Salmonella is one of many forms of food poisoning. Salmonella can make you very sick and it can happen to anyone. Pregnant women, children under the age of 5 and the elderly are at an increased risk of developing salmonella. You have to be extremely careful of what you eat once you've contracted salmonella until the infection is gone.
Salmonella
Before you know what to eat when you have salmonella, it's important that you know how long the virus lasts and what the symptoms are so that you can eat appropriately. Salmonella is a bacterial infection that enters your intestinal tract and causes diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramping and fever. The symptoms can last from 12 to 72 hours, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the actual infection can hang around in your system for up to seven days.
Liquids First
While you have diarrhea, avoid eating solid foods, according to MedlinePlus. Diarrhea is your body's way of cleansing itself of the infection. You want to allow the diarrhea to continue to help eliminate bacteria. During this time, do not eat solid foods or dairy products; dairy may worsen diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration. Instead, consume clear fluids such as broth, water, black coffee or white caffeine-free soda. Caffeine can also cause dehydration as it works as a diuretic. If your child has diarrhea, ask your pediatrician about giving your child an electrolyte solution to help prevent dehydration. You may need to follow this diet for four days, depending upon how long symptoms last.
Bland Diet
Once diarrhea and vomiting cease, begin to consume solid food. FamilyDoctor.org recommends the BRAT diet, or the bananas, rice, applesauce and toast diet. The BRAT diet consists of bland foods so they won't upset your stomach. They are also binding foods -- they help stool become firmer. You can also add other bland foods, such as baked potatoes, saltine crackers and soups can also be introduced at this time. You will probably only need to consume a bland diet for a few days before resuming your normal diet.
Regular Diet
Once you've been on the BRAT diet for a few days and these foods do not upset your stomach and your stool is firmer, slowly reintroduce regular foods back into your diet. Avoid fatty, greasy or spicy foods at first. They can be too heavy for your stomach right away.
