What to eat when you’re feeling nauseous

Key takeaways

• If you have nausea, you may want to choose a bland diet of easy-to-digest foods and beverages like broths and low fat dairy.
• There are some foods you may consider avoiding as well, including fatty, fried, or spicy foods.
• If your nausea persists or worsens, a healthcare professional may help you determine the cause and recommend proper treatment.

Overview

Nausea is an uncomfortable sensation where you feel like you’re going to vomit. You may also experience lightheadedness, upper stomach pressure, and gag reflex activation.

Many things may cause nausea, including:

• anxiety and stress
• motion sickness
• food poisoning
• stomach flu and other gut infections
• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• pregnancy
• migraine
• chemotherapy and other cancer treatments
• some medications
• health conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, gallbladder disease, or ulcers in your stomach

Nausea may be occasional and temporary or persistent and long lasting. Depending on the cause, lifestyle strategies such as altering your eating habits may offer some relief. Sometimes, additional support from a healthcare professional may be helpful.

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What to eat to relieve nausea

If you are feeling nauseous, focusing on eating pureed and bland foods may be helpful.

Examples of bland meals may include:

• low fat dairy products like yogurt and cottage cheese
• boiled eggs
• broths
• caffeine-free teas
• 100% fruit juices (no added sugar)
• bland vegetables like beets, spinach, and carrots
• lean meats like boiled or baked fish and skinless chicken
• canned or fresh fruits (if tolerated)
• tofu
• cream of wheat
• crackers
• white rice
• plain noodles
• boiled, baked, or unseasoned mashed potatoes
• pudding
• salt and cinnamon (if tolerated)

Bland diets are a temporary solution, though. If your nausea does not improve after a couple of days, you may want to consult a healthcare professional.

You may also consider adding ginger to your diet. Some research suggests that ginger may be effective at reducing nausea and vomiting in certain circumstances, although more high quality research is needed.

The American Cancer Society also suggests eating foods you crave or that sound like a good idea to you. Your body will give you hints about what can soothe nausea. What’s more, the Arthritis Foundation recommends eating small but frequent portions if you have nausea.

What not to eat when you have nausea

Avoiding raw or uncooked foods may be the number one recommendation if you have nausea. Also, you may want to avoid:

• fried foods like bacon, sausages, french fries, potato chips, or fried eggs
• spicy food or hot sauce
• nuts and seeds
• acidic fruits such as grapes, oranges, lemons, and berries
• whole grain bread
• whole dairy products (full-fat)
• red meats
• dressings, sauces, and pickled foods
• pepper, chili powder, onions, and seasoning mixtures
• alcohol, coffee, and other caffeinated drinks
• sweet foods such as donuts and syrup
• vegetables that may bloat you, such as cabbage and cauliflower

The American Cancer Society suggests not skipping meals or fasting.

When to see a doctor  

If your nausea is severe and persistent, you may want to explore the underlying causes with a healthcare professional, particularly if you notice other symptoms such as recurrent vomiting, diarrhea, or dizziness.

Your nausea may be linked to an underlying condition like GERD or stomach ulcers. It might also indicate a negative reaction to medication.

Medications for nausea

Depending on what causes your nausea, a healthcare team may recommend one or more treatments.

For example, if anxiety or stress causes your symptoms, they may recommend psychotherapy and anti-anxiety medications.

For some people, antiemetic medication (drugs explicitly used to treat nausea) may relieve symptoms.

Anti-nausea medications may include:

• dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) if motion sickness causes your symptoms
• serotonin (5-HT3) antagonists like ondansetron (Zofran) and granisetron (Kytril)
• NK-1 receptor antagonists like aprepitant (Emend) and rolapitant (Varubi)
• corticosteroids like dexamethasone (Decadron)
• dopamine antagonists like metoclopramide (Reglan)
• benzodiazepines like lorazepam (Ativan) for short-term anxiety treatment
• histamine antagonist like promethazine (Phenergan)
• antipsychotics like prochlorperazine (Compazine)

Only a healthcare professional may recommend the proper treatment for your symptoms and their cause. Taking medications without knowing what causes persistent nausea is not advised.

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Summary

When you are nauseous, a bland diet of unseasoned cooked foods may help relieve your symptoms. Pureed food, non-caffeinated drinks, and low fat options are recommended for nausea. You may also want to avoid fatty, spicy, and sweet foods.

If your nausea persists or worsens, a healthcare professional may help you determine the cause and proper treatment.

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