An unexpected attack of gastroenteritis can ruin your appetite, leaving you feeling nauseous and prone to vomiting or diarrhoea. But skipping meals isn’t helping as your body needs nutrients to fight off bacteria and viruses. This blog has got you covered with the top foods to eat when battling gastroenteritis. We’ll help you get back to your usual eating and drinking routine as soon as possible!

Acute gastroenteritis is usually caused by viral or bacterial infections. Its symptoms can last anywhere from 3-7 days, including vomiting, diarrhoea and perhaps fever. If the condition is caused by food poisoning, symptoms will continue for 1-3 days. During this period, eating may trigger discomfort in the stomach, but consuming the right foods can actually help relieve the discomfort and speed up recovery.

1.Replenish moisture

Gastroenteritis can cause excessive loss of fluid from the body. If you don’t replenish moisture in time, it can lead to dehydration or electrolyte imbalance, resulting in fainting or shock in severe cases.

So, it is important to stay hydrated, children, seniors or weak individuals should particularly replenish electrolytes to maintain fluid balance in the body. Remember not to drink sports beverages that are high in sugar as they can worsen diarrhoea.

2.Eat small, frequent meals

When your stomach and intestines are inflamed, any food can irritate them and cause diarrhoea. You may skip 1-2 meals to avoid worsening the discomfort. Once the symptoms improve, eat small, frequent meals to reduce irritation to your stomach and let your digestive system process your food slowly. You may start with 1/4 or half the amount of your normal meal, if this doesn’t cause diarrhoea in 2-3 hours, you can continue eating and increase the amount gradually.

3.Eat bland foods

While it is true that you should eat foods that are gentle on your stomach during gastroenteritis, there's no need to suffer through tasteless meals. Instead of sticking to the same old watery congee and white bread, try incorporating some of these stomach-friendly options into your diet:

-White rice

-Watery congee

-White bread

-Steamed bread

-Noodles with clear soup

-Steamed fish

-Steamed eggs

-Steamed potatoes

To avoid prolonging your symptoms and delaying your recovery, stay away from any foods that are high in oil, salt, sugar and fibre. Spicy foods, milk products, soft drinks and caffeinated beverages should also be avoided, as these foods can worsen the inflammation in your stomach and intestines.