What Kind of Food is Easy to Digest

• See what foods are easy to digest and add 50 examples of such meals to your daily menu to stay away from getting an upset stomach;
• Learn how to further improve your digestion with tips from an expert dietitian.

Do you feel like digestive issues keep you from doing your best at work and don't let you cherish the precious time spent with your family and friends, sometimes making it hard for you even to fall asleep?

You're not alone.

Many people suffer from indigestion, bloating, diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, and other diseases like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).

However, don't fret because there is a treasure of easy to digest foods out there that work wonders for humans with an upset stomach.

So, if you don't know which foods digest the fastest, which you can safely eat to not end up with stomach issues, and, also, what meals you should avoid, we've got it all covered below.

What foods are easy to digest?

Generally, easily digestible foods are the ones that arelow in fiber and fat because this results in less amount of work needed from your stomach, small bowel, and colon to break down the nutrients you ingest.

Actually, insoluble fiber isn't even digested or absorbed by our bodies.

Nevertheless, this doesn't mean that products with a lot of fiber are always going to be troublesome, and eating a diet consisting only of low-fiber foods will always make you feel well.

It all depends on your digestive issues.

But don't take my word for it, let's see a situation where eating high-fiber foods is beneficial for your digestion:

Some consider loose stools to be diarrhea. However, diarrhea is actually more than loose stools. It's actually liquid or watery stool.
A low fiber or higher sugar diet can worsen this condition. Meals with higher fiber are better when suffering from the watery stool.

- Kelly McCullough, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

The truth is high-fiber foods can improve your digestion too, especially when it comes to bowel movement issues, but in large quantities, they can cause bloating, cramping, and intestinal gas.

Other foods you want to avoid for better digestion:

• Fried foods;
• Spicy meals;
• Drinks with caffeine;
• Carbonated drinks;
• Alcohol;
• Cigarettes.

Easy to digest foods: Grains

When it comes to choosing your grains, you want to go for the ones with low fiber to avoid any kind of digestive issues.

But, note that high-fiber grains like whole-grain bread will provide you with a lot more healthy nutrients than products made using refined flours, which are not necessarily considered healthy.

1. White Rice

Is rice easy to digest? This is a question asked a lot across the Internet, and here's the answer:

Yes. We counted white rice among the easy-to-digest foods because it has fewer fibers than brown rice, but choosing the latter option is not always a bad decision. Although harder to digest, unpolished rice has more nutrients.

Nutrition facts

Rice is a good source of carbs and vitamin B9 while also being a useful dish for people with gluten intolerance. Besides, white rice joined our list of 95 low-calorie foods for easy weight loss.

Also, white rice counts among the high-volume low-calorie foods, which means it is a filling meal that makes losing weight easier.

• Calories: 130 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 28 g of carbs and 2.7 g of protein.
• Fiber: 0.4 g per 100 g.

How to consume

Cook the white rice by boiling or steaming it. Also, you want to soak the rice before preparing it. This way, you eliminate potentially harmful substances like lectins.

2. Toast

When I was little, my parents used to give me toast with a cup of tea whenever I had an upset stomach, and that's for a good reason. Toasting breaks down the starch in the bread, so it's easier for you to digest it.

Also, to make it easier for your stomach, you want to use white bread when toasting. Whole grains are harder to digest, remember?

Nutrition facts

Toasted bread is mainly a source of carbs featuring a small amount of protein as well.

• Calories: 74 per slice (25 g).
• Macronutrients: 13 g of carbs and 2.59 g of protein.
• Fiber: 0.625 g per slice.

How to consume

If you own a toaster, then you're all good. Just insert the slices of bread and make sure you don't overburn them. When they're done, you can spread something on the surface to add more nutrients and taste, like some butter.

3. Plain bagels

Regarding bagels, you want to apply the same principle as with white vs whole grain bread. But beware of the following trap.

You can find bagels with different toppings sprinkled over, which may trigger a stomach issue, so in order to stay on the easily digestible side, stick to the plain version of this type of bread.

Nutrition facts

Plain bagels can't praise themselves nutrient-wise, but they are certainly a good source of energy (carbohydrates).

• Calories: 259 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 52 g of carbs, 10 g of protein, and 2 g of fat.
• Fiber: 1.2 per 100 g.

How to consume

You don't need to cook the bagels unless you decide to bake them at home instead of visiting the bakery.

As with the toast, you can spread other easy to digest foods on top of the bagels, if you wish for a more nutritious meal.

4. White pasta

As we stated before, grains made with refined flour are easier to digest than whole-wheat ones. This goes for pasta as well, whether we're talking about penne, fusilli, or fettuccine.

Nutrition facts

Whole-grain pasta has more nutrients, but you can oftentimes find white pasta enriched with B vitamins and iron.

• Calories: 157 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 30.68 g of carbs, 5.76 g of protein, and 1 g of fat.
• Fiber: 1.8 per 100 g.

How to consume

Boil them and add your favorite sauce over. The classic tomato sauce can be a good option, but it may cause discomfort if you suffer from GERD.

