Breakfast, lunch, dinner and restaurants
Try eating some of these basic foods while you have the stomach flu and hopefully it will help you recover over the next few days. Bananas. Rice. Instant Pot Hack: Cooking Perfect White Rice. Crackers. Broth. Easy 90-Minute Instant Pot Bone Broth. Toast. Ice Chips.
Soda crackers, toast, plain noodles, gelatin, eggs, applesauce, and bananas are good first choices. Avoid foods that are acidic, spicy, fatty, or fibrous (such as meats, coarse grains, vegetables). Also avoid dairy products. You may start eating these foods again in 3 days or so, when all signs of illness have passed.
Bland foods like rice, toast , dry cereal and pasta deliver carbs for energy but are easy to digest.
Most experts do not recommend fasting or following a restricted diet when you have viral gastroenteritis . drinks with caffeine, such as coffee and tea, and some soft drinks. foods that are high in fat, such as fried foods, pizza , and fast foods.
Gradually begin to eat bland, easy-to-digest foods, such as soda crackers, toast, gelatin, bananas, rice and chicken. Stop eating if your nausea returns. Avoid certain foods and substances until you feel better. These include dairy products, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and fatty or highly seasoned foods.
Bleach Is Best The CDC recommends bleach to kill the stomach bug -causing norovirus on surfaces. But if that will damage your counter or you’d rather not use it, look for “phenolic solution” on the label of a concentrated disinfectant. To kill the germs, the EPA suggests you use 2 to 4 times the recommended amount.
You can be contagious from a few days up to two weeks or more, depending on which virus is causing your stomach flu ( gastroenteritis ). A number of viruses can cause gastroenteritis , including noroviruses and rotaviruses.
Stomach flu (viral enteritis) is an infection in the intestines. It has an incubation period of 1 to 3 days, during which no symptoms occur. Once symptoms appear, they usually last for 1 to 2 days, although symptoms may linger for as long as 10 days. This can be especially true for older people.
Fecal vomiting is a kind of vomiting wherein the material vomited is of fecal origin. It is a common symptom of gastrojejunocolic fistula and intestinal obstruction in the ileum.
Eat dry foods, such as crackers, toast, dry cereals, or bread sticks, when you wake up and every few hours during the day. They provide nutrients and help settle your stomach. Eat cool foods instead of hot, spicy foods. Consider non-fat yogurt , fruit juice, sherbet, and sports drinks.
Drink more fluids Sip the fluids slowly. Drinking too much when your stomach is upset may cause more vomiting . Fluids that help keep you hydrated and may ease nausea are: ginger ale .
Preventing the stomach flu Use the dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand when possible. Use soap and water instead of hand sanitizer. Keep a sick family member isolated. Wipe off shopping cart handles. Clean countertops and surfaces with a disinfectant spray, and be sure to wash clothes and bedding as well.
Try lean meats without too much spice or condiments, which can upset your stomach more (think chicken and fish).
Probiotics: Lactobacillus casei GG and S boulardii may be helpful in some cases of viral gastroenteritis , and can help with watery diarrhea. Yogurt often contains these probiotics. Choose low fat or fat free yogurt , if you can tolerate dairy products.
It’s fine to drink coffee if you’re dealing with a mild cold or illness, but more severe illnesses that are accompanied by vomiting or diarrhea can lead to dehydration — and drinking coffee may compound these effects.