What to Eat After Fasting (and What to Avoid), According to a Dietitian
Key takeaways:
After fasting for a day or two, some people experience gastrointestinal discomfort when they start eating again.
To ease back into eating, start with small portions of hydrating, easy-to-digest foods. Choose foods low in fat, fiber, added sugar, and spice. Drinking water is also crucial, as hydration levels often drop during fasts.
Examples of foods to eat after fasting include vegetable soups, simple smoothies, water-rich fruit, and lean proteins.
Table of contents
Whether you’re fasting for religious, health, or personal reasons, what you eat afterward matters. It’s important to pay attention to your diet after a fast so you don’t overwhelm your gut. After all, it’s been taking a break during the fasting period.
Read on to learn the best foods to eat after fasting, foods to avoid, and tips for how to best reintroduce food in a way that supports your body’s needs.
How does fasting affect digestion?
Fasting changes the rhythm of your digestive system. When you don’t eat, it can affect your gastrocolic reflex. This reflex normally helps move food through your intestines.
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During a fast, your digestive system gets a bit of a break. After you break the fast and eat, the sudden influx of food can lead to digestive symptoms. This may cause bloating, cramping, or diarrhea as food moves through your system too quickly.
Most people fast for less than 48 hours. So, this article focuses on how to reintroduce food after a fast of this length.
It’s important to note that reintroducing food after longer periods of fasting or restricted eating may require medical supervision. It can lead to a condition called refeeding syndrome, which can be serious and, in some cases, life-threatening.
What is the best food to eat after fasting?
After a fast, certain foods are easier on your digestive system than others. For most people, the best food to eat after fasting is food that is:
Hydrating
Easy to digest
Low in heavy fats
Low in fiber
The following nine foods are gentle on your digestive system and can give your body the nutrients it needs.
Foods with high water content: Staying hydrated isn’t just about what you drink. What you eat matters, too. These are the most hydrating foods.
How much water should you drink each day? The answer isn’t necessarily "eight glasses." Your needs vary depending on your weight, activity level, and health conditions.
What’s the best drink to stay hydrated? For most people, water is ideal for hydration. But other drinks can help, too. Here are some good choices.
1. Blended vegetable soup or broth
You can buy a low-sodium, broth-based canned soup. But if you have time to make your own, try using:
Carrots
Zucchini
Tomato
Spinach
Winter squash
Steam your chosen vegetables until tender, then blend them with water or broth to your desired consistency. For added creaminess, use nonfat milk, low-fat milk, or light coconut milk.
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Sipping low-sodium vegetable stock or broth on its own is also a good choice. But since these are lower in calories and nutrients than blended soups, they won’t be as filling. Both blended soups and broths can help rehydrate your body while being gentle on your stomach.
2. Fresh watermelon
Watermelon is hydrating and nutrient-rich. It replenishes fluids, provides easy-to-digest carbohydrates, and has antioxidants. Its electrolytes can also help support digestion.
Enjoy a bowl of fresh watermelon cubes. You can also make a refreshing post-fast drink by blending watermelon chunks with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a few ice cubes.
Other high-water melons, like cantaloupe and honeydew, are great options too.
3. Steamed vegetables
Steaming vegetables helps retain their nutrients and moisture. Vegetables like summer squash or zucchini provide fiber and nutrients without overloading your digestive system. Starchy vegetables, like potatoes and carrots, can also provide much-needed carbohydrates to replenish energy levels.
4. Bananas
Bananas are rich in potassium, which supports hydration and digestion. Choose ripe bananas instead of green (less ripe) ones. This is because the ripening process breaks down the starches in bananas into simple sugars, making them easier to digest.
5. Smoothies
Smoothies are easy to digest if you keep them simple with just a few ingredients. Try blending one or two fruits with a liquid. Unsweetened coconut water helps replenish electrolytes, supporting hydration. Low-fat dairy milk, unsweetened plant-based milk, or water are also great options.
Skip thicker, heavier ingredients like oats or protein powders. And start with a small portion (8 oz) rather than an oversized smoothie.
Here are a few easy-to-digest smoothie combinations to try:
Ripe banana and pure honey with unsweetened almond or soy milk
Frozen blueberries, peanut or almond butter, unsweetened Greek yogurt, and unsweetened coconut milk
Coconut water, ripe banana, pineapple, and fresh ginger
6. Lean animal proteins
It’s important to get some protein along with hydration and electrolytes. Lean animal proteins are usually easy to digest. This is because their molecular structure breaks down easily during digestion.
Some examples include:
Skinless chicken breast
Fish
Eggs
7. Plant-based proteins
Plant-based proteins usually contain fibers and other beneficial compounds not found in animal proteins. But this can make them harder to digest. Most of the time, this isn’t a problem. But breaking a fast with high-fiber plant proteins, like lentils, chickpeas, or other legumes, might cause some digestive discomfort.
