Best Foods for Diarrhea: 8 Gentle Options

White rice, bananas, and plain potatoes are among the best foods for diarrhea because they are generally easy to tolerate while you recover.

Food does not replace the fluid and salts lost during diarrhea. A pharmacy oral rehydration solution can help replace them; see the best drinks for diarrhea for hydration options.

8 best foods for diarrhea

Start with small, frequent portions of foods you tolerate, and increase them as your appetite returns. The electrolyte calculator can help with general planning, but it cannot diagnose dehydration or replace medical advice or an oral rehydration solution.

These choices are practical options, not a proven cure or a required diet. A 2024 review of dietary management in children discusses diets for particular causes of diarrhea and cautions against unnecessary restrictions; it does not establish that the foods below treat ordinary acute diarrhea.

1. White rice

White rice is low in fiber and has a mild flavor, which can make it easier to tolerate than a rich or heavily seasoned meal. It provides carbohydrate for energy, but it does not address the cause of diarrhea.

Cook the rice until soft and start with a small bowl. Eat it plain or alongside a little simply prepared chicken if you want a more substantial meal; avoid adding fatty sauces if they worsen your symptoms.

The case for white rice is mainly practical: the available review does not establish it as a treatment that shortens an episode of diarrhea. If rice is unappealing, another tolerated starch is a reasonable choice.

2. Bananas

A ripe banana is soft, easy to portion, and a source of potassium, a mineral that can be lost during diarrhea. It also contains fiber, although eating a banana is not a reliable way to replace substantial fluid or electrolyte losses.

Start with a small portion on its own or mash it into plain oatmeal. Choose a ripe banana rather than a heavily sweetened banana dessert, and eat more only if it feels comfortable.

Bananas are a convenient food, but evidence that they independently stop diarrhea is limited. If you have kidney disease or have been told to limit potassium, ask your clinician whether they fit your diet.

3. Plain potatoes

Cooked potatoes provide carbohydrate and potassium without requiring much added fat or seasoning. They can be a useful alternative when rice or toast sounds unappealing.

Boil, bake, or mash a potato until soft, and start with a small serving. Leave off the skin if you find it hard to tolerate, and use little or no butter, cream, or oil if fatty foods make diarrhea worse.

Potatoes are a practical source of energy, not a proven diarrhea treatment. Their potassium content is also not a substitute for rehydration; people who restrict potassium should follow their clinician’s advice.

4. Plain toast

Plain toast or bread provides carbohydrate and is usually easy to eat in a small amount. White bread has less fiber than many whole-grain breads, which some people may find easier to tolerate during diarrhea.

Try a slice without rich spreads, or eat a small amount alongside another food on the list. If bread is part of your usual diet and does not make symptoms worse, you do not need to avoid it simply because you have diarrhea.

There is no good reason to expect toast to treat the underlying illness. Its role is to provide a manageable source of food while you continue eating and drinking as tolerated.

5. Plain oatmeal

Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which absorbs water and forms a gel in the digestive tract. That property may help stool consistency for some people, though it does not mean oatmeal will stop diarrhea.

Cook plain oats until soft and start with a small bowl. Prepare them without large amounts of sugar or fat; if milk seems to worsen symptoms, use a preparation you tolerate instead.

The evidence for oatmeal specifically as a treatment for acute diarrhea is limited. If it increases bloating or discomfort, choose another food rather than forcing yourself to eat it.

6. Cooked carrots

Soft, cooked carrots supply nutrients and some fiber in a form that may be easier to tolerate than raw vegetables. Cooking changes their texture, but it does not make them a treatment for the cause of diarrhea.

Peel and cook carrots until tender, then serve a small portion plain or mash them into a meal. Avoid preparing them with a lot of oil or a rich sauce if those additions seem to aggravate symptoms.

Direct evidence that ordinary cooked carrots shorten diarrhea is limited. They are best viewed as an optional vegetable to include as your appetite permits, not as a food you must eat.

7. Simply cooked chicken

Chicken provides protein, which helps you maintain a more balanced intake when you can eat. It does not directly firm stools, but it can make a meal more satisfying than starch alone.

Choose plain, skinless chicken and cook it thoroughly. Start with a small portion, such as chicken added to rice, and avoid fried chicken or heavily seasoned preparations if they worsen your symptoms.

The available evidence does not establish chicken as a specific treatment for diarrhea. If you do not eat chicken, focus on returning to other protein foods you normally tolerate as your appetite improves.

8. Unsweetened applesauce

Unsweetened applesauce is soft and contains pectin, a type of soluble fiber. It can be easier to eat than raw fruit for some people, although its effect on stool varies.

Start with a few spoonfuls and choose a version without a lot of added sugar. If it makes diarrhea, gas, or cramping worse, stop eating it and choose another tolerated food; some people are sensitive to sugars naturally present in apples.

Applesauce is a traditional option rather than a proven cure. The available review does not show that it shortens an ordinary episode of acute diarrhea.

Which foods should you limit when you have diarrhea?

Limit foods that clearly worsen your symptoms rather than cutting out whole food groups without a reason. Fried foods, fatty meats, creamy sauces, and large, rich meals can be difficult to tolerate for some people; smaller, simpler meals may feel better.

Large amounts of added sugar, some sugar-free products containing sugar alcohols, and highly seasoned foods can also aggravate diarrhea in some people. Check the ingredients of sweets and gum if you notice a pattern, but do not assume every food in these categories will affect you.

Milk and other lactose-containing foods can temporarily worsen diarrhea for some people. If that happens, reduce them while symptoms are active and ask a clinician for advice if the problem persists; you do not necessarily need to avoid all dairy permanently.

A very restricted diet can leave you short of nutrients. As you feel better, return gradually to a varied diet instead of staying on rice, bananas, toast, or other bland foods alone.

Who should be careful, and when should you see a doctor?

Seek urgent medical care for signs of serious dehydration, such as fainting, confusion, or very little or no urine, or if you cannot keep fluids down. Blood in the stool, black or tarry stool, severe abdominal pain, or a high fever also needs prompt medical assessment.

Contact a clinician if an adult’s diarrhea lasts more than 2 days, or if a child’s lasts more than 1 day. Infants can become dehydrated quickly, so contact their clinician promptly when diarrhea occurs rather than relying on a food list.

Children should continue breastfeeding or their usual formula unless their clinician advises otherwise; do not dilute formula. Ask a clinician about oral rehydration for a child, especially if the child is drinking poorly, has fewer wet diapers, seems unusually sleepy, or has a dry mouth.

Seek advice sooner if you are pregnant, older, immunocompromised, or have kidney disease, diabetes, or heart failure. If you take medicines such as diuretics, have a prescribed fluid or potassium restriction, or developed diarrhea after antibiotics, contact your clinician for individualized advice; do not stop prescribed medication on your own.