Foods for Morning Sickness: What to Eat When Everything Makes You Nauseous

This article is part of our comprehensive Natural Morning Sickness Relief: 10 Home Remedies That Actually Work pillar guide. While that resource covers all evidence-based remedies including acupressure, lifestyle changes, and herbal support, this article focuses specifically on which foods may help ease pregnancy nausea—and how to eat when nothing sounds appealing.

The best foods for morning sickness are bland carbohydrates, ginger, cold foods, protein-rich snacks, and vitamin B6-rich options. Focus on easy-to-digest foods with minimal aromas—think the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast), crackers, chilled fruit, and ginger in any form. Small, frequent meals work better than three large ones, and keeping a snack by your bedside to eat before rising can help prevent the worst morning nausea.

When you’re pregnant and nauseous, the last thing you want is someone listing foods at you. We get it. The very thought of eating can trigger another wave of queasiness, and well-meaning advice about “eating well for baby” can feel impossible when crackers are all you can manage.

Here’s the truth: during peak morning sickness, survival eating is completely acceptable. Your body has nutrient stores, and baby will take what they need. Right now, your job is to find foods that stay down, keep you hydrated, and provide whatever nourishment you can tolerate.

This guide focuses on practical, evidence-based food choices that may help ease nausea—not add to your overwhelm.

Bland Carbohydrates

The BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast) has been recommended for nausea for decades, and for good reason—these foods are easy to digest, low in fat, and gentle on an unsettled stomach.

Best options: Saltine crackers, dry toast, plain rice, pretzels, plain pasta, rice cakes, and plain cereals. These foods help absorb excess stomach acid and provide quick energy without overwhelming your digestive system.

Pro tip: Keep dry crackers on your bedside table. Nibbling a few before you even sit up in the morning can help prevent the worst early-morning nausea by absorbing stomach acid that builds up overnight.

Ginger-Based Foods

Ginger has been extensively studied for its anti-nausea properties and is one of the most evidence-supported remedies for pregnancy nausea. Research suggests it may significantly reduce both the frequency and intensity of morning sickness symptoms.

Ways to eat ginger: Ginger biscuits, ginger candies, crystallised ginger, real ginger ale (check it contains actual ginger), ginger tea, or fresh ginger added to meals.

A practical solution: Many mums find it difficult to eat ginger in its raw form when nauseous. White Choc & Ginger Pregnancy Cookies offer a gentler way to get ginger’s benefits in a mild, pleasant-tasting form that many women find easier to tolerate. The vegan white chocolate provides comforting sweetness without overpowering flavours, while the ginger works to settle your stomach.

Cold Foods

Hot foods release more aromas, which can trigger nausea and the gag reflex. Cold or room-temperature foods often work better because they have minimal smell.

Best cold options: Chilled fruit (watermelon is a pregnancy favourite), yoghurt, sorbet, smoothies, cold sandwiches, cheese cubes, and frozen fruit bars. Many mums find that sucking on ice blocks or frozen grapes also helps.

Hydration tip: If plain water is difficult, try coconut water, weak herbal tea served cold, or pregnancy-safe hydration powders added to chilled water. Staying hydrated is crucial during pregnancy, especially if you’re vomiting.

Protein-Rich Snacks

Protein helps stabilise blood sugar levels, which can reduce nausea more effectively than simple carbohydrates or fats alone. When your blood sugar drops, nausea often worsens.

Good protein options: Hard-boiled eggs (eat them cold if the smell bothers you), cheese cubes, peanut butter on crackers, nuts, hummus with vegetables, and Greek yoghurt.

Why protein snacks matter: Unlike simple carbs that provide a quick energy spike followed by a crash, protein provides sustained energy that keeps blood sugar stable. This is one reason why pregnancy cookies made with oats and linseed can be more effective than plain crackers—they combine gentle carbohydrates with protein and fibre for longer-lasting satisfaction.

Vitamin B6-Rich Foods

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) has been shown to help reduce morning sickness symptoms. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommends vitamin B6 as a first-line treatment for pregnancy nausea.

Foods high in vitamin B6: Bananas, avocados, chickpeas, salmon, chicken breast, potatoes, and fortified cereals. Even if you can only manage a few bites, choosing B6-rich options may provide more relief than other foods.

Gentle Superfoods

When you can tolerate a bit more, nutrient-dense foods like chia seeds can provide essential nutrients without heavy flavours. Chia pudding made the night before and served cold can be a good option for mornings when cooking feels impossible.

Eat before rising. Keep dry crackers, a ginger pregnancy cookie, or a banana by your bed and nibble before you even sit up. An empty stomach in the morning is one of the biggest nausea triggers.

Small, frequent meals. An empty stomach can trigger nausea, but so can feeling too full. Aim for 5-6 small snacks throughout the day instead of three large meals.

Separate fluids from solids. Drinking while eating can make your stomach feel too full. Try to sip water or herbal tea 20-30 minutes before or after meals instead.

Follow your cravings (within reason). If only one specific food sounds tolerable, eat it. Your body is often telling you something. A craving for salty crackers might indicate you need sodium; a craving for citrus might mean you need vitamin C.

Embrace ‘boring’ food. This is not the time for adventurous eating. Simple, bland, familiar foods are your friends right now.

While every woman’s triggers are different, these foods commonly worsen pregnancy nausea:

Greasy or fried foods: These are harder to digest and can sit heavily in your stomach, worsening nausea.

Spicy foods: These can irritate the stomach lining and trigger heartburn, which often accompanies morning sickness.

Strong-smelling foods: Onions, garlic, fish, and certain meats can be overwhelming. If the smell triggers nausea, it’s best to avoid that food for now.

Very sweet foods: Excessive sugar can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes that worsen nausea. Choose foods with natural sweetness (like fruit) over highly processed sweets.

Large portions: Even if a food doesn’t trigger nausea, eating too much at once can.

Skipping meals because you feel sick. This backfires because an empty stomach makes nausea worse. Even a few bites of something bland is better than nothing.

Forcing yourself to eat ‘healthy’ foods that disgust you. Pregnancy nausea is temporary. If the thought of vegetables makes you gag, eating crackers and bananas for a few weeks won’t harm your baby.

Drinking large amounts of water at once. Gulping water can slosh around in your stomach and worsen nausea. Sip small amounts consistently throughout the day.

Lying down immediately after eating. This can worsen heartburn and nausea. Try to stay upright for at least 20-30 minutes after meals.

Ignoring what your body is telling you. If a food you normally love now makes you feel sick, trust that signal. Your body knows what it can and can’t handle right now.

Finding the right foods for morning sickness often takes some experimentation. What works brilliantly for one mum might not help another. The key is to have options on hand so you can respond to your body’s changing needs.

Consider keeping a small stash of go-to foods in different locations: crackers by your bed, ginger cookies in your handbag, and chilled fruit in the fridge. Having easy options readily available means you’re more likely to eat something when nausea strikes.

For a comprehensive overview of all evidence-based morning sickness strategies—including herbal teas, acupressure, and lifestyle modifications—return to our complete Natural Morning Sickness Relief guide.

Looking for gentle, ready-made options designed specifically for pregnancy nausea? Explore our natural morning sickness remedies collection, including our popular White Choc & Ginger Pregnancy Cookies—formulated to support you through pregnancy and beyond into breastfeeding.

For soothing drinks that complement your food strategy, try our Pregnancy & Lactation Tea with ginger and peppermint, or our warming Golden Latte blend with turmeric and cinnamon.

These foods are your starting point — for a full trimester-by-trimester nutrition framework, visit our complete pregnancy nutrition guide.