What to eat after a stomach bug

Food after a stomach bug?

I've been feeling a little off these last few days. I've either had food poisoning or a stomach virus, either way - you still feel delicate and weak. Food is always a tricky thing to get right when you've had an upset tummy and after a whole day of Mr Mean trying to get me to eat dry toast (just put a bit of butter on it please!), I decided to get all the best foods together for those of you who have had an icky tummy...


Sometimes I think you know what your body needs when you've had a tummy bug, so this is a rough guide for you. But be warned - if you are sick after eating anything on this list - it's not my fault! You still have an icky tummy! I'm not a medical professional or dietician or magician, just a Mean Mother!

The best advice is to eat bland foods. Let's start with the foods you should avoid when you've had a stomach bug. Leave caffeine and alcohol, fatty and spicy foods for those with a strong constitution. You are currently weak and fragile and want to avoid the bathroom.

1. TOAST, TOAST, TOAST

Okay, so dry toast is your friend when it comes to stomach bugs. You can digest toast easier than fresh bread, so start with one slice and take it slow. Now I'm not a huge fan of the dryness of dry toast and would prefer a bit of butter on it. Even better, a small spread of Marmite - but that might not be for everyone. If you haven't got any bread in the house, try some dry crackers instead.

If you've managed to keep down that yummy dry toast, you could try mashing some banana onto that dry piece of toast. You've then got a bit more flavour, not so much dryness and a whole dose of potassium! Good times! Which brings me onto....

2. BANANAS

You can't go wrong with a banana. Again, start slow, try mashing some if you can't manage a whole one. I felt a bit better this morning and had a sliced banana with bio yoghurt. A taste explosion after dry toast! Might add some honey to that combo tomorrow.

3. APPLE SAUCE

The Americans swear by the power of apple sauce, so I thought I try it out today. Of course I'm not going to buy a ready made sauce, so I sent Mr Mean off to the shops to buy some cooking apples. He came back with four huge Bramley apples. I peeled and sliced them into cold water with a whole squeezed lemon in there just to stop the apples from turning brown. Once I had prepared all the apples, they were drained and went into a large, heavy bottom pan with a big glass of the lemon water. I let them cook down and then added a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a tablespoon of honey. I also added a sprinkle of cinnamon and two tablespoons of caster sugar. I let the whole lot cook down until really soft. I had to add a bit more water along the way to keep the texture nice and loose and also added another squeeze of lemon juice.

This made a huge batch, but the kids will be having it with custard and yoghurt for their pudding tonight and I have already had some and it does feel really soothing to the tummy.

4. CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

A clear broth is perfect for feeling better after a bout of illness. My favourite at the moment is Telma Chicken Noodle Soup Mix. It is super tasty and very quick and easy to make. Of course a freshly made chicken soup would be perfect, but you don't always feel up to it.

5. RICE

Plain boiled rice is great to sooth tummy aches. If you were making your own chicken soup, you could add the rice to it and have a super power soup!

6. POTATOES

I've heard mash is great for delicate tummies. I'm going to bake my spuds tonight and have it plain, everyone else can have a yummy filling and salad!

7. WATER

Water is the best drink when you've been poorly. If you are really dehydrated it's best to have electrolyte powder sachets to replace lost fluids and body salts. Sometimes it is difficult to get children to drink electrolyte drinks because they don't taste that great. I've found if you can't get the little ones to drink them, try flat lemonade. Take your sparkling lemonade and add a very small amount of sugar and give it a good stir.

I hope this has helped you on your road to recovery. I definitely feel better after the apple sauce! Good luck!