Have you eaten bad foodstuff recently? Do you feel weak and no appetite? Read on to learn the best things to eat after food poisoning for a quick recovery.
Few things in life are worse than food poisoning.
The stomach cramps, nausea, lethargy and constant trips to the toilet are never fun.
Even worse, it’s incredibly common. As many as 48 million people get food-borne illnesses every year in the United States. That amounts to a 1 in 6 chance of getting food poisoning!
Getting through this traumatic experience isn’t easy. You’re left tired, weak, and low on appetite. However, the right foods can make a world of difference.
Are you wondering about the best things to eat after food poisoning?
We’re not surprised. After all, the very thought of eating might be enough to send you running back to the bathroom. Knowing what to eat (and keep down) can be a challenge.
Let us help! Read on for 7 top foods to eat that’ll help you recover from food poisoning.
1. Eat Like a BRAT
Or, to put in another way:
Eat bananas, rice, apple sauce, and toast (…just not necessarily together).
Those might seem like a strange selection of foods. However, there’s a method to the madness. First off, they’re all bland foods that you’re more likely to be able to stomach.
Each food in the BRAT acronym is easy for your body to digest. It won’t sit for long in your stomach before moving on through your system. Better still, they’re full of starch, which should help tackle diarrhea by binding everything together down there.
All told, you’re onto a winning (albeit bland) combination of foods with which to start your road to recovery. From there, resting, staying hydrated, and even visiting an acupuncture clinic might help.
2. Crackers
Where do you go next if you’ve exhausted the BRAT diet?
You’re not exactly spoiled for choice, we’re afraid!
Plain/salted crackers can be a good place to start though. For one thing, they’re also pretty bland. And, as we know, that’s exactly what we’re looking for. They won’t put any undue strain on your stomach, which should help you keep them down.
You might also benefit from their savory, salty nature. The salt in each cracker (or saltine) might make you thirsty and encourage you to stay hydrated (more on the importance of this later).
3. Soup and Broths
Our next suggestion is a nice bowl of soup, broth, or stock.
These nutritious meals kill two birds with one stone. Firstly, they’re fluids, which help you stay hydrated after a bout of vomiting and diarrhea. Secondly, they can come packed with herbs and spices to facilitate your recovery.
Your meal might have everything from ginger to fennel in it. These kinds of ingredients are well-known, widely-used, and accepted treatments for a huge range of ailments. You’ll enjoy anti-inflammatory and anti-nausea properties, to name just two.
It goes without saying how useful both can be in the aftermath of a violent bout of food poisoning.
4. A Small Portion of Yogurt
In general, dairy isn’t a great option when you’re recovering from food poisoning.
It’s usually rich and fatty, which isn’t always what your body wants/needs. There’s a chance you’ll have to wait a while before taking this suggestion to eat some yogurt.
Having said that, there’s every reason to believe it would be beneficial as well. Indeed, yogurt is naturally cool and soothing, which can help if you’ve got a sore throat from vomiting. Likewise, it often contains probiotics to support your digestive system.
Finally, the fluid in yogurt provides another way to stay hydrated.
5. Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are another option to consider.
Just like the BRAT diet, they offer a bland and starchy meal that’ll be gentle on your stomach and counteract diarrhea.
Be sensible, though. We aren’t talking about your standard butter and milk-filled mashed potatoes! They might be delicious at any other time, but not when you’re recovering from food poisoning. The dairy content could turn it into a challenge to keep down.
You’ll have more luck with basic potatoes with just a bit of salt. Another alternative is to try instant mashed potato, which would get some water into your system as well.
6. Anything Non-Fatty, Non-Fried, and Non-Spicy
Knowing what NOT to eat is just as important!
After all, the last thing you want is to chow down on something that makes the situation worse.
We already know that dairy foods aren’t the best idea. The same goes with anything fatty, deep-fried, spicy, and covered in seasoning. Your stomach is sure to complain if you put anything of that nature inside it.
Steer clear of anything foodstuffs that promise to be tough on your insides. Remember, blandness is the order of the day!
7. Stay Hydrated Too
It’s hard to overstate the importance of staying hydrated when you’ve had food poisoning.
We’d feel remiss not to mention it.
Anybody who’s struggled with vomiting and diarrhea will have lost a lot of fluid from their systems. It’s important to replace them in order to stay hydrated and prevent the situation from worsening.
Now, as with food, the trick is finding the right fluids to drink. They need to be both palatable and restorative in nature.
Everything from sports drinks with added electrolytes to a light broth can help. We’ve also heard talk of the curative effects of flat ginger ale and coca-cola! In reality, the best drinks are those that you can sip away at and keep down.
Find those and you’re onto a winner.
Enjoy the Best Things to Eat After Food Poisoning
Anybody who’s ever suffered from food poisoning knows how awful it can be.
You know almost instantly that something’s not right. Only after what seems like endless vomiting, diarrhea and a host of other ‘delights’, can you begin the road to recovery.
At this point, the food and drink you put into your system make a vital difference. Alas, knowing what to eat after food poisoning can be easier said than done.
Hopefully, this post has highlighted the best things to eat after food poisoning to help in that regard!
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