What to eat during gastroenteritis

The diet for gastroenteritis should be easy to digest and low in fiber, with cooked vegetables, peeled fruits, rice and white bread being consumed. In addition, you should also choose low-fat protein foods such as skinless chicken, fish, eggs and tofu.

Furthermore, in case of gastroenteritis you should also avoid foods that cause intestinal irritation, such as coffee, chocolate, spicy or very spicy foods.

Gastroenteritis is an infection in the stomach or intestine that can be caused by eating contaminated food, causing symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. Therefore, it is important to increase your water consumption during the day to avoid possible dehydration. Understand better what gastroenteritis is and how to treat it.

What to eat in case of gastroenteritis

Foods that can be consumed in case of gastroenteritis are:

• Fruits without peel, such as apple, pear, green banana or peach, which can be consumed cooked, mashed, in puree, jelly or in the form of juice. After testing tolerance to fruits, others can be included in the diet, such as watermelon, pineapple, melon, grapes and lemon;
• Steamed and peeled vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, chayote and green beans. After a few days, you can add skinless, seedless tomatoes and cooked beetroot to your diet;
• Non-whole grains, such as white rice, pasta, couscous, crackers and bread and preparations with wheat or corn flour;
• Tubers, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, baroa potatoes, yams, yams or cassava, and should be consumed in small pieces in purees or soups;
• Jellywhich can be consumed as a dessert, as it mainly contains water;
• Dairysuch as low-fat natural yogurt and low-fat cheeses, such as cottage cheese and ricotta;
• lean proteins, such as skinless chicken, skinless white fish, eggs, tofu or skinless turkey;
• Vegetable oilssuch as olive, sunflower and corn oil, which should be consumed in smaller quantities, and 1 teaspoon can be added to season food;
• Soup of crushed vegetables and greens;
• Soothing teassuch as chamomile, lavender, lemon balm or rosemary.

Furthermore, to avoid dehydration it is important to increase your water intake, including caffeine-free teas and coconut water, as it is possible to lose a lot of water during bouts of diarrhea or vomiting.

How to start the diet

In the first few days of gastroenteritis, it is normal not to feel very hungry, and you need to drink plenty of water to maintain hydration. However, as symptoms improve, it is important to gradually reintroduce foods that are easily digested into the diet to control symptoms and aid recovery from the infection.

Furthermore, as new foods are incorporated into the daily diet, it is important that small amounts are consumed several times a day, avoiding foods that can worsen symptoms.

Diet menu for gastroenteritis

The following table provides an example of a 3-day menu to treat a gastroenteritis attack:

This menu is just a model, which may vary according to each person’s health status, current weight and preferences. To better adapt your diet, visiting a nutritionist can be a good option to assess individual needs and plan a personalized menu.

Foods that should be avoided

Foods that should be avoided during gastroenteritis are those containing lactose, fibers that are difficult to digest and fatty foods, and that stimulate intestinal transit, such as:

• Foods with caffeine, such as coffee, cola, chocolate and green, black and mate teas;
• Foods with high fat content, such as fried foods, ice cream, pizza and packaged snacks and meals like fast food;
• Foods that increase gas productionsuch as beans, lentils, broccoli and cabbage;
• Raw and leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, arugula, spinach, chard and chard;
• Cereals rich in fiber that are difficult to digest, such as wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta or wholemeal crackers;
• Fruit juice and unpeeled fruits;
• Laxative fruitssuch as papaya, plum, avocado and fig;
• Seeds and oilseeds, such as chia and flaxseed, chestnuts, peanuts and walnuts;
• Built-ins, such as sausage, sausage, ham, mortadella, salami and bacon.
• High-fat proteins, such as salmon, sardines, red meat and pork;
• dairy products, such as cheese, milk, butter, condensed milk, cream and margarine.

Furthermore, it is also important to avoid spicy seasonings, such as pepper, curry and paprika, which irritate the stomach and intestines and can cause vomiting or diarrhea.

After treatment and recovery from gastroenteritis, it is essential to gradually return to a complete and balanced diet, including foods such as legumes, unpeeled fruits, raw and leafy vegetables and low-fat dairy products, to prevent deficiencies in important nutrients for health. health.

How to stay hydrated

Gastroenteritis can cause symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting, and can lead to dehydration, especially in babies and children. Therefore, to maintain hydration it is essential to drink plenty of water, including coconut water or teas.

To replace the minerals that may be lost during diarrhea attacks, it may also be necessary to ingest homemade serum or oral rehydration salts. In the case of children, they should be given as much serum or rehydration salts as they want to drink. Another recommendation is to offer 1/4 to 1/2 cup of whey for children under 2 years old, or 1/2 to 1 cup for children over 2 years old.

In case of vomiting, it is important to start rehydration with a small amount, offering 1 teaspoon of serum every 10 minutes for small babies, or 1 to 2 teaspoons every 2 to 5 minutes for older children. The amount of serum offered can be gradually increased every 15 minutes, ensuring that the child can tolerate it well, without vomiting.

To maintain hydration in adults, the same amount of serum should be drunk according to what is lost in feces or vomit and according to thirst.