Instead, you can opt for any of the easy-to-digest dressings you can find towards the end of this article.

5. Semolina (farina)

Milled wheat and grits like semolina (or farina) are easily digestible foods and you can procure them effortlessly from the grocery store.

Nutrition facts

Semolina has a lot of nutritional benefits, from being a great way to add up carbs to providing many useful vitamins.

• Calories: 360 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 73 g of carbs, 13 g of protein, and 1.1 g of fat.
• Fiber: 3.9 g per 100 g.

How to consume

You can cook semolina with water or milk, but be careful that dairy and even nut milk can disturb your GI tract.

6. Oatmeal (porridge)

A classic breakfast choice, oatmeal is a great friend to an upset stomach. Also, it's nutrient-dense and can be easily prepared.

Nutrition facts

Oatmeal is probably the most nutritious among the grains in this list of easy-to-digest foods and it's one of the best low-calorie meals for weight loss.

• Calories: 68 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 63 g of carbs, 12 g of protein, and 6 g of fat.
• Fiber: 1.7 per 100 g.

How to consume

You can turn oats into oatmeal by using either the microwave or the stovetop. After it's finished, you can enrich the flavor by adding some easily digestible fruits, that you can find in this article.

7. Cookies (processed)

Whether you crave a classic Oreo or prefer baking your signature cookies, you should know that they can be a good choice when you have an upset stomach.

However, you should be careful about the amount of sugar they contain. Moderation goes a long way if you're after a healthy diet.

Nutrition facts

The nutritional values, in this case, differ from cookie to cookie. Does it have chocolate and how big it is?

But let's take a classic Oreo cookie as an example.

• Calories: 53.
• Macronutrients: 8 g of carbs and 2 g of fat.
• Fiber: 0.33 per cookie.

How to consume

You can bake cookies at home or buy them from the store. However, stay away from those with added dried fruits as these may be coated in sugar, and, besides, disturb your digestion.

8. Pretzels

Because they're made with refined flour, pretzels earned their place among our selection of easy to digest foods.

Nutrition facts

Pretzels are high in carbs and will give you a fair share of B vitamins, as well.

• Calories: 380 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 80 g of carbs, 10 g of protein, and 2.6 g of fat.
• Fiber: 3 g of 100 g.

How to consume

If you're baking the pretzels at home, don't use whole grains or butter. Stick to refined flour. Your GI tract will thank you for that. The same rules apply if you decide to pay a visit to the local patisserie.

9. Saltine crackers

Saltine crackers are high in starch and will absorb excess gastric acid. By doing this, they have the potential of curing an upset stomach.

Nutrition facts

Although they may be high in sodium, saltine crackers offer good amounts of carbs, B vitamins, and some minerals.

• Calories: 421 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 74 g of carbs, 10 g of protein, and 9 g of fat.
• Fiber: 2.9 g of 100 g.

How to consume

It's easy to put your hands on a pack of saltine crackers. Just go to the nearest grocery shop.

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Easily digestible foods: Meat

There are certain types of meats that are easier to digest than others. However,the way you cook meat is even more important.

Therefore, always avoid frying, andespeciallydeep-frying, if you don't want to end up with an upset stomach or, even worse, with an increased risk of stomach cancer, as this study shows.

Instead, choose to broil, poach, or even grill the meat.

Also, if you want to spice things up after the meat is cooked,chooseground condiments and avoid whole ones. The latter option can be dangerous for a sensitive stomach.

1. Turkey

The old Thanksgiving traditional turkey is one of the leanest meats out there, and, also, one of the spotlight stealers in our easy to digest foods list.

Nutrition facts

Almost a pure protein source and low in fibers, turkey meat is a great choice for those looking to lose weight and build muscle. It actually counts among our list of 95 foods with low calorie density, specially created for helping you in your weight loss process.

• Calories: 189 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 29 g of protein and 7 g of fat.
• Fiber: 0 g.

Talking about losing weight and building muscle, if you wish to attain your dream physique make sure to learn how to set smart fitness goals.

How to consume

It's known that turkey meat is good for people who confront high cholesterol levels, but if that's the case for you, make sure to eliminate the skin before eating the meat.

Did you know: most of the turkey's fat comes from its skin?

2. Chicken meat

When you're eating chicken, your stomach won't have to work too much as this type of meat has zero fibers.

This and its lean structure makes chicken meat more than worthy of featuring in our selection of easy to digest foods.

Nutrition facts

Chicken can be found in almost every athlete's diet, so, besides being an easily digestible food, it will help you build muscle.

• Calories: 239 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 27 g of protein and 14 g of fat.
• Fiber: 0 g.

How to consume

There are many ways to serve a portion of chicken meat. You can roast it, boil it, or even use it to make a soup. But, however you choose to consume this type of poultry, stay away from fried chicken (sorry, KFC).

3. Fish

Besides counting among the easy to digest foods due to its lean and no-fiber nature, fish meat will bring a lot of healthy fats to your body.

Here are 4 examples of easily digestible fish:

• Salmon;
• Tuna;
• Cod;
• Haddock.

