Bland food helps you with diarrhea and other gastrointestinal diseases. We give you tips and show you two simple recipes that support your body.
Problems in the gastrointestinal tract can have various causes, such as greasy food or a food intolerance. Viruses are usually the cause of gastrointestinal flu. Symptoms can be very uncomfortable, including diarrhea, nausea, and/or vomiting.
There are different types of diarrhea, but they all have one thing in common: your body loses a lot of fluids in a short period of time. You should therefore make sure that you drink plenty of non-carbonated water in sips throughout the day. Unsweetened chamomile tea, peppermint tea, or fennel tea can also soothe your digestive tract.
If severe diarrhea lasts longer than three days or is bloody, you should definitely seek medical advice.
Light diet for diarrhea: You should avoid these foods
Don’t eat raw vegetables. Boiled or steamed vegetables are better tolerated.
Avoid hot spices like pepper, chili, or garlic. Instead, use fresh herbs like fennel, caraway, or anise.
Avoid fat. If you only have mild diarrhea, feel free to sauté your food in a small amount of oil, but avoid fried and breaded foods. Skip the oil if you have severe diarrhea.
Avoid legumes. Although they are generally very healthy, they are difficult to digest due to their complex protein structure and are therefore not advisable if you have diarrhea. The same goes for nuts.
Avoid foods that cause gas, such as cabbage, onions, or sauerkraut.
Avoid sugar. Any sweets or sugar in tea should be off-limits during your diarrhea bland diet – the sugar overwhelms your already weakened intestinal mucosa. That’s why coke, for example, doesn’t help with diarrhea.
It is not for nothing that they say: well chewed is half digested. If you prepare your food as a puree or soup, you can support your digestion.
In general, the following applies to diarrhea:
Eat little, drink a lot!
Eat small portions throughout the day.
Light diet for diarrhea: These foods are good for you
Since your intestines are already irritated, you should take a closer look when choosing foods. It is important that the food continues to provide you with vitamins and all the important nutrients while protecting your digestion. Watery, easily digestible vegetables are particularly gentle on your stomach and intestines and help you to rebalance your fluid balance:
carrots
zucchini
pumpkin
Beetroot
Also well tolerated are supplements such as:
potatoes
rice
zwieback
oatmeal
Rice gruel (our recipe: rice gruel for diarrhea)
These foods provide you with nutrients and have a constipating effect. Treatment with psyllium husks can also be helpful. Mix a tablespoon of psyllium husk in a glass of water and sip it all before your first meal.
When it comes to fruit, it is best to use fruits that contain a lot of pectin, such as:
very finely grated apple
grated bananas
The pectin helps you bind excess liquid and thus has a constipating effect. By grating the fruit finely, your body can absorb the pectin better.
Proven light diet for diarrhea: carrot soup
Carrots bind excess fluid in the intestines and can help relieve diarrhea.
If you cook carrots long enough, so-called oligosaccharides are formed, which are tiny sugar molecules. Since they are similar to the intestinal receptors, the pathogens are bound from the intestine and excreted more quickly.
We will show you a simple but effective recipe by Dr. Moro:
Ingredients:
500 grams of carrots
1 liter of water
1 pinch of salt
optional: turmeric
Wash the carrots and cut them into pieces.
Put them in a suitable pot.
Add the water and bring the contents to a simmer.
If the carrots are easy to mash with a fork, you can puree them.
Season the soup with a pinch of salt. Optionally, you can use some turmeric as it has an anti-inflammatory effect. You should avoid other spices until your intestines are feeling better.
In total, the soup should simmer for around an hour so that the oligosaccharides can be released from the carrots. You can eat the soup several times throughout the day to relieve your symptoms.
Light diet for diarrhea: oatmeal in different variations
Cooked oatmeal is easy to digest, yet high in fiber, carbohydrates, and protein. They give you energy again and can support you in your recovery process.
Here is a simple basic recipe for the wholesome porridge.
Ingredients:
1 cup oatmeal
2 cups of water
1 pinch of salt
Optional: carrots, grated apple or mashed banana
How to prepare oatmeal:
First mix the oatmeal with the water in a suitable saucepan.
Then bring the flakes to a simmer and add the salt.
Keep stirring the porridge over low heat until it reaches the desired consistency.
Depending on your preference, you can make oatmeal sweet or savory. For a savory version, simply add a chopped carrot while cooking. Another variation is oatmeal soup.
If you prefer sweet oatmeal, you can finely grate an apple and stir it into the porridge. Since the peel contains a particularly large amount of pectin, it is best to grate the apple with the peel and let it rest for about ten minutes before using it. This allows the pectin to unfold its stuffing effect particularly well.
Another option is bananas. They also contain the valuable pectin and have a constipating effect. It is best to mash the banana with a fork beforehand and stir it into the simmering porridge.