Diarrhea - What can you eat when you have
What to Feed Your Child
Infants 3–6 months
- Keep offering breastmilk or formula even if your baby is vomiting. You can also offer Pedialyte® or Gastrolyte®.
Infants 6–12 months
- Keep offering breastmilk or formula even if your baby is vomiting. You can also offer Pedialyte® or Gastrolyte®.
Examples of foods for children 6–12 months
- Offer foods your child normally eats: infant cereal, bread, toast, cereals, rice, pasta, potatoes, crackers, lean meat, egg yolk, yogurt, fruit (such as applesauce, bananas etc.) and vegetables. Your child will get better sooner if eating as well as drinking breastmilk and formula.
- If your baby is drinking from a cup, you can offer 60–90 mL (2–3 ounces) of water with meals. Make sure that water does not replace the amount of milk your baby usually drinks.
Examples of fluids for children over 12 months
- Water or milk, soup, or fruit juice diluted 1 part juice with 2 parts water. You can also offer Pedialyte® or Gastrolyte® if your child is not drinking other fluids.
- Note: Because of the high sugar content, no more than 125 mL (½ cup) of full strength juice (diluted as directed above) should be given.
Examples of foods for children over 12 months
- Offer foods your child normally eats: soup, bread, toast, cereals, rice, pasta, crackers, potatoes, lean meat, milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, fruit (such as applesauce, bananas, etc.) and vegetables. You do not have to limit how much of these foods you offer your child.
- Offer your child 60–90 mL (2–3 ounces) of water along with foods.
Foods NOT to give children
- High sugar foods and drinks (e.g., candy, Jell-O®, pop, undiluted fruit drinks, sweetened tea, Gatorade®, and Powerade®).
- Fatty or greasy foods (e.g., French fries, gravy), especially if your child is vomiting.
- *Do not dilute Pedialyte® or Gastrolyte® as they work better when full strength.