Nutrition facts

There are lots of fishes out there swimming in Earth's waters, but let's take salmon as an example.

• Calories: 206 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 22 g of protein and 12 g of fat.
• Fiber: 0 g.

How to consume

Like in most cases with meat, you want to avoid frying fish. Go for baking, steaming, or poaching.

Fishes to avoid for healthy digestion

Although fish is generally a good choice for those with digestive issues, try to avoid oily types of fish like sardines due to the high amounts of fat they contain.

Also, if you're into shellfish like shrimps and lobsters, don't overeat them as these may often be contaminated.

4. Tender beef and pork

Almost everybody likes a delicious beef or pork steak every now or then, don't they?

However, if we want our stomachs to escape the feast with all troops intact, preparing lean and tender cuts of meat is the right way to go.

Nutrition facts

First, the nutritional values fortender pork:

• Calories: 146 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 19 g of protein and 7 g of fat.
• Fiber: 0 g.

Nutritional values for abroiled beef tenderloin steak:

• Calories: 267 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 26 g of protein and 17 g of fat.
• Fiber: 0 g.

How to consume

Regarding cooking methods, avoid frying, as always. After that, choose an easy-to-digest garnish like white rice and complete your plate with a salad or other vitamin-filled foods.

Beef and pork meat to avoid

In the case of beef, pork, and not only, learn to say no tolunch meat, like ham, salami, and bologna.

These tend to contain a lot of preservatives, sodium, and sometimes, fat, which altogether may put your stomach to work extra time.

5. Ground meat

Lean ground meat is a cheap high-calorie food that's on the daily menu of many athletes that look to build muscle.

Besides, a scientific study showed that ground meat is digested faster than normal steak.

Nutrition facts

You can mince many types of meat, but let's see the nutritional values ofbeef ground meat:

• Calories: 241 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 24 g of protein and 15 g of fat.
• Fiber: 0 g.

How to consume

You can use ground meat to make yourself a burger, cook some meatballs, or fold it into a taco salad. But, beware of what else you're combining the meat with – stick to easy to digest foods.

Avoid cased ground meat

If you want to stay free of gut problems, stay away from sausages and hotdogs. The casings they are covered with may cause trouble for your digestion.

Nevertheless, you can still get away by eatingskinless sausages, kielbasa, or hotdogs.

6. Stews

Stewing makes it easier for the stomach to digest all the proteins and fat in the chosen meat.

However, be careful to boil the contents enough for them to become tender, and, also, make sure to not overcook them because they will lose large parts of their nutrients.

Nutrition facts

Again, you can make easy to digest stews from various types of foods, but we have chosen to give you the data for abeef stew:

• Calories: 250 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 8 g of carbs, 4.1 g of protein and 2 g of fat.
• Fiber: 1.2 g.

How to consume

You can indulge in the stew by using some white bread or crackers. Also, make sure the stew it's not too hot while eating it.

7. Bone broth

Bone broth is made after simmering meaty bones and connective tissue in water. It's easy to digest because it's basically not even a food, but a liquid.

Nutrition facts

Although low in calories, bone broth is high in many nutrients that provide vitamins for the good health of your own bones.

• Calories: 30 per 250 ml.
• Macronutrients: 8 g of protein.

How to consume

You can sip the bone broth as it is, add it to a stew, or along with some other easy to digest foods like a portion of mashed potatoes.

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Easy to digest foods: Dairy

In the case you're not lactose intolerant, dairy products can be easily digestible foods and, also, rich sources of nutrients.

Here are 5 milk derivatives that are going to ease your digestion.

1. Yogurt

Containing lots of probiotics, which are good bacteria for your digestive tract, yogurt is a safe choice for those with stomach issues.

Nutrition facts

Although anon-fat Greek yogurt is easier to digest, a full-fat one won't do much damage either to your intestinal flora.

• Calories: 59 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 10 g of protein and 3.6 g of carbs.
• Fiber: 0 g.

How to consume

To benefit at maximum from the probiotics offered by yogurts, eat them on an empty stomach. Also, you can make it a part of your breakfast by combining it with other foods, like some easy-to-digest grains.

2. Cheese

Cheese is low in fiber and has a good amount of probiotics that will protect your digestion. Also, if you're lactose intolerant you may want to go foraged cheese as the bacteria that grew in it usually breaks down some of that lactose.

Nutrition facts

There are many types of cheeses out there, but we'll give you a breakdown of three of the cheapest and most nutritious of them.

Cheddar cheese:

• Calories: 402 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 33 g of fat, 25 g of protein, and 1.3 g of carbs.
• Fiber: 0 g.

Cottage cheese:

• Calories: 98 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 4.3 g of fat, 11 g of protein, and 3.4 g of carbs.
• Fiber: 0 g.

Feta cheese:

• Calories: 264 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 21 g of fat, 14 g of protein, and 4.1 g of carbs.
• Fiber: 0 g.

How to consume

You can it cheese for breakfast, as an appetizer, or combine it with other types of easy-to-digest foods like some tender cuts of pork or simply with a slice of white bread.

