The 8 Worst Foods (and Drinks) for Diarrhea, and What to Have Instead

Feeling sick is never fun, and diarrhea can be especially uncomfortable and embarrassing. Understanding how to stay fueled without making diarrhea worse can be challenging. 

Learning which foods to avoid — and which to choose instead — can make it easier to manage your symptoms, recover faster, and start feeling better. 

What foods should you avoid when you have diarrhea?

In general, it’s best to avoid foods that are harder to digest. Here are eight of the worst foods for diarrhea — and some gentler options that you can try instead.

1. Most dairy products

Diarrhea is a common symptom of people with lactose intolerance. This is a condition where your body can’t digest lactose, the natural sugar in milk and other dairy products.

Even if you don’t have lactose intolerance, studies in young children suggest that diarrhea may temporarily stop the production of lactase. This is the enzyme needed to break down lactose. Without enough lactase, digesting dairy may make diarrhea worse.

High-lactose dairy products include:

• Milk

• Cream

• Cheese (especially soft cheeses)

• Ice cream

• Sour cream

• Buttermilk

What to eat instead: 

• Plain yogurt (lower in lactose and has beneficial probiotics, or healthy gut bacteria)

• Nondairy yogurt (if you’re sensitive to all lactose)

• Nondairy milks, like almond and soy milk

• Dairy-free sorbets

2. Fatty or greasy foods

Some people have a hard time digesting high-fat foods. When this happens, these foods are broken down in your colon into fatty acids. This can trigger your colon to produce fluid and trigger more diarrhea.

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Examples of fatty and greasy foods include:

• Most fast foods

• Fried foods, like chips and French fries

• Processed meats, like bacon and sausages

• Fatty meats, like burgers and marbled steaks

• Creamy soups

• Baked goods, such as pastries and pies

What to eat instead: 

• Lean meats, like chicken breast and lean ground turkey

• Broth- or water-based soups

• Low-fat bread products, such as English muffins or bagels

• Air-popped popcorn

• Chicken or turkey sausage

• Fish

3. Sugar substitutes

Sugar substitutes include sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners. These can have a laxative effect, especially when eaten in large amounts. 

Foods that often contain sugar substitutes include:

• Diet sodas 

• Other sugar-free drinks, such as energy drinks or teas

• Sugar-free candy or other desserts 

What to eat or drink instead: 

• Water

• Lightly sweetened drinks made with natural sugar

• Small amounts of natural, calorie- and sugar-free sweeteners, like stevia and monk fruit

4. Spicy foods

Spicy foods are known to irritate the stomach in people who are sensitive. One study found that digestive problems were more common in people who ate more spicy foods. Eating spicy foods may also make irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms worse. This may be because capsaicin — a compound found in peppers — may speed up movement in your gut. In turn, this can trigger diarrhea or make it worse if you already have it. 

Examples of spicy foods include those that are made with:

• Red chili peppers

• Jalapeños

• Hot sauce

• Wasabi

• Horseradish

• Certain salsas

• Habanero peppers

• Ghost peppers

• Green chilies 

What to eat instead: 

• Mild salsas

• Small amounts of condiments that aren’t spicy, like ketchup or hummus 

• Meals cooked with seasonings that aren’t spicy, such as cinnamon, basil, and garlic

• Sweet bell peppers

5. Caffeine

Caffeine can make diarrhea worse. That’s because caffeine stimulates intestinal contractions, which can make it easier to release stool. Caffeine has also been linked specifically with IBS symptoms, including diarrhea. 

Sources of caffeine and alcohol include:

• Coffee

• Caffeinated tea, such as black, green, or chai 

• Chocolate

• Energy drinks

What to drink instead: 

• Water

• Caffeine-free teas, like chamomile

• Decaf coffee

• Coconut water

6. Alcohol

Alcohol contributes to diarrhea by irritating your digestive tract and causing inflammation in your gut. It can also lead to bacterial imbalances in your gut, which can lead to diarrhea. 

Sources of alcohol include:

• Beer

• Hard ciders

• Wine

• Hard liquor

• Mixed drinks made with any form of alcohol or caffeine-containing beverage 

• Kombucha

What to drink instead: 

• Water

• Electrolyte drinks

• Ginger tea

• Broth 

7. Foods that cause gas

Gas occurs when there’s too much air in your digestive tract. Since diarrhea may cause bloating and cramping, foods that cause gas may make you feel worse. 

Some foods tend to produce more gas than others because of how they’re broken down and fermented in your intestines. Eating a high-fiber diet is linked to more gas production. But some foods high in fiber (particularly soluble fiber) are helpful for diarrhea. So it isn’t necessary to avoid fiber altogether. 

