The right food strategy can make a big difference to how you feel during a night out—and the morning after. Eat smart before you sip, keep things steady while you drink, and refuel strategically the next day to support hydration, blood sugar, and your liver’s clean-up crew.

Below: what to eat before, during, and after drinking (plus what to avoid) grounded in nutrition research, with plain-English takeaways...

Quick Science: Why food matters when you drink

Alcohol is absorbed in the stomach and small intestine. A protein-, fat- and fibre-containing meal slows stomach emptying and alcohol absorption, helping blunt spikes in blood alcohol concentration and keeping you fuller (so you’re less likely to power-snack later). Hydrating foods and electrolytes help offset alcohol’s diuretic effect and support fluid balance; they won’t “cure” a hangover, but they can ease thirst and related symptoms.

What to Eat Before Drinking

Build your pre-game plate around protein + healthy fats + fibre + electrolytes. Here are smart choices and why they help:

• Eggs / Greek yogurt – steady, slow-digesting protein to slow alcohol absorption and improve satiety. Top yogurt with fruit and nuts for fibre and minerals.
• Salmon or tofu – protein plus omega-3s (in salmon) for overall inflammation balance; serve with fibrous veg and whole grains. 
• Oats or quinoa – complex carbs + fibre to stabilise blood sugar; quinoa also brings magnesium and potassium. 
• Avocado + whole-grain toast – healthy fats slow gastric emptying; avocado adds potassium for fluid balance.
• Bananas / melon – hydrating and potassium-rich to support electrolytes before the diuretic effects kick in.
• Chia pudding – fibre + some protein; chia’s antioxidant profile supports general cell defence.
• Berries / blueberries – polyphenol-rich; animal and mechanistic research suggests antioxidant support for the liver. Again: helpful as part of a balanced diet, not a cure.

Pre-drink meal ideas (15–30 min to make):

• Salmon, quinoa, and asparagus; side of blueberries. 
• Greek yogurt parfait with oats, berries, and chia.
• Avocado + egg on whole-grain toast; banana on the side.

What to Limit or Avoid Before Drinking

Some foods can prime you for reflux, dehydration, or blood sugar swings.

• Very spicy foods, citrus/tomato, chocolate, peppermint, carbonation, and caffeine – common reflux triggers that alcohol can amplify. 
• Very salty snacks – can worsen bloating and thirst.
• Refined sugars/white carbs – digested quickly → blood sugar roller-coaster → “drunchies.”

Smart Snacks While You’re Drinking

Keep it gentle, salty-but-not-too-salty, and fibre-forward.

• Nuts + seeds (almonds, pumpkin seeds): protein/fats slow absorption; bring magnesium and potassium.
• Hummus + veggies or whole-grain crackers: fibre + complex carbs.
• Water + electrolytes: helpful for thirst and fluid balance; they won’t erase core hangover biology, but they do address dehydration-related symptoms. Sip water between drinks.

What to Eat After Drinking (Recovery)

The goals: rehydrate, replace electrolytes, stabilise blood sugar, and be gentle on your gut.

Hydration + electrolytes (first thing):

• Water plus electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium). Useful for thirst, light-headedness, and muscle cramping—just don’t overdo electrolyte powders if you haven’t lost a lot of fluids.
• Food sources of electrolytes: bananas, potatoes/sweet potatoes, watermelon/cantaloupe, Greek yogurt, leafy greens

Easy-on-the-stomach meals:

• Egg-and-veg omelette + whole-grain toast (protein, B-vitamins, complex carbs).
• Brothy soup (e.g., chicken + veg + potatoes): fluid + sodium + potassium.
• Oats with yogurt, berries, and chia: fibre, antioxidants, electrolytes.
• Quinoa bowl with sautéed spinach, avocado, and salmon/tofu.

Gentle guidelines next day:

• Eat balanced meals every 3–4 hours to avoid sugar crashes.
• Keep caffeine moderate if refluxy; avoid “hair of the dog.”

Before vs After: What Changes?

P.S. We did the research so you don't have to: 

1. Healthline. (2024, August 12). Why do hangovers get worse with age?
2. Cleveland Clinic. (2024, April 12). Hangover: Symptoms, causes, treatment, prevention.
3. Sharma, R., et al. (2024). Physiological and Biochemical Mechanisms of Alcohol-Induced Dehydration and Its Contribution to Hangover Severity. Current Opinion in Physiology
4. Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2023). Hangover Headache: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology.
5. Eriksson, C. J. P. (1982). The Role of Acetaldehyde in the Actions of Alcohol (Update 1982). Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.