While it may be suitable for a day or two when one is at their sickest, following the diet for longer periods can lead to malnutrition and low energy. The diet is limited in calories and lacks vital nutrients, including protein, fat, and fiber. As a result, it may not provide enough nutritional value to support recovery, especially in children. The BRAT diet consists of bland, low fiber foods and was often recommended for treating stomach issues, digestive illnesses, and diarrhea. If you’re following a bland diet, you can incorporate these four foods into your meals, but there are many other options to choose from.
Eating the BRAT Diet
The diet consists of bananas, rice, apples, and toast, and its name consists of the first letters of these essential nutrients. Rice is low in fat and typically gluten-free, making it suitable for those with dietary restrictions. It can also help to bind foods in the digestive system, potentially alleviating diarrhea symptoms. Rice is a staple in the BRAT diet due to its simplicity and ease of digestion. White rice, specifically, is a good source of carbohydrates, providing energy without straining the stomach.
Broth
Clear broths such as chicken broth and vegetable broth are suitable hot beverages for people who are feeling ill. If you have any other questions about the Brat diet, please consult your doctor or a registered dietitian. Of course, while following the BRAT diet or when recovering from any illness, it is important to drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration. Supplementing water intake with a sports drink or an electrolyte drink such as Pedialyte can help replace lost electrolytes as well as fluids. unimeal review Damla Sengul, a seasoned Food Editor at Dietsmealplan.com, boasts a 7-year worth of expertise as a digital editor, with a specific focus on authentic recipe content.
Please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist for precise dietary advice. But this temporary diet, which was once considered the go-to for an upset stomach, lacks essential nutrients and is no longer recommended. Family medicine specialist Sarah Pickering Beers, MD, explains.
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Once you are no longer nauseous, having diarrhea, or vomiting, you should be able to return to your normal diet. Similar to the soft food diet, the Brat diet can cause some of the symptoms you are already facing, which may take a day or two before they go away. Be sure to peel potatoes before eating them on the brat diet, as the skins are more difficult to digest. To do the brat diet, you will need to restrict your diet to bland, low-fat, and low-fiber foods. These mainly include bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast, which is where the acronym comes from.
Brat Diet: A Beginner’s Guide & Meal Plan
While the BRAT diet can be an effective short-term solution for treating diarrhea, it is not recommended for long-term use due to the risk of nutritional deficiencies. As such, it is important to transition back to a varied, balanced diet as soon as possible. The BRAT diet, which stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast, has been used for years to treat diarrhea, stomach flu, and other stomach complaints.
Expanding the BRAT Diet for Nutritional Completeness (with caution)
Her Hispanic background fuels her passion for nutrition, leading her to empower and encourage those in her community through the foods they enjoy in their kitchens. If your symptoms persist and do not improve within 24 to 48 hours, speak to a healthcare provider, Zumpano says. The traditional BRAT diet focuses exclusively on bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. However, it is possible to add variety and flavor to your BRAT diet while still maintaining its gentle nature.
Baked Chicken and Vegetables Recipe (BRAT Diet Dinner)
These foods are more complex than the brat diet requires and may upset your stomach. Once your symptoms improve, you can gradually re-introduce these foods after you have finished the brat diet. Because many people lose sodium when they struggle with vomiting or diarrhea, broth can be a suitable way to replenish this essential nutrient. Apple juice is an anti-inflammatory drink, which means it can help soothe irritation in your digestive system. Overall, diluted apple juice can help treat children with digestive illnesses.
Health Categories
- On hot/training days, consider a balanced electrolyte drink (see our guide).
- The idea of this diet is to only eat easy-to-digest foods that will decrease the amount of stool we produce.
- Therefore, never self-medicate and do not prescribe treatment and diets for yourself.
- More than just a diet to reach your ideal weight, this diet is also used to alleviate upset stomach and other stomach problems such as vomiting and nausea.
- Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans.
- Drinking plenty of fluids, such as water, throughout the day keeps you hydrated.
Simply eliminate all foods from your daily routine that are not compatible with the brat diet. Initially, the body may react to brat diet options as it does to other foods, especially if the trauma to the digestive system is extensive. In time, however, these mild binding foods will help settle the stomach and stop digestive ailments. Following these tips can help you to get the most benefit from the Brat diet and to reduce your symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. Applesauce can be eaten plain, sweetened, or flavored with spices.
What Is the Relevance Between Brat Diet & Diarrhea?
If you are considering trying the brat diet as an adult, you should keep these risk factors in mind. These risks are not incredibly common, however, especially if you only try the brat diet for a couple of days. Since it is so restrictive, the brat diet does not work as a long-term diet plan.
FAQs by “Brat Diet Recipes” keyword
One good thing about the brat diet is that it is low in saturated fats and cholesterol. However, there are more efficient ways to reduce your fat and cholesterol intake. Apple juice is high in vitamin C https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/what-is-myplate and contains a small amount of fiber. The best apple juice for the brat diet should be low in sugar.
The BRAT diet is meant to soothe gastrointestinal distress like diarrhea in children but can also be used by adults. Because of its restrictive nature — it only calls for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast — the BRAT diet is no longer widely recommended by physicians. If you’re experiencing diarrhea or other stomach upset, speak to your doctor, who can help you determine the cause and an effective treatment plan.
What Foods can you eat on a Gluten-Free Bland Diet?
This bratwurst with roasted carrots and parsnips is a symphony of savory and sweet, perfect for those evenings when you want to feel a little fancy without the fuss. Come for the bratwurst, stay for the kale that somehow doesn’t taste like punishment. Serve this soup with a crusty bread for dipping, or be a rebel and eat it straight from the pot. There’s something undeniably comforting about a perfectly soft-boiled egg, its creamy yolk just waiting to be dunked with a piece of toast.