If you’ve ever had a bad case of food poisoning, you probably know that eating foods that are easy to digest, like plain crackers, can help alleviate indigestion symptoms.
Low in dietary fiber and fat, the easiest foods to digest. They’re also milder in flavor, meaning they typically lack acidity and heat. Additionally, foods that are chewy, dry, or tough are harder to digest than foods that are soft or easy to swallow.
Foods that are easy to digest give your GI system a bit of a break. After all, digestion calls for power. Mechanical energy, such as chewing, and chemical energy, such as the work performed by stomach acid and small intestine digestive enzymes, are examples of this.
Choosing easy to digest foods when you’re feeling under the weather, or experiencing indigestion or other GI symptoms like diarrhea can help give your GI tract a rest. It essentially makes your body work a little less hard to make digestive processes happen.
Here are five easy-to-digest food groups to focus on when your bowels or stomach are off.
White Flour Products
- Most people could do to increase their fiber intake, but if you’re dealing with GI upset, temporarily choosing lower fiber foods may be recommended.
- Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate that moves through your digestive tract without getting broken down.
- Whole grains, which are high in fiber, can speed up intestinal motility and increase the amount of undigested food passing through the digestive system, making them more harmful than beneficial if you’re experiencing symptoms like abdominal bloating and diarrhea.
- Refined grain products like white rice, white bread, and white pastas have had their fiber components removed. Temporarily opting for these lower fiber foods can give your intestines a break when you’re experiencing digestive discomfort.
Peeled, Canned, or Stewed Fruits
- Some fresh fruits are more difficult to digest due to their high fiber content.
- Fruits’ peels and seeds contain the majority of their fiber.
- Because of their large seeds, raspberries are one of the highest-fiber fruits.
- If you’re actively experiencing digestive issues, removing the skin from fruits like apples and pears is also recommended.
- If you’re struggling with GI symptoms like nausea or diarrhea, you may find it helpful to choose fruits with lower fiber content, such as ripe bananas or melon.
- Softer fruits like stewed plums or canned peaches are good options as well.
- If you buy canned fruit, look for products that have been packaged in water instead of syrup to reduce the added sugar content.
Well Cooked Vegetables
Raw vegetables, like fresh fruits, are more difficult to digest than cooked vegetables. When vegetables are cooked, their constituents (such as starches) become more readily accessible to digestive enzymes in the body, making them gentler on the digestive system.
Vegetables that are easy to digest include those that have been cooked thoroughly:
- Squash and zucchini (with the seeds removed)
- Spinach
- Potatoes (with skins removed)
- Green beans
- Beets
- Carrots
Soft Proteins
Even though animal proteins do not contain fiber, if they are tough, chewy, or high in fat, they can still be difficult to digest.
Choose proteins that are tender, easy to chew, and low or moderate in fat. Examples include:
- Scrambled eggs
- Lean ground meats
- Smooth nut butters
- Soft scrambled tofu
What About Dairy?
- When it comes to dairy and digestion, the answer is: it depends.
- If you suffer from even mild lactose intolerance, consuming dairy may exacerbate your digestive discomfort.
- However, the probiotics in yogurt and kefir—fermented dairy products—may be beneficial to some individuals.
- These high-protein ingredients are soft and easy to swallow.
- If you tolerate dairy, choose low-fat dairy products when digestion is compromised.
- Low-fat dairy tends to be easier on digestion compared to full-fat dairy.
Soups, Smoothies, and Purees
- The digestibility of foods can be affected by their preparation.
- Texture modification strategies like blending don’t change foods’ fiber content, but they can help reduce the size of the fiber particles in plant foods, making them gentler on the digestive system.
- Raw kale is bulky and tough, but cooked and blended kale in a soup is soft.
- The same goes for fibrous fruits, like berries, that are blended into smoothies. Pulverizing berries’ seeds in the blender won’t diminish their fiber content, but it can help kickstart the mechanical digestion process.
Which foods are the most difficult to digest?
Hard-to-digest foods may depend on the root cause of your symptoms. Not all of the foods listed below will exacerbate your symptoms.
Commonly difficult-to-digest foods include:
- High-fiber and/or raw vegetables (e.g., raw broccoli or cauliflower, artichokes, garlic, onions)
- Foods with tough fibers or thick stems, peels, and seeds (e.g., broccoli rabe, asparagus, pomegranates)
- Legumes (e.g., beans, chickpeas, lentils)
- Whole nuts and seeds
- Popcorn
- Acidic foods (e.g., citrus fruits, tomato-based products)
- Spicy foods
- Alcohol
- Caffeinated beverages (e.g., coffee, black teas)
- High-fat and fried foods
- Processed meats (e.g., sausages, hot dogs)
- Dried meats (e.g., jerky)
- Dried fruit
- Artificial sweeteners
Who Might Need Easy-To-Digest Foods?
There are a number of reasons why you might need to eat easily digestible foods.
People diagnosed with any of the below medical conditions may also benefit from choosing easily digestible foods temporarily:
- Diverticulitis
- Active gastritis
- Peptic ulcer disease
- Gastroparesis
- GERD
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flares
- Cancers requiring pelvic or lower abdominal radiation therapy
Exclusively eating easily digestible foods can feel limiting. If you’re experiencing ongoing digestive discomfort, it’s important to work with a gastroenterologist to determine the root cause of your symptoms. Meeting with a registered dietitian can also help you find a varied diet that is both nutritionally complete and well tolerated.
A Quick Review
- When you’re struggling with gastrointestinal symptoms, temporarily choosing easy-to-digest foods may be helpful.
- Foods that are well cooked and low in fiber and fat are typically tolerated best.
- Do not restrict yourself to foods that are simple to digest for an extended period of time.
- Chronically restricting entire food groups can lead to nutritional deficiencies and disordered eating habits.
- Work with a gastroenterologist to identify the root cause of your GI symptoms.
- Consider meeting with a registered dietitian who can help you find a personalized plan that keeps your symptoms under control.