to have liquids at your meals. Instead have them between a half hour and hour before and after you eat.
• Drink cool and clear beverages and ideally you should be drinking anything that your body can tolerate.
• If the smell of cooking foods increases your nausea, leave the room and let someone else cook. You can also try to stick to fruits, sandwiches and cold foods instead.
• Wait to lie down until two hours after you are done eating.