Also, if you're trying to build muscle, cheese types like the cottage or Cheddar ones make for great snacks as they have plenty of calories and proteins. If you want to know more bulking snacks, make sure to check our list of 55 high-calorie snacks for healthy weight gain.

Cheese alternative if you follow a vegan diet: tofu.

3. Milk

Same as other dairy products on this list, milk is an easily digestible choice because its fiber values are lower than in the case of other foods and it doesn't have too much fat either – unless you like to drink full-fat milk.

Nutrition facts

You can buy milk with different fat values, so be careful when doing that. The following are nutritional values for milk with 1% fat.

• Calories: 42 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 3.4 g of protein, 5 g of carbs, and 1 g of fat.
• Fiber: 0 g.

How to consume

You can drink your milk warm or cold and throw some crackers or a bowl of cereal in the game along with that glass of milk.

4. Butter

Although it is one of the best fat sources on the market, butter can also be a great friend to an upset stomach. The butyrate found in butter is thought to be potentially beneficial for people with IBS.

Nutrition facts

Butter is very high in fat, which can be hard to break down, so you don't want to consume large quantities in one take.

• Calories: 717 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 81 g of fat, 0.9 g of protein, and 0.1 g of carbs.
• Fiber: 0 g.

How to consume

Keep it simple and spread the butter on a toast or some other foods like an easy-to-digest grain.

5. Ice cream

Next time you go to the restaurant and you're looking for an easy-to-digest dessert, choose ice cream.

Nutrition facts

There are a lot of ice-cream flavors in the world, but the flavor doesn't influence so much the nutrients you get from this dairy product. So, let's look at the nutritional values ofvanilla ice cream:

• Calories: 207 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 24g of carbs, 11 g of fat, and 3.5 g of protein.
• Fiber: 0.7 g.

How to consume

Try to eat ice cream after the main meal of the day, just as any dessert is supposed to be consumed.

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Are eggs easy to digest?

Eggs are one of the easiest-to-digest proteins on the market. The white of the egg is more friendly with an upset stomach because it contains less fat, but the yolk isn't such a hard task either.

Nutrition facts

Here are the nutritional values of one boiled egg:

• Calories: 71 per 50 g egg.
• Macronutrients: 6.28 g of protein, 5 g of fat, and 0.36 g of carbs.
• Fiber: 0 g.

How to consume

You can eat your eggs boiled, poached, or scrambled. It depends on your preference, but you should avoid frying them as much as possible.

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Good for digestion snacks: nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds promote good digestion and fight constipation because of their high-fiber content, which, we learned at the start of this article, can be helpful in fighting digestive issues like diarrhea.

Nevertheless, nuts and seeds can sometimes be troublesome for your gut health because of the phytic acid found in them. Fortunately, soaking or fermenting nuts and seeds before snacking on them significantly improves their digestibility.

Also, when nibbling nuts or seeds you want to be careful how many you eat because they're both high-calorie foods, so they can easily make you gain weight.

1. Walnuts

Walnuts sport an impressive amount of nutrients, this being one of the reasons why they have so many calories.

Also, walnuts promote the growth of bacteria in your digestive tract given the large number of fibers found in them.

Nutrition facts

Walnuts contain a whopping amount of fat and almost equal amounts of protein and carbohydrates.

• Calories: 654 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 65 g of fat, 15 g of protein, and 14 g of carbs.
• Fiber: 7 g.

How to consume

You can combine walnuts with other types of easily digestible foods, but make sure you soak them overnight or a few hours before eating them, just so you eliminate most of the potentially problematic substances for your gut.

2. Almonds

As a leaner version of the walnuts, almonds count as well among the easy to digest foods you can snack on a few times per day.

Nutrition facts

Almonds contain less fat while featuring more proteins and carbohydrates than walnuts.

• Calories: 613 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 55 g of fat, 20 g of protein, and 16 g of carbs.
• Fiber: 10 g.

How to consume

You can eat almonds as a snack or add them to other dishes to make the flavor more interesting. Don't forget to soak them in a bowl of water for 6-8 hours beforehand.

3. Creamy kinds of nut butter

Generally, any type of processing, including the action of transforming nuts into a mixture we call butter, makes the final product easier to digest than its raw counterpart.

Peanut, almond, and other types of nut butter enter this category of easy to digest foods.

Choosecreamy nut kinds of butter over the crunchy ones. The latter option is harder to digest.

Nutrition facts

No matter what kind of nut butter you buy, they are pretty similar in nutritional values.

Nutrition facts for smooth peanut butter:

• Calories: 588 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 50 g of fat, 25 g of protein, and 20 g of carbs.
• Fiber: 6 g.

Nutrition facts for plain almond butter:

• Calories: 614 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 55.5 g of fat, 21 g of protein, and 19 g of carbs.
• Fiber: 10 g.

How to consume

Spread your chosen nut butter on a slice of toasted bread and savor the combo. You can also add them to smoothies, just like many athletes and bodybuilders love to do for a protein boost.

