Dealing with the stomach bug is never fun. But knowing when and what to feed your kid with a stomach bug can make a big difference in their recovery and feeling like themselves again.

Luckily, this phase of low appetite and food refusal is temporary and getting the right food in their system can keep them comfortable, hydrated, and nourished. In this guide, we’ll cover when to reintroduce food after a stomach bug and what to feed them for a faster recovery.

Top Priority: Hydration First

When kids have the stomach bug, the number one priority is preventing and treating dehydration (1).

After each episode of loose stool vomiting, the World Health Organizationrecommends:

• 50-100mL of fluid for kids under 2 years old

• 100-200mL of fluid for 2-10 year olds

For kids with mild dehydration (slightly sunken eyes, somewhat fatigued, nose and throat are still moist), offer small sips of water or half strength apple juice. If your kiddo is more intensely dehydrated (drowsy, sweaty, dry nose and throat), offer an electrolyte for faster hydration (1).

When to Start Offering Food

A few hours after vomiting or diarrhea has stopped, start introducing food slowly - there’s no need for fasting or “gut rest”. Eating sooner can actually reduce the duration of symptoms and improve gut health to prevent future infections (2).

However, low appetite after the stomach bug is completely normal! Beyond the physical tummy pain, gut infections cause the body’s “fullness hormone”, leptin, to increase which contributes to your little one’s low appetite (3). 

To combat this, offer small, frequent snacks instead of large meals, and focus on calorie-dense foods to pack in extra nutrition.

Best Foods for Recovering from a Stomach Bug

When the immune system is activated, it lowers levels of certain nutrients to help fight infection. Giving your kid lots of these nutrients canstrengthen the immune system, increase appetite, and get their gut working well again (3).

Focus on foods rich in:

• Prebiotic fiber (feeds healthy gut bacteria)

• Arginine & glutamine (support gut healing)

• Vitamin A & zinc (strengthen immunity)

• Probiotics (restore good gut bacteria)

Start with prioritizing prebiotic fiber that’s easy on the gut:

• Growing Up Prebiotics

• Bananas

• Berries

• Lentils

• Apples

• Beans - chickpeas, black beans

• Oats

• Flax seeds

• Chia seeds

• Asparagus

• Garlic

• Onions

Start expanding their diet with protein, produce, and prebiotics:

• Beef

• Chicken

• Turkey

• Nuts

• Carrots

• Sweet potatoes

• Eggs

• Cantelope

• Mango

• Red bell peppers

• Cottage cheese

• Yogurt

• Sauerkraut

What about the BRAT diet?

You may have heard about the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, apples, toast). While these foods are gentle on digestion and help produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) to heal the gut lining, it’s unnecessarily restrictive and could result in low calorie, protein, and vitamin intake (2). 

Instead of sticking to just four foods, focus on carbs that have prebiotics (see above) and supplement with foods that have protein and nutrient-dense produce (2).

Foods to Avoid After a Stomach Bug

Some foods can worsen symptoms of nausea and abdominal pain after a stomach bug. These foods can make the gut more sensitive and further irritate the stomach (4).

Try to avoid:

• Greasy or fried foods 

• Acidic or spicy foods 

• Dairy (sometimes! for some kids, lactose is difficult to tolerate right away)

Summary

Getting back to eating after a stomach bug can be tough, but staying hydrated and reintroducing the right foods makes a big difference. Focus on prebiotic fiber, protein, and vitamin-rich produce to help your kiddo feel like themselves again.