Some foods and drinks that can cause gas and bloating include:

• Beans

• Oatmeal

• Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower

• Certain fruits, such as apples

• Carbonated drinks, such as soda and sparkling water

• Dairy products, like cheese and ice cream

• Gluten

What to eat instead: 

• Easily digested grains, like white rice or buckwheat 

• Fruits such as bananas, apples, and strawberries

• Vegetables such as spinach and zucchini 

• Chia seeds

• Nuts

8. High-FODMAP foods

Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) are a type of carbohydrate that can be hard to digest for some people. During digestion, FODMAPs draw fluid into your bowels and are fermented by bacteria, which produces gas. Eating FODMAPS also increases muscle contractions in your gut, which can worsen diarrhea. Following a low-FODMAP diet has been associated with improvements in symptoms for people with IBS and other gut issues.

Examples of high-FODMAP foods include:

• Grains such as wheat, barley, and rye

• Vegetables such as onions, garlic, and artichokes

• Fruits such as apples, mangoes, and pears

• Nuts such as cashews and pistachios

• Dairy products such as milk and yogurt

• Legumes such as lentils and kidney beans 

• Sweeteners such as honey and high-fructose corn syrup 

What to eat instead: 

• Lean meats, such as chicken and turkey breast

• Fish

• Eggs

• Low-FODMAP grains, such as rice and quinoa

• Low-FODMAP fruits, such as bananas, blueberries, and kiwifruit

• Low-FODMAP vegetables, such as carrots, cucumbers, and zucchini 

• Nondairy milks, such as almond or coconut, and yogurts made from them

• Canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans) that have been drained and rinsed

• Lentils in small amounts

How long should you wait to reintroduce these foods into your diet?

It depends on how long your symptoms last and how well you have tolerated the foods you’ve been eating. In general, it’s usually a good idea to wait until your diarrhea is mostly or completely resolved before reintroducing foods that could make it worse. Since everyone’s body is different, you don’t need to avoid every possible trigger. Just focus on steering clear of foods that seem to worsen your symptoms.

Symptoms of diarrhea

Symptoms of diarrhea may include one or more of the following:

• Loose, watery stools

• Loss of control over bowel movements 

• Abdominal pain or cramping

• Urgency to use the bathroom

• Nausea 

If diarrhea is caused by an infection, these symptoms may also be present:

• Dizziness 

• Light-headedness

• Vomiting 

• Chills

• Fever

If not treated, prolonged diarrhea can lead to dehydration and problems absorbing nutrients, which can be very harmful to your health.

How to avoid diarrhea after eating

Simple changes to your diet and eating habits can go a long way to help you avoid diarrhea after meals. Here are some strategies that may help:

• Switch to decaf and non-dairy drinks. These are less likely to trigger diarrhea. 

• Try BRAT diet staples. The bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast (BRAT) diet includes bland foods to ease your symptoms. But you shouldn’t follow it for more than a day or two, since it’s low in nutrients.

• Choose low-FODMAP alternatives. This can be especially helpful if diarrhea is part of your IBS. 

• Keep a food diary to help identify your food triggers. Everyone is different. Tracking your food intake and symptoms can help you spot patterns and pinpoint which foods may be causing problems. 

• Avoid foods that seem to make you feel worse. Once you know your possible triggers, try cutting them out or limiting them to see if your symptoms improve.

• Add gut-friendly supplements. The research is mixed when it comes to treating diarrhea with probiotics. But some studies have found that probiotics may help prevent and treat diarrhea, especially when taking antibiotics. 

• Eat smaller, more frequent meals. If you’re recovering from a stomach bug, it’s usually easier for your body to break down smaller meals. 

• Include gentle fiber sources. Psyllium husk is a type of soluble fiber that may help both constipation and diarrhea. It can help bulk up loose stools. 

When should you see a healthcare provider about diarrhea?

Diarrhea often goes away on its own without serious side effects. But it’s a good idea to see a healthcare professional if diarrhea lasts more than 2 days or comes with other symptoms, like:

• Fever

• Blood in your stool or black, tarry stools

• Extreme fatigue

• Signs of dehydration, like dark urine or less frequent urination

If you have these symptoms, your diarrhea could be a symptom of a more serious problem that needs medical evaluation as soon as possible.

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Written by:

Joanna Foley, RD

Joanna Foley, RD, is a registered dietitian (RD) and the owner of joannafoleynutrition.com, a private nutrition consulting business. She has previously worked as a clinical dietitian and outpatient renal dietitian.

Edited by:

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN, is a California-based registered nurse and staff medical editor at GoodRx, where he focuses on clinical updates and Latino health.

Reviewed by:

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

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