4. Flax seeds

Ground flax seeds are easier to digest than raw ones, but both have been found to fight constipation given the high amount of fibers in them.

Nutrition facts

In comparison with nuts, flax seeds have lower amounts of fat and a heightened percentage of carbohydrates.

• Calories: 534 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 42 g of fat, 18 g of protein, and 29 g of carbs.
• Fiber: 27 g.

How to consume

You can ground flax seeds and sprinkle them over bread, cereals, cookies, or yogurt.

Besides, you can always eat them as a healthy snack. Anyhow, don't forget to soak them beforehand, if you like to eat them raw.

5. Chia seeds

Same as the flax ones, chia seeds are helpful if you're looking to regulate your bowel movements.

Another benefit of chia seeds is that they'refull of healthy nutrients that you can take advantage of even if you don't grind the seeds.

Nutrition facts

Chia seeds are rich in carbs and fat while featuring a fair amount of proteins as well.

• Calories: 486 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 31 g of fat, 17 g of protein, and 42 g of carbs.
• Fiber: 34 g.

How to consume

You can eat chia seeds as a snack or you can add them to various other easy to digest foods in your diet, like a yogurt, sandwich, or your breakfast oatmeal.

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Easily digestible foods: Fruits

Generally, raw fruits that are either acidic (like citrus fruits) or those that have skin or seeds can be harmful to your digestion. Acidic fruits can worsen your reflux while fruits with skin or seeds usually contain a lot of fibers.

Besides the above, try to avoid these types of fruits:

• dried fruits;
• canned fruit cocktail;
• pineapple;
• coconut;
• frozen or thawed berries;
• tomatoes and citrus fruits (especially people with GERD);
• fruit or vegetable juices with the pulp.

However, there are ways to transform fruits into easy to digest foods. Find them out below along with some types of fruits that are beneficial for your gut even in their raw version.

1. Canned fruits

Canned fruits are better than raw fruits because in the canning process the fruits have their skin and seeds removed. Then, they get cooked with steam.

This way, a lot of their fibers go away and any harmful bacteria is eliminated.

As an example, a small raw peach of 130 g has2 g of fibers while 124 g of canned peaches have only1 g of fibers. That's half the amount.

How to consume

You can eat canned fruits as they are or you can add them to a dessert, your daily breakfast, or combine it with other easy to digest foods like plain yogurt.

2. Stewed or cooked fruits

Cooking or stewing fruits notably reduces the number of fibers they contain. Thus, they become easily digestible by your stomach.

Nutrition facts

Let's take applesauce as an example. It's made by stewing apples and has more calories than its raw counterpart.

Applesauce

• Calories (applesauce/apple): 68/52 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients (applesauce/apple): 17 g of carbs (1.2 of fiber)/14 g of carbs (2.4 of fiber).
• Fiber: 1.2 g.

If you don't know how to prepare applesauce, follow the instructions in the video below.

How to consume

You can add stewed or cooked fruits over some yogurt to give the flavor a little more spark. Otherwise, you can combine them with some stomach-friendly grains, like oatmeal, and other such easy to digest foods.

3. Bananas

This fruit, adored by primates, is wildly consumed by athletes, but if you have an upset stomach, you should know that the easiest to digest bananas are the ones that are ripe.

Bananas are also one of the fruits with the highest calories, so they can help you gain weight easier if you want to.

Nutrition facts

Bananas are a very good source of energy. Here are the nutritional values of 1 medium-sized banana (118 g):

• Calories: 105.
• Macronutrients: 27 g of carbs, 1.3 g of protein, and 0.4 g of fat.
• Fiber: 2.6 g.

How to consume

Bananas taste great with a portion of oatmeal, some yogurt, as an addition to a smoothie, or in pretty much any dessert.

4. Melons

Whether you are after the sweetness of the honeydew melon, its brother, the canteloupe, or the watermelon, who is the star of a Harry Styles hit song, all these types of melons are easily digestible.

Nutrition facts

Whatever melon you decide to include in your diet, the nutrients you will get from them are mostly the same.

To expand a bit, here are the nutritional values of awatermelon:

• Calories: 30 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 8 g of carbs, 0.6 g of protein, and 0.2 g of fat.
• Fiber: 0.4 g.

Besides the above, don't forget that melons are extremely good for hydrating your body.

How to consume

You can cut yourself a slice and eat it as it is or you can add it to a dessert.

5. Avocado

Similar to nuts, avocado has plenty of fibers and healthy nutrients that will aid your digestion, of course, given you don't eat too much of them.

Also, avocados are low in fructose, which means they have fewer chances of provoking gas.

Nutrition facts

Avocado gives you plenty of healthy fats and nutrients, which is one of the reasons it joined our list of high-calorie fruits.

• Calories: 160 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 9 g of carbs, 2 g of protein, and 15 g of fat.
• Fiber: 7 g.

How to consume

Peel off its skin and spread the avocado on an easy-to-digest toast. Otherwise, you can cut the avocado in half and stuff it with other easily digestible foods, or simply add it to your usual breakfast.

