Foods to eat after throwing up from alcohol

An upset stomach or diarrhea can leave you feeling miserable. If left untreated, it can lead to exhaustion and dehydration, so it’s important to make sure your body stays nourished. But it can be hard to determine what to eat after throwing up or having diarrhea. A special diet known as the BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast) is an effective way to treat both.

Table of Contents Show

Path to improved health
Typical triggers
What to do for nausea
What to do for vomiting
When to seek medical care

Path to improved health

The BRAT diet is a bland food diet recommended for adults and children. The benefits of using the BRAT diet to treat upset stomach and diarrhea include:

The foods used in the diet make your stools firmer. That’s because the foods are considered “binding” foods. They’re low-fiber, bland, starchy foods.
The foods help replace nutrients your body needs and has lost due to vomiting and diarrhea. Bananas, for example, are high in the vitamin potassium.

Bland foods don’t irritate your stomach. After you have diarrhea or vomiting, follow the BRAT diet to help your body ease back into normal eating. This diet also may help ease the nausea and vomiting some women experience during pregnancy.

You can add other bland foods to the BRAT diet. For example, you can try saltine crackers, plain potatoes, or clear soup broths. Don’t start eating dairy products, sugary, or fatty foods right away. These foods may trigger nausea or lead to more diarrhea.

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Nausea and vomiting can make you feel miserable. But it's important to remember that these are not diseases. Rather, they are symptoms of many illnesses.

Nausea is a feeling of uneasiness in the stomach often tied to an urge to vomit. Nausea doesn't always lead to vomiting, though. Vomiting is the emptying of the contents of the stomach through the mouth.

Typical triggers

These are some of the more common causes of nausea and vomiting:

Gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the digestive tract most often caused by a viral or bacterial infection
Migraine headaches
Motion sickness
Peptic ulcers
Medicines or medical treatments, such as chemotherapy
Hormonal changes, such as those that lead to morning sickness during pregnancy
Food poisoning or food intolerance
Poisons, toxins, or chemicals in the blood, such as alcohol
Head injury
Gallstones
Stress and excitement in children ages 2 to 6

These are less common causes:

Brain tumor
Reye syndrome
Blockage of the bowel
Pancreatitis, or other inflammation in the abdomen such as diverticulitis and appendicitis
Inflammatory bowel disease
Delayed stomach emptying
Gynecologic problems
Eating disorder

What to do for nausea

Here are ideas on how to ease nausea:

Drink clear or ice cold beverages.
Sip beverages slowly.
Eat saltine crackers, plain bread, and other bland foods.
Don't eat foods that are fried or sweet.
Eat slowly.
Eat smaller meals.
Wait a while after eating before exercising or doing other vigorous activity.
Don't brush your teeth right after a meal.

If these tips don't ease your nausea, talk with your healthcare provider.

What to do for vomiting

Children become dehydrated more quickly than adults do. If your child is vomiting, ask your healthcare provider how to help your child feel better.

If you are vomiting, try these tips:

Take a break from solid food, even if you feel like eating.
Stay hydrated by sucking on ice chips or frozen fruit pops. Try drinking sips of water, weak tea, clear soft drinks without carbonation, noncaffeinated sports drinks, or broth. Sugary drinks may calm the stomach better than other liquids.
Temporarily stop taking oral medicines. These can make vomiting worse.
Slowly add bland foods. If you've been able to drink some fluids and haven't thrown up for 6 to 8 hours, try eating small amounts of foods such as bananas, rice, applesauce, unbuttered toast, dry crackers, or dry cereal.
Once you're back on solid food, eat small meals every few hours. This helps your stomach digest food slowly.
Stay away from strong odors, such as tobacco smoke, perfumes, or cooking smells.
Stay away from dairy products, tobacco, and alcohol. They may irritate your stomach.
Get plenty of rest.

Vomiting that is caused by medicines, surgery, or radiation therapy may be treated by taking a different medicine. Medicines are also available to treat vomiting in pregnancy and other conditions. Talk with your healthcare provider about what’s best for you.

When to seek medical care

For adults

See your healthcare provider if your vomiting doesn't ease with self-care within 24 hours, or if you become dehydrated. Symptoms of dehydration include: