Here’s What To Eat When You Have Loose Motions – Foods For Diarrhea

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what to eat when you have loose motions or diarrhea
Banana, white rice, applesauce, toast, yogurt, mashed potatoes, and many more foods answer what to eat when you have loose motions. Learn more below.
 

Knowing what to eat when you have loose motions is essential when the need to provide your stomach with eatables that aid the process of recovering from diarrhea exists. It is because your stomach should not be having anything that might cause it more damage; you need to pay close attention to what you consume so your digestive system doesn’t hang up there but works. With that being said, it is essential for you to answer what to eat when you have loose motions or diarrhea and this is what this article is about.

In case you are wondering to start with BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast – mainly), beware; this diet is very restrictive and thus a bad idea to focus on if your willpower to stick to any diet for a long time is weak. Also, if you are experiencing a type of diarrhea (IBS – irritable bowel syndrome), consuming applesauce which is a part of BRAT diet is not ideal for your digestive system – it, therefore, is dangerous to go for BRAT diet in order to cure diarrhea. Other than these mentioned reasons, BRAT diets still aid when it comes to curing diarrhea and there’s no doubt in it.

Following are the foods that exist in BRAT diet that you can start with:

  1. Banana
  2. Rice
  3. Applesauce
  4. Toast
  5. Clear Broths
  6. weak, Decaffeinated Tea
  7. Solutions like Pedialyte

Make sure to drink plenty of water during the course as this will keep you hydrated and your body capable of changing and digesting at ease.

Please talk to your dietician and or healthcare insurer as well, in case your diarrhea lasts for more than 3 to 5 days. Occasional diarrhea’s occurrence is common which disappears within 2 to 3 days mostly (disappearance takes 5 days for few people as well).

What to eat when you have loose motions?

In order to answer what to eat when you have loose motions or diarrhea, we’ve prepared you a list of foods to eat when you have diarrhea and that list goes like this:

1 – Banana:

banana

One of the easiest foods to digest, bananas are bland that you can consume to make your digestive system happy and working. Bananas help to absorb liquid in intestines thus move stool along easily – thanks to pectin and soluble fiber that make this happen. Other than this, bananas also help replace electrolytes that might have been replaced earlier due to diarrhea – this is because of potassium.

2 – White Rice:

rice

White rice is high in carbohydrates and is digested easily. Also, it is binding; it helps to firm up your loose stool.

You can eat your rice either plain or cooked in chicken broth if you want to. Only thing restricted here is to avoid adding spices, fat, oil, and dairy-based sauces to your rice because those are harmful to diarrhea and are not recommended when one wants to answer what to eat when you have loose motions or diarrhea.

3 – Applesauce:

apple-sauce

Applesauce, one of the ingredients of BRAT diet, is a good food to be consumed when curing loose motions. This is because it has fiber in the form of pectin which is good for overall health and is easily digested.

You may also feel fuller for a long time after you’ve eaten applesauce – thanks to its fiber content.

Also, applesauce is found to supply as much as 80 percent of your daily vitamin C needs.

4 – Toast:

toast

Toast adds bulk to your stool, allowing you to cure diarrhea; bulk makes your diarrhea to stop and come out as a normal bowel movement which is what we want here. Therefore, it is recommended to eat toast when you want an answer to what to eat when you have loose motions because it makes it to the list of foods to eat when you have diarrhea.

5 – Mashed Potatoes:

potato

Like bananas, potatoes also contain lots of potassium, making it a comfort food to consume for one’s better digestion.

It is advised to eat peeled potatoes as skins are found to be harmful for when you have diarrhea. You can microwave, steam, or boil your potatoes and add a little salt for flavor if you want. Adding butter, margarine, sour cream, and gravy are not allowed though as they could irritate your digestive system and might become agents that contribute to increased intestinal cramping.

6 – Yogurt:

yogurt

You might need to avoid most dairy products when you are affected with loose motions but yogurt is not one of them.

When choosing yogurt, search for the ones that contain live/ active bacterial cultures like lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium bifidum. Also, avoid the ones that have high sugar level and artificial sweeteners when choosing your yogurt as both of them contribute to loose stools and excessive intestinal gas.

Yogurt also makes it to the list of foods to eat when you have diarrhea.

7 – White Bread, Pancakes, or Pasta:

bake

Eating white bread, pancakes, and pasta aid when it comes to curing diarrhea; white bread, pancakes, and pasta (white flour products mainly) are low in fiber thus easier to digest and aid when you’re dealing with a bout of diarrhea. Make sure to not add any sauces and oils to your pasta as they are harmful to your digestive system. Also, try avoiding butter, honey, jam, syrup, and margarine when you have loose motions.