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Easy to digest foods: Vegetables

Many vegetables contain lots of fibers, which stimulate your bowel and get rid of constipation. However, as we previously saw, the same fibers can lead to digestive problems as well, like bloating, diarrhea, or cramping.

So, in order to avoid problems limit the number of high-fiber vegetables in your diet and focus on easy-to-digest greens.

Some hard to digest vegetables you should avoid as much as possible if you have an upset stomach:

• corn;
• mushrooms;
• stir-fry vegetables;
• potato skins;
• legumes, like peas and beans;
• cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, and carrots.

1. Canned or cooked vegetables

Cooking vegetables significantly reduces the number of fibers in them. That's one of the reasons why canned vegetables are easier to digest than raw ones.

As it's the case with canned fruits, vegetables are cooked with steam during the canning process to make them last for long periods.

Therefore, 100 g of canned green peas have3.3 g of dietary fiber while 100 g of raw green peas have around5 g. That means a 34% reduction.

How to consume

You can eat canned or cooked vegetables as garnishes to other easy-to-digest foods, especially to meats, or simply add them to a salad.

2. Potatoes

Both potatoes and their sweet version are good for upset stomachs because they have relatively low amounts of fiber if cooked. However, make sure to not eat their skin because that heightens the fiber intake.

Note that sweet potatoes contain slightly higher amounts of soluble fiber, which promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in your stomach.

Nutrition facts

For potatoes:

• Calories: 77 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 17 g of carbs, 2 g of protein, and 0.1 g of fat.
• Fiber: 2.2 g.

For sweet potatoes:

• Calories: 86 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 20 g of carbs, 1.6 g of protein, and 0.1 g of fat.
• Fiber: 3 g.

How to consume

If you want to stay clear of digestive issues, avoid eating french fries or any kind of fried potatoes.

Instead, choose mashed potatoes or broil them in the oven and consume them along with some butter or Greek yogurt.

3. Pumpkin

Freshly cooked pumpkin is low in fiber and a whopping amount of 90% of its structure is made of water. So, your stomach has nothing to worry about.

However, note thatcanned pumpkin has significantly more fibers than its raw version because it is more concentrated. Therefore, this latter version of the pumpkin may disturb your stomach if consumed in large quantities.

Nutrition facts

Pumpkins are your best friends if you're looking to lose weight because they contain very few calories.

• Calories: 26 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 7 g of carbs, 1 g of protein, and 0.1 g of fat.
• Fiber: 0.5 g.

How to consume

You can make a pumpkin puree, include it in a creamy soup, or add these Halloween mascots into some tasty salads.

4. Yellow squash (no seeds)

In comparison with pumpkins, yellow squashes (also called summer squashes) are full of fiber which promotes the wellbeing of your stomach, but in large quantities may cause bloating and other discomforts.

Nutrition facts

If you're looking for something with even fewer calories than pumpkin and which also aids your digestion, add yellow squashes to your diet.

• Calories: 16 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 3.4 g of carbs, 1.2 g of protein, and 0.2 g of fat.
• Fiber: 1.1 g.

How to consume

There are plenty of ways to eat the yellow squash, from adding it to a salad to cutting it in slices and combining it with pasta.

5. Beetroot

Beetroots are good for your digestion not because they digest fastly, but because of the health benefits that they bring to your bowel movements and gut bacteria.

All of these benefits are due to the high amount of fiber found in them.

Nutrition facts

Beetroots are, as we already said, full of fiber and low in calories.

• Calories: 43 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 10 g of carbs, 1.6 g of protein, and 0.2 g of fat.
• Fiber: 2.8 per 100 g.

How to consume

Make sure to peel off the outer skin of the beetroot before adding it to a soup or a salad.

To lower the amount of fiber in beetroots you may want to cook or boil them, cut it in slices or cubes, and then sprinkle them over a salad. To get rid of most of the work, you can buy canned beets.

6. Green beans

Green beans are a low FODMAP type of food, which means their carbs are easily digestible. Therefore, green beans may be agreat solution for those suffering from IBS or other chronic digestive issues.

However, be aware that green beans are also high in fibers, which means they will make you feel full for more time while also leveraging the health of your digestive tract.

The downside is the same as with any high-fiber food: you don't want to overeat on these because you will be prone to bloating and cramps.

Nutrition facts

Green beans are low in calories and contain plenty of fibers.

• Calories: 31 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 7 g of carbs, 1.8 g of protein, and 0.1 g of fat.
• Fiber: 3.4 g.

How to consume

Green beans can be eaten in a soup or as a side dish. Cook them any way you like, but avoid frying.

7. Fermented vegetables

Opinions are somehow divided when it comes to eating fermented foods likekimchi,pickles, andsauerkraut.

For some people, the probiotics found in such foods make them a great choice because they have the potential of killing harmful bacteria in the gut. On the other side, in some cases, they may cause bloating.

However, science is yet to conclude on the digestive benefits of fermented foods.

How to consume

Your best bet is to consume fermented vegetables in the form of salads accompanying your main dishes. See how you feel afterward.

