Foods To Eat With Morning Sickness | What Stays Down

Bland carbs, cool foods, and protein snacks in small, frequent bites often ease nausea and make it easier to keep fluids and calories down.

Morning sickness can feel random. One minute you’re fine, the next you’re bargaining with your stomach over a sip of water. Food won’t “fix” nausea, but the right foods can calm it, cut the empty-stomach spike, and stop you from sliding into dehydration.

This article gives you a practical menu of foods that tend to sit well, plus simple ways to eat when even the smell of toast feels loud. You’ll get options for different nausea patterns, what to try first, and what to skip when your gut is touchy.

Why Certain Foods Feel Better When You’re Nauseous

When nausea hits, your stomach often prefers food that’s bland, low in grease, and easy to digest. Strong smells, heavy fats, and big portions can flip the switch fast. Small bites can work better than a full plate because your stomach doesn’t have to churn through a lot at once.

Many people do best with three “anchors” through the day: mild carbs (to steady your stomach), a bit of protein (to keep you from crashing), and fluids in tiny sips (to stay hydrated without triggering gagging).

Start With A Simple Reset

If you’re actively queasy, start with one small thing. Pick one food from the “bland carb” list, eat two or three bites, then wait 10–15 minutes. If that settles, add a few sips of a drink. Then repeat. Slow and steady tends to beat “I need a full meal right now.”

Keep The Stomach From Going Empty

An empty stomach can make nausea sharper. Many people feel worse first thing in the morning for this reason. A few bites before you even stand up can blunt that wave and make the next hour less rough.

Foods To Eat With Morning Sickness That Stay Down

Below are food categories that tend to work well, plus ways to make them more tolerable when your appetite is low. Your goal isn’t a perfect diet. Your goal is “good enough” calories and fluids, spread across the day.

Bland Carbs That Go Down Easily

These are often the first foods people can tolerate because they’re mild and predictable.

• Saltines, plain crackers, rice cakes
• Dry toast, bagels, English muffins
• Plain rice, plain pasta, plain noodles
• Oatmeal made thin and mild
• Baked or boiled potatoes (skin off if needed)

If you can handle it, add a small topping that brings protein without adding a strong smell: a thin smear of nut butter, a spoon of yogurt, or a little shredded chicken.

Cold Or Cool Foods That Smell Less

Warm foods release more aroma, and aroma can trigger nausea. Cold options can feel safer.

• Chilled fruit (melon, grapes, apple slices)
• Cold yogurt or kefir (plain or lightly flavored)
• Cold cereal with milk, or dry cereal
• Smoothies made mild (think banana + yogurt + ice)
• Popsicles or ice chips

Keep portions small. A few spoonfuls is still progress.

Protein Snacks That Don’t Feel Heavy

Protein can steady nausea for some people, especially when nausea is tied to hunger swings. Pick mild options.

• Greek yogurt
• Milk or lactose-free milk
• Eggs (if the smell is okay, try hard-boiled and chilled)
• Nut butter on toast or crackers
• Edamame or tofu in a simple broth
• Chicken or turkey in small bites

If meat smells off, skip it for now. Protein can come from dairy, soy, beans, or nut butters until your stomach loosens its grip.

Fluids That Are Easier To Keep Down

Dehydration makes nausea worse, and vomiting makes dehydration easier. Sipping beats chugging.

• Cold water in tiny sips
• Ice chips
• Oral rehydration solution or electrolyte drink (small sips)
• Ginger tea served lukewarm or cold
• Broth (cooler temperature can be easier)

If plain water triggers gagging, try it colder, try a straw, or try ice chips. If you’re vomiting or can’t keep fluids down, the warning signs section below matters.

Simple Meals That Often Work

When you’re ready to eat more than a snack, keep meals plain and split them into mini portions.

• Rice + scrambled egg (or tofu) + a little soy sauce if tolerated
• Oatmeal + yogurt stirred in after it cools
• Baked potato + cottage cheese
• Plain pasta + a small amount of butter or olive oil
• Soup with noodles and small pieces of chicken

Ginger And Peppermint: Worth Trying, In Food-Sized Amounts

Some people get relief from ginger or peppermint, others can’t stand them. Start small: ginger tea, ginger snaps, or a few slices of fresh ginger steeped in hot water then cooled. Peppermint tea can be soothing for some stomachs, but if mint makes you feel worse, drop it.

For medical context on nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, see ACOG’s FAQ on nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.

How To Eat When You Can Barely Eat

This is the part many articles skip. When nausea is loud, advice like “eat a balanced meal” can feel like a joke. Use these tactics to get food down with less drama.

Use The Two-Bite Rule

Tell yourself you only have to eat two bites. That’s it. If it stays down, you can stop or keep going. This keeps you from staring at a full plate and feeling defeated before you start.

Eat Before You Get Out Of Bed

Keep crackers or dry cereal by your bed. Eat a few pieces, sit up slowly, then wait a minute. This can soften the first wave of nausea that hits on an empty stomach.

Separate Eating And Drinking

Some people feel worse when they eat and drink at the same time. Try eating, waiting 15–20 minutes, then sipping fluids. If it doesn’t help, no stress—switch back.

Pick Foods That Don’t Fill The Room With Smell

Cold foods often smell less. So do foods that don’t need cooking. If cooking odors trigger you, ask someone else to cook, open windows, or use a microwave for quick heating with less lingering smell.

