BRAT Diet - WYE

The BRAT diet (short for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast) is a short-term diet designed to help treat diarrhea in children who are old enough for solid foods. In addition, it is also used to gradually wean people back into eating solid foods after they have been vomiting or are nauseous. Because diarrhea can cause dehydration and other health problems in children, it's important to treat the condition before further problems result. Diarrhea can often be alleviated by what a child eats.

The BRAT diet consists of bananas, rice and other starchy foods, applesauce, and toast. Other foods low in fiber, like crackers, cooked cereals, oatmeal, and pasta are also included in the BRAT diet. Jello is often also consumed on the BRAT diet.

The BRAT diet is also recommended sometimes for nausea or vomiting.

What You Eat
The BRAT Diet is pretty simple. It's a three-day diet that begins with liquids, and then semi-solid foods like applesauce and solid foods like toast or crackers are gradually introduced if symptoms improve.

The First 24 Hours, or Day One
As long as you or your child is no longer vomiting, on the first 24 hours of the diet, you should stick with clear liquids. Start with water and take small sips every few minutes. If you keep it down, you can spend the next 24 hours sipping apple juice, liquid gelatin, broth, or tea (without the sugar.)

Day Two
During day two, bland foods can be introduced into the diet. These include bananas, rice, applesauce, Saltine crackers, or dry toast.

Day Three
By day three, you can gradually add more solid foods, such as cooked vegetables, chicken, turkey, and other soft foods.

What To Avoid
The BRAT Diet is pretty limiting in what you can and can't eat. The following are foods that should be avoided while adhering to the BRAT Diet:
All dairy products, including milk, yogurt, and ice cream should be avoided for the full three days on the BRAT diet.
All meat should be avoided for the first two days, although plain turkey and chicken can be introduced on the third day. For the full three days, you should avoid pork, veal, salmon, fish, and hamburger.
Anything fatty or fried should be avoided all three days on the BRAT diet.
Raw vegetables should not be consumed while on the BRAT diet. These include carrots, celery, corn, cabbage, lettuces, and cucumbers.
Most fruits, including citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, pineapples, and oranges as well as cherries, grapes, raisins, and berries will further aggravate the stomach and should be avoided while on the BRAT diet.
Beverages with extreme temperatures, such as ice water, sodas with ice, coffee, cocoa and hot tea, should be avoided all three days. Water and liquids should be room temperature or tepid.
Anything with caffeine, including sodas and coffee, should be avoided as well.

While there is some debate over whether or not the BRAT diet is really necessary for children or people with diarrhea and nausea, it is short-term and many people have found that it helps them or their children in the long run. It is fairly limiting in what you can eat. If your symptoms don't improve after three days of following the diet, you should consult your physician.