8 – Steamed, Baked, or Broiled Chicken or Lean Meat:

meat

Chicken, in any form, or lean meat is also bland in nature thus easily digested (not in the case of when you have typhoid and your liver’s ability to produce bile is lowered) – and it’s a good source of protein as well, not to forget. Eating steamed, baked, or broiled chicken will allow your body to get important nutrients while curing your diarrhea at the same time.

Yet again, adding butter and oils to your chicken or lean meat is not permissible. Also, you can consume them in any way – steamy, baked, or broiled.

Lean cuts of beef, pork, turkey, and fish are also acceptable.

9 – Chicken Broth:

chicken-broth

Just like any of old-age ideas and ingredients that aid in curing any disease or problem, chicken soup is still believed to help you with many problems, including loose motions.

Chicken broth makes your soup more nutritional while replacing the lost electrolytes caused by repeated bouts of diarrhea.

Sipping a warm broth is found to aid sore stomach as well.

10 – Oatmeal, Farina, or Cream of Wheat:

oatmeal

Oatmeal is found to have soluble fiber that plays a role of bulking agent for your stool when you have loose motions/ diarrhea.

Make sure to not add much sugar in your eatables as they are harmful. You may use bananas in the oatmeal or cereal instead of sugar to sweeten up your eatables and get most of the benefits.

Oatmeal and cereals are often consumed in breakfast and are good eatables to kick-start your day with. Also, you can enjoy cornflakes as well if you want.

Oatmeal is also one of the foods you can eat when you have high blood pressure.

They make it to the list of foods to eat when you have diarrhea.

11 – Vegetables:

vegetables

If you want to provide your body with important nutrients, adding vegetables to your diet is the best option. However, consuming vegetables when you have loose motions/ diarrhea is different than that of eating vegetables when you are perfectly fine; you will have to peel vegetables first, remove seeds from them, and cook them thereafter when you want to answer what to eat when you have loose motions or diarrhea.

Green beans, carrots, corn squash, beets, and peeled zucchini are good ones to start with.

Vegetables to avoid when you have loose motions include broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, peas, corn, and green leafy vegetables as they are harder to digest and are more likely to cause gas. In fact, cabbage is harmful if consumed when you have diarrhea caused by typhoid.

12 – Pretzels:

pretzels

Pretzels also help replace lost electrolytes due to diarrhea thus are good to be consumed in order to restore them. Plus, they are easily digested because they are made with white flour.

13 – Kombucha:

kombucha

Kombucha, a fermented tea, can be used to cure loose motions as well. This is because it’s a rich source of probiotic.

However, over-fermented kombucha can cause serious problems including death as well. It, therefore, is advised to buy kombucha from online stores and websites to be safer. Also, make sure to check its ingredients when buying and avoid the brands that are high in added sugar.

14 – Kefir:

kefir

Kefir is very high in probiotics and nutrients while also beneficial for easy digestion and gut health. In fact, most people believe it is the stronger version of yogurt, more effective and healthy.

Kefir is effective for diarrhea because it can help restore the balance of friendly bacteria in the gut.

15 – Sauerkraut:

sauerkraut

Sauerkraut doesn’t only boost the immune system, it also helps to cure diarrhea – this is because it’s easy to digest and keeps your stomach full, allowing you to firm up your loose stool.

In addition, sauerkraut helps reduce inflammation in your stomach as well as increases lowered blood pressure.

16 – Kimchi:

kimchi

Kimchi provides probiotics that don’t only improve your digestive system but also help you shape up and manage your overall health.

If you repopulate your gastrointestinal tract with loads of good bacteria, it will allow you to prevent digestive disorder and promote regular bowel movement. Kimchi has those good bacteria.

This makes kimchi to the list of foods to eat when you have diarrhea.

extras

Following are the extras included in this article.

What to drink:

Liquids, just like solids, are essential for one’s vital recovery and being healthy. It, therefore, is necessary to pay the same attention to liquids like that of solids.

People with loose motions or diarrhea should consume more water to stay hydrated and flush toxins off the body.

People with loose motions should also try to consume fluids that are full of minerals and electrolytes. Some of those fluids include:

  • soup
  • coconut water
  • electrolyte water
  • sports drinks

When to see a doctor?

If your diarrhea lasts longer than 5 days, visit the doctor immediately.

If blood or mucus appears in your stool, visit the doctor immediately.

If you experience fever more than 102°F, visit the doctor immediately.

If you feel severe abdominal pains, visit the doctor immediately.

If you experience a weight loss, visit the doctor immediately.

If your mouth gets drier often, visit the doctor immediately.


what to eat when you have loose motions or diarrhea - infographic

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The information contained within this article and overall site is merely for informational purposes and is based on historical facts. Please always consult with your dietitian before creating a diet plan for yourself.

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