Best Foods to Break a Fast (And What to Avoid)

You have been fasting for hours. Your body has shifted into a fat-burning, cell-cleaning state. Now comes the moment that can either amplify those benefits or undermine them entirely: your first meal.

Breaking a fast is not just about eating whatever you want. The foods you choose, the order you eat them, and the portions you start with all influence how your body responds. Get it right and you lock in the benefits of your fast. Get it wrong and you might end up bloated, sluggish, or riding a blood sugar roller coaster.

Quick Answer: The best foods to break a fast are gentle, nutrient-dense options like bone broth, eggs, avocado, cooked vegetables, and lean protein. Avoid processed foods, sugary snacks, and large portions of raw fiber immediately after fasting. Start small, eat slowly, and build up to a full meal over 30 to 60 minutes.

Why It Matters How You Break Your Fast

During a fast, your digestive system downregulates. Stomach acid production decreases, digestive enzyme output slows, and your gut enters a kind of rest-and-repair mode. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that gastric motility changes significantly during extended periods without food.

When you suddenly flood this resting system with a large, complex meal, the result is predictable: bloating, cramping, nausea, and energy crashes. Your body needs a gentle transition back to full digestive capacity.

This is especially true for longer fasts. If you are doing a 16:8 or 18:6 schedule, the transition is relatively smooth. But if you are pushing into 20:4, OMAD, or longer fasts, how you break that fast becomes significantly more important.

The Best Foods to Break a Fast

Bone Broth

Bone broth is arguably the gold standard for breaking a fast. It provides easily absorbed minerals including sodium, potassium, and magnesium. It contains amino acids like glycine and proline that support gut lining repair. And it is liquid, which means minimal digestive stress.

A cup of warm bone broth 15 to 30 minutes before your main meal gives your digestive system a gentle wake-up call. Learn more about bone broth and fasting.

Eggs

Eggs are nutrient-dense, easy to digest, and provide high-quality protein without excessive volume. Scrambled or soft-boiled eggs are particularly gentle on the stomach. They deliver choline, B vitamins, and complete amino acids without spiking blood sugar.

Avocado

Avocado provides healthy monounsaturated fats, potassium, and fiber in a form that is easy on the digestive system. The fats help with satiety and nutrient absorption, and avocado does not provoke a significant insulin response.

Cooked Vegetables

Steamed or sauteed vegetables like spinach, zucchini, and sweet potato are excellent choices. Cooking breaks down the cellulose structure, making them far easier to digest than raw vegetables. They provide vitamins, minerals, and gentle fiber to restart gut motility.

Lean Protein

Grilled chicken, fish, or turkey in moderate portions provide the amino acids your body needs to maintain muscle during intermittent fasting. Protein is critical for preserving lean mass, and your eating window is the time to prioritize it.

Fermented Foods

A small serving of yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, or kimchi introduces beneficial bacteria and enzymes that support digestion. These foods complement the gut health benefits of fasting by replenishing your microbiome during your eating window.

Soups and Stews

Warm, broth-based soups with cooked vegetables and protein are an ideal breaking-fast meal. They are hydrating, nutrient-dense, and easy to digest. The liquid content helps with the transition from fasted to fed state.

Foods to Avoid When Breaking a Fast

Sugary Foods and Drinks

Breaking a fast with candy, pastries, fruit juice, or soda causes a rapid blood sugar spike followed by a crash. After fasting, your body is more insulin-sensitive, which means sugar hits harder and faster. This can trigger reactive hypoglycemia, leaving you shaky and hungry within an hour.

Processed and Fried Foods

Fast food, chips, and heavily processed snacks are difficult to digest under normal circumstances. After a fast, they can cause significant GI distress. These foods are also calorie-dense without being nutrient-dense, which undermines the purpose of fasting.

Large Amounts of Raw Vegetables

Raw salads, raw broccoli, and other high-fiber raw vegetables can cause bloating and cramping when your digestive system is still waking up. Save the raw vegetables for later in your eating window when your gut is fully active.