After fasting, try plant-based proteins with less fiber, such as:
Tofu or tempeh
Unsweetened soy milk
Plant-based protein powders (like those made from pea protein or soy)
8. “Bland diet” foods
The bland diet is also known as the low-residue diet. It’s often recommended for people with digestive issues or before and after surgery. It may also help when ending a fast.
The bland diet focuses on soft, easy-to-digest foods. And it emphasizes cooked foods, which are often gentler on your digestive system than raw foods.
The bland diet replaces whole grains with refined grains. While whole grains are usually the best choice, they can be hard to digest after a fast. Refined grains that are lower in fiber include:
Regular wheat bread
White rice
Unsweetened, quick (refined) oatmeal
Rice or rice cakes
Once your body has readjusted to food, it’s best to opt for whole grains instead of refined ones.
9. Water
Even though water isn’t food, it deserves a spot on this list because of its importance at the end of a fast. Dehydration is common during and after fasting. So, it’s important to hydrate both during a fast (if possible) and after. This can help prevent dehydration and keep your digestive system functioning well.
What foods should you avoid when breaking a fast?
Sitting down to a rich meal after fasting can be tempting. But it’s not usually a great idea. Here are some food groups to avoid after fasting.
Foods high in added sugar
Eating sugary foods after fasting can lead to dumping syndrome (also called quick gastric emptying). This is when undigested food moves too quickly from your stomach to your small intestines. When sugar-rich foods reach your intestines faster than your body can handle, your body sends extra fluid to your intestines to dilute all the sugar. This can lead to feeling overly full, stomach cramps, or diarrhea.
Some high-sugar foods to avoid after fasting include:
Candy
Cookies
Soda
Sweetened fruit drinks and some juices
High-fat foods
Eating too much fatty food after fasting can also cause dumping syndrome symptoms. While fat typically slows digestion, consuming too much can have the opposite effect and cause the symptoms mentioned above.
Fatty foods to avoid after fasting include:
Greasy, fried foods
Fatty meats like marbled beef or chicken thighs with skin
High-fat dairy
Rich desserts like ice cream or cheesecake
High-fiber foods
Fiber is generally good for digestion — and your overall health. But high-fiber foods may be too much for your digestive system to handle when breaking a fast, leading to stomach upset.
Some foods that are especially high in fiber include:
Raw vegetables like cruciferous vegetables, artichokes, and parsnips
Legumes such as beans, lentils, or chickpeas
Grains like oat bran, barley, bran flakes, and quinoa
Limit high-fiber foods in the days following a fast. When you return to your normal, higher-fiber diet, remember to drink plenty of water. This is because water is necessary for fiber to work properly.
Spicy foods
Capsaicin is the compound responsible for the heat in chili peppers. While the exact reasons aren’t fully understood, fasting may increase your sensitivity to capsaicin. One possible reason is that without food in your system to provide a buffer, capsaicin may irritate the lining of your intestines more easily. And since fasting slows down digestion, capsaicin may spend more time than normal interacting with your stomach lining.
Eating spicy foods after a fast can cause:
Heartburn
Indigestion
Cramps
Acid reflux
So, after a fast, it’s a good idea to avoid spicy foods, including:
Hot sauce
Chili peppers
Curry dishes
Alcohol
While you might feel like celebrating after a fast, having a glass of wine with your meal isn’t the best idea. Alcohol can irritate the lining of your stomach and increase acid production. This can lead to heartburn, indigestion, or diarrhea. Plus, drinking alcohol can dehydrate you, which may slow digestion.
New research suggests that the long-term effects of drinking on an empty stomach may be especially harmful. It may increase your risk of stomach or gut cancers — even in younger people.
The bottom line
After fasting, your body needs gentle food options to ease back into digestion. Focus on hydrating, easy-to-digest foods — think light veggie soups, simple smoothies, or bland foods like rice or toast. Avoid foods that are high in fiber, fat, sugar, or spice. These types of foods can upset your stomach and make the end of a fast uncomfortable. Consider talking to a registered dietitian for guidance. They can support your fasting goals while helping you meet your nutrient needs.
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References
Bode, C., et al. (1997). Alcohol’s role in gastrointestinal tract disorder. Alcohol Health and Research World.
Carbone, J. W., et al. (2022). The role of dietary plant and animal protein intakes on mitigating sarcopenia risk. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care.
Herz, D., et al. (2024). Effects of different types of intermittent fasting interventions on metabolic health in healthy individuals (EDIF): A randomised trial with a controlled-run in phase. Nutrients.
Persaud-Sharma, D., et al. (2022). Refeeding syndrome. StatPearls.
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Patient Education Committee. (2020). Diet to prevent dumping syndrome.
Schwarz, N. A., et al. (2013). Capsaicin and evodiamine ingestion does not augment energy expenditure and fat oxidation at rest or after moderately-intense exercise. Nutrition Research.
Shi, M., et al. (2023). Alcohol drinking without meals is associated with risk of gastrointestinal cancers, including early-onset cases. Gastroenterology.