If they cause you discomfort, avoid them in the long term.

8. Yautia

Although yautias have a medium amount of fibers in their composition, they can still help you have smoother digestion, if you don't overeat on them.

We put together a yautia guide that explains their health benefits, nutrition facts, where to find them, and also shares some delicious recipes along with many more details about this exotic vegetable.

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Dressings and spices for better digestion

Spices and dressings are like a two-way sword: they can aid your digestion or worsen it.

That's why it's important to know what kind of sauces and condiments you should choose to make your food tastier and easily digestible.

1. Ground spices

Whole spices are more intense than ground spices, so that's why you want to go for the latter option.

Here are a few examples of spices that are proven to help your digestion:

• Ginger: lessens gas and bloating episodes while also helping you get rid of nausea in some cases;
• Cumin: beneficial especially for people suffering from IBS syndrome;
• Cardamom: studies show its diuretic effects.

How to consume

You can add ground spices to certain foods, meals, and salads, or you can sprinkle some in a drink like a hot tea.

2. Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise, or mayo, is easily digestible because it has no trace of fibers whatsoever.

Nutrition facts

Mayonnaise is very high in calories and fat while having zero fibers.

• Calories: 680 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 75 g of fat, 1 g of protein, and 0.6 g of carbs.
• Fiber: 0 g per 100 g.

How to consume

Mayonnaise blends well with a lot of foods. Use this sauce to dip your baked potatoes in or as a dressing for a salad.

3. Soy sauce

Since soy sauce is a fermented condiment, it has similar properties to the other fermented foods mentioned in this article.

Thus, it may facilitate the growth of beneficial bacteria in your stomach.

This sauce that is often served along with sushi also has the property of being an easy-to-digest food due to its low-fiber content.

Nutrition facts

Soy sauce is pretty low in calories, provides a decent amount of proteins, and is a low-fiber food.

However, be aware that, depending on the brand you buy, soy sauce may have high amounts of sodium.

• Calories: 53 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 8 g of protein, 4.9 g of carbs, and 0.6 g of fat.
• Fiber: 0.8 g per 100 g.

How to consume

You can use soy dressing as a dipping sauce, add some to your favorite stew, and much more.

4. MCT oils

MCT oils are saturated fats that can be found in other oils like coconut oil or palm kernel oil but in a smaller concentration than in MCT oils.

However, note that not all people find oils, and fat in general, to be easily digestible.

Medium-chain triglycerides or MCT oils are the easiest to digest if someone is healthy.
If one has an issue with fat digestion, there are no fats easily digested. We must have lipase to digest fat. It's an enzyme. Some people do not produce lipase or produce enough.

- Kelly McCullough, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Nutrition facts

Here are the nutritional values for a coconut MCT oil:

• Calories: 800 per 100 ml.
• Macronutrients: 93.33 g of fat.

How to consume

You can use MCT oil like any other oils, but be aware that it has a lower smoke point – 302°F (150°C) – than others, so make sure you only use MCT oils when you cook at low temperatures. Otherwise, you will damage its nutritional content.

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Easily digestible foods: Sweets

Simple sugars found in most sweets don't usually trigger digestive issues. After all, sugary snacks are low in fiber and also are one of the low-fat high-calorie foods, characteristics that generally describe easily digestible foods.

However, sugar alcohols can disturb some of you. So, it's important to avoid treats and desserts with such substances in their structure.

Here are some types of sweets that can be hard to digest:

• jams and jellies that contain seeds;
• artificial sweeteners;
• milk chocolate (bad for those with lactose intolerance).

To eliminate most of the risks, we selected some easy-to-digest sweet foods you can find below.

1. Honey

Research on honey shows that this product of beekeeping helps with gastrointestinal diseases, so we couldn't leave it out of this list of easy-to-digest foods.

Nutrition facts

As honey is natural sugar, it's a carbohydrate superstar with plenty of calories, so consume it in small quantities.

• Calories: 304 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 82 g of carbs and 0.3g of protein.
• Fiber: 0.2 g per 100 g.

How to consume

Instead of the plain old sugar, add a drop of honey to your everyday tea, to your desserts for a more interesting flavor, or take a little spoon and indulge yourself in the deliciousness of pure honey.

2. Gelatin (jelly)

Gelatin is one of the easiest to digest desserts as it's basically just collagen combined with sugar, and, usually, featuring some fruity flavor.

Nutrition facts

Gelatin has no fibers. Sugar is the main ingredient that increases the number of calories you get from this dessert.

• Calories: 62 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 14 g of carbs and 0.3g of protein.
• Fiber: 0.2 g per 100 g.

How to consume

Gelatin is usually consumed as a dessert, but it can be also found in many candies like gummy bears.

3. Marshmallows

We usually put these sweets on sticks and fry them when we go camping, but did you know that marshmallows are easily digestible, too?

This is due to them being a low-fiber product, and because, let's not forget, they contain gelatin, which we saw above that it's stomach-friendly.

Nutrition facts

Marshmallows have a lot of calories because they are usually high in sugar, but what candy isn't?