Dairy in Large Quantities

A glass of milk or a large cheese serving can be problematic for many people after fasting, especially those with any degree of lactose sensitivity. Small amounts of fermented dairy like yogurt are fine, but avoid large servings of unfermented dairy as your first food.

Nuts in Large Quantities

While nuts are nutritious, they are dense and contain phytic acid and tannins that can irritate a fasting stomach. A small handful is fine as part of a meal, but do not make a large serving of nuts your fast-breaking food.

The Ideal Fast-Breaking Strategy

The most effective approach follows a phased structure:

Phase 1 (0 to 15 minutes): Start with something liquid and warm. Bone broth, a small cup of soup, or warm water with a pinch of salt. This signals your digestive system to start producing enzymes and acid.

Phase 2 (15 to 30 minutes): Eat a small portion of easily digestible protein and fat. Two scrambled eggs, a few slices of avocado, or a small serving of fish. Keep the portion modest.

Phase 3 (30 to 60 minutes): Now you can eat your full meal. Include a balance of protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and cooked vegetables. This is where you can be more liberal with variety and volume.

For shorter fasts like 16:8, you can often compress phases 1 and 2 or skip directly to a moderate meal. The longer the fast, the more important it is to follow the phased approach.

How Fasting Length Affects Your Approach

12 to 16 hour fasts: Your digestive system has not downregulated significantly. You can break your fast with most whole foods without much concern. Just avoid pure sugar as your first intake.

18 to 24 hour fasts: More care is warranted. Start with something gentle and build up. Bone broth or eggs are ideal first foods.

24 to 36 hour fasts and beyond: Follow the full phased approach described above. Your gut has been at rest for a significant period and needs a gradual reintroduction of food. Consider reading about extended fasting methods for more guidance.

Sample Fast-Breaking Meals

Quick and Simple: Two soft-boiled eggs with half an avocado and a pinch of sea salt. Follow 30 minutes later with a full meal of grilled chicken, sweet potato, and steamed greens.

Gut-Friendly: A cup of bone broth sipped slowly. Follow with a bowl of miso soup with tofu and seaweed. Then proceed to a balanced meal.

High-Protein: A small portion of Greek yogurt with a few berries. Follow with grilled salmon, roasted vegetables, and quinoa.

Budget-Friendly: Scrambled eggs with sauteed spinach. Follow with rice, beans, and cooked vegetables.

For a comprehensive guide to planning your eating window meals, make sure you are building complete, balanced plates that support your fasting goals.

How Fasted Helps

Fasted lets you set a timer for your fasting window and receive a notification when it is time to eat. Use the meal logging feature to track what you eat when breaking your fast, and over time you will notice patterns in which foods make you feel best. The app also tracks your eating window so you can plan your fast-breaking meals ahead of time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I break my fast with fruit?

Fruit is acceptable in small amounts, but it should not be the first thing you eat. Fruit contains fructose, which can spike blood sugar after a fast. Start with protein or fat, then add fruit as part of a balanced meal.

Is it okay to break a fast with a protein shake?

A protein shake can work, but choose one without added sugars or artificial sweeteners. Whey or plant-based protein with water or unsweetened almond milk is a reasonable option. Whole food is generally preferable.

How much should I eat when breaking a fast?

Start with a small portion, roughly the size of your fist. Eat slowly and wait 15 to 30 minutes before eating more. You do not need to eat less overall, just ease into it rather than eating a massive meal immediately.

Does it matter what time of day I break my fast?

The foods you choose matter more than the clock. That said, research suggests that eating earlier in the day may provide metabolic advantages. The key is consistency with your schedule. Track your timing with a fasting app to find what works for your body.

What if I feel nauseous when I break my fast?

Nausea after breaking a fast usually means you ate too much, too fast, or chose something too heavy. Next time, start with bone broth or a very small portion. Sip water with electrolytes before eating. If nausea persists across multiple fasts, consult a healthcare provider.