Foods easy to digest are those, that are high in insoluble fiber and low in fat. Green vegetables and fruits like watermelon and banana are often advised for people with a weakened digestive system.
People having digestion problems are often on the look out of foods that do not burden the stomach. When the body loses its ability to digest food, it is time for dietary modifications. For instance, medical conditions like gastroenteritis, demand that the person should be extremely careful when it comes to choosing foods. In such cases, having easily digestible foods can contribute immensely to mitigate digestive issues effectively.
Easily Digestible Foods
Foods that are good sources of soluble and insoluble fiber are easy to digest. Both soluble and insoluble fiber play an important role to maintain normal digestion. They facilitate movement of ingested food through the gastrointestinal tract and ensure smooth bowel movement.
Green leafy vegetables are high in insoluble fiber, therefore easier to digest. These foods are rich in vitamins and minerals, and unlike high fat foods do not slow down the digestion process. These vegetables also increase the production of enzymes that help to detoxify the digestive system. So, if your digestive system has become sluggish, eating green leafy vegetables like spinach, alfalfa sprouts, zucchini and squash is recommended.
Doctors often recommend including more rice in the diet for better digestion. The contents of rice often help to stimulate the digestion process. The digestive system has to do minimal amount of work to promote breakdown of carbohydrates present in rice. Although brown rice is a healthier option, white rice is digested more quickly than brown rice. The carbohydrates present in white rice are converted to sugar at a faster rate, hence white rice is digested pretty quickly.
Fruits such as watermelon, cantaloupe, papaya, and oranges require very less time to get digested due to their high water content. Watermelon is considered to be the most quickly digestible food, with a digestion time of around 20 minutes. Whereas, fruits like bananas, peaches and apricots contain certain enzymes that also help promote digestion.
If you are thinking what to give to a person with an upset tummy, skinless boiled chicken can be a good choice. A meal consisting of low-fat chicken and cooked rice certainly won’t irritate your gastrointestinal tract and burden your digestive system, as these are very easy to digest.
Oats are very easy to digest as they are high in dietary fiber. People with digestion problems are often advised to include oats in their diet. Whole-grain oat foods that include oat bran and oatmeal contain both soluble and insoluble fiber that promote bowel function and support digestive health.
Although, yogurt does not contain fiber, it is full of good bacteria that help to relieve abdominal discomfort and bloating, commonly associated with digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome. The billions of ‘friendly’ bacteria in a cup of yogurt aid in digestion. They restrict the growth of harmful bacteria in the digestive tract. The beneficial bacteria also help to improve lactose digestion in people who are lactose intolerant. Preferably have homemade fresh yogurt as it contains the highest amount of active bacterial cultures. Commercial brands such as Yoplaint also contain live and active cultures, which is distinctly specified on the product label.
This is another food item that is considered easy for digestion. Plain crackers also have a pleasing taste and hence people do not think twice to have it in their diet. Digestive biscuits made from whole wheat flour and oatmeal are easy on the gut and good for digestion.
A light breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast is not at all difficult to digest. People who are put on a bland diet can also have boiled scrambled eggs. Toasts, especially for people suffering from Crohn’s disease are helpful to get digestive relief. White toasts are basically bland carbohydrates that can be easily digested and are ideal for an upset stomach. It is observed that the body takes less time to digest toasts than fresh bread. So having toast for breakfast, instead of fresh bread is definitely a better option.
Ways to Improve Digestion
One should avoid or reduce intake of water during meals. Excess water may dilute the digestive juices and cause the process to slow down. Light exercise such as brisk walking after meals can also help to improve digestion. Frequency of meals is also an important factor, that can contribute to improve digestion. In order to keep digestive issues at bay, an easy solution is to have 5-6 small-sized meals throughout the day. People who face difficulty in digesting solid food should have mashed food during meals.
