Light food – what’s good for your stomach

When your stomach or intestines go on strike, a gentle diet helps. Not because it's trendy, but because it works. Warm, mild, simple – exactly what the body needs. Hildegard von Bingen knew this centuries ago. And we're taking it up again today: with spelt, fennel, herbs, and the goal of not putting additional strain on the body.

What is a soft diet?

A light diet is easily digestible food. No fat, no acid, no irritants. Cooked, steamed, mildly seasoned. Good for the stomach, intestines, and anyone who wants to recover.

Gentle food recipes that don't burden your stomach

Gentle foods are intended to ease the digestive tract while providing sufficient nutrients. Mild soups with spelt semolina, softly cooked vegetables such as carrots or fennel, and easily digestible purees, such as rusks and fennel tea, have proven effective. Cooked apples or gently prepared grain dishes also fit well into a gentle diet. The ingredients are simple, and the effects are often clearly noticeable.

Light diet for diarrhea

After acute diarrhea, the body needs rest above all else – including during meals. A gentle diet helps avoid further irritating the intestines. Steamed vegetables like carrots, mild grain dishes based on spelt, and soothing teas, such as those with fennel or peppermint, are ideal. Important: small portions, low fat, and no raw ingredients. This allows digestion to recover gradually.

Gentle food for the stomach and intestines

For gastrointestinal complaints, a light diet is often the first choice. It eases the digestive system without weakening the body. Spelt, softly cooked vegetables, and gentle herbs such as fennel or melissa form the basis. It's important that food is prepared warm, low in fat, and low in irritants—this allows the stomach and intestines to rest and regenerate.

What can you eat on a bland diet?

Anything that's gentle on the gastrointestinal tract—that is, easily digestible, mild, and cooked—is permitted. These include, in particular:

• Soft-cooked vegetables such as carrots, fennel, zucchini or parsnips
• Spelt products: semolina, rusks, pasta, easily digestible soups
• Cooked apple, ripe banana or applesauce
• Gentle herbs such as fennel, bertram or galangal
• Mild teas (e.g. fennel, lemon balm, peppermint)

You should avoid fatty, spicy or raw foods, as well as coffee, alcohol and sugar.

What role does a bland diet play for Hildegard von Bingen?

For Hildegard von Bingen, nutrition was a central element of health. She recommended simple, wholesome foods—warm, moderate, and natural. She considered spelt particularly easy to digest, as were gentle herbs and cooked vegetables. She rejected raw vegetables, sugar, and highly processed foods. Her recommendations are in many ways similar to what is considered a bland diet today—except that 900 years ago, she already viewed it as a matter of course.

These products are suitable for a light diet

In our shop, you'll find many items that can be easily integrated into a bland diet—especially if you want to follow Hildegard's recommendations. Spelt products are a tried-and-tested foundation, as are stomach-friendly herbs and gentle teas.

• Organic spelt butter rusks
• Organic balsam fennel tea
• Bertram mixed powder
• Fennel powder
• Cooked chestnuts (vacuum packed)

These products are easy to prepare and well-tolerated – ideal for times when the body needs rest.

What helps with a bland diet for intestinal inflammation?

A gentle diet is especially important for intestinal inflammation. It relieves the irritated mucous membranes and helps the intestines regenerate. Softly cooked spelt dishes, mild vegetables such as fennel or carrots, and soothing herbal teas are good options. Spices such as ginseng or galangal can also gently support the body during this phase – preferably warm and in small portions.