• Calories: 318 per 100 g.
• Macronutrients: 81 g of carbs, 1.8 g of protein, and 0.2 g of fat.
• Fiber: 0.1 g per 100 g.

How to consume

Marshmallows can be part of other desserts, consumed as they are, or added to your morning cup of coffee.

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Easy to digest foods: Drinks

One may think that drinks go right through with no need for much work from the stomach. But actually, the situation can get pretty difficult.

The truth is many types of beverages can provoke digestive discomfort.

Here are a few of those:

• Fruit or vegetable juice with pulp;
• Alcohol;
• Carbonated drinks (like soda);
• Caffeinated drinks (like coffee).

Nevertheless, if you want to stay on the safe side, you pretty much can't go wrong with the following easy to digest drinks.

1. Fruit and vegetable juice without pulp

Drinking fruit or vegetable juice is a great way to ensure you're getting your daily vitamin intake while staying away from digestive issues. This is because the juice has less fiber than its raw counterpart.

However, note that you want to eliminate the pulp in the juice before drinking. This way the fiber contents in it will be even lower.

How to consume

Pour yourself a glass for breakfast or fill a thermos so you can sip some vitamin-filled juice at the office.

2. Herbal tea

Herbal teas have many health benefits, but not all of them target your digestion.

A few of the types of teas that will help cure an upset stomach are the ones made from peppermint, ginger, and fennel.

How to consume

When drinking herbal teas, you don't want to rush the process. Sip on them for 10-15 minutes to let them take full effect on your digestion.

3. Kefir

Kefir is a drink made of fermented milk that contains probiotics. Thus, it improves your digestion by helping the beneficial bacteria in your gut.

This milk-derived drink is easy to digest because it has a low fiber percentage. Besides, a study suggested that kefir improves lactose digestion.

Therefore, if you have an intolerance to lactose, you may get away with drinking kefir.

Nutrition facts

Kefir is low in calories and fibers while offering a decent amount of proteins.

• Calories: 67 per 100 ml.
• Macronutrients: 10 g of carbs, 4.58 g of protein, and 0.83 g of fat.
• Fiber: 1.2 g per 100 ml.

How to consume

One of the simplest ways to consume kefir is to drink it as it is. You may also use it as a dressing on a salad, a base for a shake, or an ingredient in a smoothie.

Find shake ideas in our article on calorie-dense shakes, and smoothie ideas by checking our list of high-calorie smoothies.

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Tips for easy digestion

All the easy to digest foods we provided in this article have high chances of getting you rid of stomach issues, there's no doubt about it.

However, besides adding these to your diet, you should followa few simple tips that will help you stick to your new eating habits and ensure that everything goes well inside your gut.

1. Eat slower

Digestion begins in your mouth, so chewing each bit of food properly is going to give your stomach less work to do.

Eating smaller portions and slower can be helpful.

- Kelly McCullough, RDN

As recommended in yogis' Ayurvedic culture, you can aim to chew each bite 30 times.

2. Stay hydrated

Drinking water and other liquids are as important for your digestion as they are for your health.

More fluid is needed when eating a lower fiber diet. If one has a fever, fluids are needed as well.

- Kelly McCullough, RDN

Did you know: drinking water before going to sleep can help you remember your dreams.

3. Consume smaller meals

Indigestion or heartburn is usually caused by overeating or a condition called GERD. Kelly shared with us how we can fight overeating.

When over-eating, the spices in the food are what we taste during indigestion, but it's usually the carbohydrate foods that overfill our stomach such as bread, pasta and rice. The best approach is to eat smaller meals 5-6 times throughout the day.

- Kelly McCullough, RDN

4. Keep a food diary

Recording what and when you eat will help you stick to your diet and adjust your dishes. Think of this as a way of listening to your stomach.

Keeping a food diary is always a good idea when having digestive issues. It helps us to see patterns of behavior more easily.

- Kelly McCullough, RDN

When should you see a doctor?

Kelly advises that you should see a medical professional if:

• Diarrhea is accompanied with blood (may look like coffee grounds);
• Lasts more than two weeks for an adult or 24 hours for an infant;
• You have recurring bouts of diarrhea such as every few weeks.

However, you have to keep in mind that you canspot and eliminate toxic foods on your own by considering the possible causes, as exemplified by RDN Kelly McCullough.

• One needs to examine if the loose stools or diarrhearecur following a certain type of food, such as milk, ice cream, or cheese. This could indicate lactose or some other kind of intolerance;
• It can also be caused byeating foods that are contaminated with bacteria or viruses;
• Loose stool or diarrhea can also be caused bystress.

To conclude, now you know 50 easy-to-digest foods, from grains like rice and toast to drinks like kefir and peppermint tea, that will finally enable you to live your days without stomach aches, nausea, and all the other intestinal disturbances.

Did you try any of these meals or do you know other easily digestible foods? We're waiting for your answers in the comment section.

Other sources:

Nutritional facts were taken from USDA (FoodData Central) and My Fitness Pal.

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Source: https://unfoldtoday.com/easy-to-digest-foods/