Suggestions for a "Bland" Diet for Child Just Getting over Being Sick

Hi A.,

SO sorry you are dealing with this!!! Sick little ones and sick hubbys are the worst to deal with, so hard on everyone.

Some suggestions for bland are: bananas, rice, dry toast-not too crunchy, maybe peeled apples. Just stay away from dairy and anything greasy or fatty.

Good luck, hope this passes quickly!
S.

Try the BRAT diet. Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast. When my little girl was sick this is what her doctor suggested and it worked.

You need to give him tiny portions at first. Try one tablespoon of pedialyte every 10 min. If he keeps that down for one hour then give him 1 cracker. If he hasn't gotten sick I would try another cracker in 30 min. When an hour goes by and he hasn't thrown up give him a small cup of water or pedialyte and a few crackers, just keep increasing the amount a little bit until he holds it down for the day. After that put him on the BRAT diet. Bananas Rice Apple Sauce and Toast. This will help bind his stools and help get rid of the diarreah. You can slowly introduce his regular diet as his stools return to normal and he quits vomiting.

Hang in there, my little one caught the Rotovirus and was sick for 10 days before he got well. I took him to the Dr. about the 4th day and was told there was nothing they could do he just had to fight it out. They said if it lasted 11 days or more to bring him back. It was miserable for everyone. I literally covered my floor with towels and blankets so that he could play in one room just to keep the mess contained. I feel for you!

I'd recommend the BRAT diet. Bannanas, Rice, Apple juice and Toast. Those are mild and usually tolerated by sick stomachs! Keep up the fluids..try just plain sips of water too.

Good luck!

I always thought BRAT was for diarrhea and not so much for throwing up. There is no reason to rush back into solids if the stomach is feeling crummy and won't keep anything down. Pedialyte is good to keep him hydrated. If he can keep it down, I'd try him on some plain chicken broth. Another thing to sip is warm jello (mixed up as it says on the package, but then drink it warm before it sets up). Ginger ale (warm or cold) is something that can help settle a stomach. Once you're at the point where liquids are not being rejected, you can try some soft easy foods (little at a time in small amounts), such as yogurt, soft boiled eggs (or scrambled eggs), chicken noodle soup and I like boxed mashed potatoes. I also like something I call milk toast (everyone has their own version). An egg poached in milk, then pour it all over a piece of bread (in a bowl) (toasted / buttered a very little if you like), salted and peppered to taste. It's comfort food whenever my family is feeling under the weather. Hang in there. You will get through this.
Additional comments:
As far as I know, BRAT (banana, rice, apple sauce and toast) is for diarrhea only - not vomiting. It has nothing to do with vomiting. The question says nothing about diarrhea. As for the 2nd T (tea) as in BRATT, I always hear people recommend different teas and people have a wide range of reactions to teas depending which teas are chosen. One of the teas people recommend to help firm up diarrhea gives me the runs, so I never bother mentioning a second T.

Jello, toast, chicken broth soaked saltines, plain scrambled eggs, string cheese, banana slices, pear slices (these are especially good), etc..

Also peppermint is very settling for stomachs, so let him suck on a candy cane. I know a lot of moms would think "Candy, right after he's been sick?" but believe me, it works really well to help their tummies feel a little better and don't worry about the sugar, it'll give him a little shock of energy until you can get some real food in his tummy. Candy canes are not only good for the tummy, they're good for putting a sick toddler in a better mood and they're good for the soul. I don't give my kids the whole thing, I just peel the plastic off of about half of the straight portion of the cane and once they're done with that, the rest gets put away. The crook part makes a good handle for the little ones.

Just to add onto what previous people said - for the "rice" part of the BRAT diet, what worked for my son around the same age was infant rice cereal...I would mix it thick enough that he could feed himself...he wanted to feed himself, but regular rice made a huge mess! Also, I was told to avoid giving him dairy. Other ideas are jello, mashed potatoes, plain noodles, sweet potato, and have you tried Graham crackers in addition to regular crackers? Good luck and I hope your little one (and your husband!) feels better soon.

Think "BRAT": bananas, rice, apple sauce, toast/tea

BRAT diet
bananas, rice, applesauce, toast
it's the only way I survived as a sick child and it worked for both of my children!
best of luck!

The B.R.A.T. diet. Bananas Rice Applesauce Toast. NO ACIDIC FOODS and no milk or other proteins.

Have you tried plain white rice?
That should help bind your little ones tummy.
Popsicles.
But you said it's been a few days, have you been to the Dr.?
Sometimes plain yogurt is good as well.
I have an 11 yr old so many sick days behind me.
I hope this helps.

the BRAT diet, bread rice applesauce and toast

Toast, jello, chicken broth, chicken noodle soup. Stay away from dairy until you are sure he will keep it down. Fruit juices are hard on your stomach until you are done being sick. Ginger ale and 7-up always stayed down when I was sick. Gatorade is good too. I think starchy for initial after sick meals like Mashed potatoes, Rice, Oatmeal and cruncy things if texture is needed like saltines, Melba Toasts or bagel chips or bagels for that matter. Just pick the plain kind at first. Hope that helps.

A.,

Everyone has mentioned the BRATT diet. But they ALL have forgotten or just don't know that there are 2 T's IN BRATT!!! They stand for TEA and TOAST. Tea is ok for a child as long as you mix it with milk or formula. Just don't give them a lot. Also you can make him chicken soup. Homemade without salt or sodium. This should help.

I usually keep it very simple for a day after one of my kids have been sick. Sticking to water and breads/crackers. They don't usually want to eat too much and they don't complain about it. After at least 12 hours or so of no vomiting I add a few other options such as bananas and plain pastas. Good luck!

I have always found that the BRAT diet is good when children start eating foods after vomiting.... Banana, Rice, Applesauce, Toast. Go slowly... they don't need much food to survive, and clear liquids or Pedialyte are the most important thing at that point anyway.

I hope your little guy and your hubby feel better soon!

When our son was sick a few months ago, we were told to keep him on the Pedialyte for 24 hours before introducing bland foods, since he wasn't keeping anything else down. The main thing is to keep him hydrated. I think we tried a little jello and whole fruit frozen popsicles for him to suck on, and eventually moved on to crackers and other foods. No meat and no dairy for a few days. Good luck.

Soup! It is easy on a sick stomach and it adds nutrients back into the body. :)