Keep The Texture Simple

Crunchy, dry, or smooth textures can be easier than mixed textures. If one texture makes you gag, switch it. Your stomach is calling the shots right now.

For practical symptom notes and self-care ideas, the NHS page on vomiting and morning sickness is a solid reference.

Food Options By Symptom Pattern

Morning sickness doesn’t show up the same way for everyone. Match food choices to the pattern you’re dealing with. Use the table as a menu of options, not a checklist you must complete.

What You’re Feeling	Foods That Often Work	How To Make It Easier
Nausea on an empty stomach	Crackers, dry toast, plain cereal	Eat a few bites before standing up
Gagging from smells	Cold fruit, yogurt, smoothies, popsicles	Choose cold foods and avoid cooking odors
Nausea after greasy foods	Rice, potatoes, oatmeal, broth-based soup	Keep fat low and portions small
Heartburn with nausea	Oatmeal, bananas, toast, rice	Eat small meals and stay upright after eating
All-day queasiness	Mini snacks: crackers + yogurt, toast + nut butter	Set a snack rhythm: every 1–2 hours
Vomiting after drinking	Ice chips, tiny sips of electrolyte drink	Use a straw, take one sip every few minutes
Metallic taste	Citrus if tolerated, cold fruit, tart yogurt	Rinse mouth, try cold foods, use plastic utensils
Constipation from pregnancy changes	Oats, pears, prunes, beans (if tolerated)	Increase fiber slowly and sip fluids through the day
Can’t handle full meals	Snack plates: crackers, cheese, fruit, yogurt	Split meals into 6–10 mini portions
Morning nausea only	Bedside crackers, toast, banana	Eat first, then move slowly, then sip fluids

Foods And Drinks That Often Make Morning Sickness Worse

These aren’t “bad foods.” They’re just common triggers when your stomach is touchy.

• Greasy or fried foods
• Spicy foods
• Strong-smelling foods (some fish, some cooked meats, onions)
• Very sweet drinks that hit the stomach fast
• Large meals eaten quickly

If you can only eat one “weird” food for a week, that’s fine. A temporary phase of beige carbs is common. You can widen your menu once nausea eases.

Food Safety While You’re Choosing Nausea-Friendly Foods

When nausea limits your options, it’s easy to rely on whatever you can tolerate. Still, food safety matters during pregnancy, especially around foods tied to listeria risk. Skip unpasteurized dairy, reheat leftovers well, and be cautious with refrigerated smoked seafood unless it’s in a cooked dish.

Two strong references for pregnancy food safety are the FDA page on Listeria food safety for moms-to-be and the guidance on food safety for pregnant women.

When Morning Sickness Crosses The Line

Most nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is common and gets better with time. Still, there are moments when you should call your clinician quickly. Watch for signs that your body is drying out or you’re unable to keep anything down.

Call Your Clinician Soon If You Notice

• You can’t keep fluids down for 24 hours
• You’re peeing much less than usual, or urine is dark
• You feel dizzy when standing
• You’re losing weight without trying
• Vomiting is frequent and intense

Severe Nausea And Vomiting Can Be A Medical Condition

There’s a severe form called hyperemesis gravidarum that can lead to dehydration and electrolyte issues. If your symptoms feel extreme, don’t tough it out alone. For an overview of that condition, see MedlinePlus on hyperemesis gravidarum.

A Simple One-Day Eating Rhythm When Nausea Is High

This sample plan is built around tiny, frequent portions. Swap foods freely. The pattern matters more than the exact item.

Time Window	What To Try	Notes
Before getting up	2–4 crackers or dry cereal	Eat slowly, sit up, wait a minute
Breakfast	Toast or oatmeal + a few sips of water	Keep it mild; add yogurt later if it sits well
Mid-morning	Yogurt or banana	Cold foods may feel easier
Lunch	Rice or potato + small protein	Split into two mini servings if needed
Afternoon	Popsicle, smoothie, or ice chips	Focus on fluids in small amounts
Dinner	Broth soup with noodles, or plain pasta	Let hot foods cool a bit to reduce smell
Evening	Crackers + nut butter, or cereal	A small snack can reduce overnight nausea

Small Tweaks That Can Make Food More Tolerable

These tweaks can be the difference between “no way” and “okay, maybe.”

Change Temperature

If a food smells too strong hot, try it cooled. If cold foods feel too sharp, warm them slightly. Temperature changes can shift taste and smell a lot.

Change Portion Size

If you can’t face a bowl of soup, pour a few spoonfuls into a mug. If a sandwich feels huge, eat half now and half later. Small wins add up.

Change Timing

If mornings are brutal, move “real food” later and keep mornings bland. If evenings are worse, eat earlier and keep late snacks plain.

Change The Container

Sometimes plates feel overwhelming. Try a small bowl, a mug, or a snack box. It sounds silly, but it can lower the mental hurdle when nausea is tied to food aversion.

Gentle Nutrients To Aim For Over A Week

Day to day can be messy. Over a week, try to get a mix of carbs, protein, and some fruits or cooked vegetables as tolerated. If vegetables are a no-go, try them blended into soup or in a mild smoothie. If you can’t stand the texture, skip them and come back later.

If prenatal vitamins trigger nausea, many people do better taking them with a snack, taking them at night, or asking their clinician about switching the type. Don’t force a vitamin that makes you vomit every time.