What Does a Normal Poop Look Like?
A user’s Guide to Understanding Your Bowel Movements
Let’s be honest: poop isn’t the most glamorous topic—but it’s one of the most important clues your body gives you about what’s going on inside: hydration levels, fiber intake, digestion, inflammation, and more. If you’ve ever wondered what a "normal" poop should look like, how often you should be going, or when your gut might be trying to tell you something’s off, you’re in the right place.
In this post, we’re talking about what healthy bowel movements actually look like, what symptoms to watch for, and how to support your digestion naturally—so you can stop guessing and start feeling better.
What Does a Healthy Poop Look Like?
Let’s start with frequency: ideally, you want to be having a bowel movement one to three times a day. This helps your body efficiently clear out waste from your food intake and prevents constipation. If you’re not having a daily BM, that waste can sit longer than it should—leading to trapped gas, abdominal discomfort, bloating, and even food reactions.
When it comes to consistency, the goal is soft to formed, and easy to pass. You want to avoid pushing or sitting on the toilet forever. A healthy stool should come out smoothly and leave you feeling fully emptied.
In terms of appearance, a normal poop is typically medium to dark brown, and shaped like a log or sausage. That color comes from green bile, which helps break down fat, and yellow bilirubin, which is released by the liver when it breaks down old red blood cells. When these substances mix together with digested food and bacteria, the resulting colour is brown. If you notice a sudden change in color, it might be worth paying attention to.
As for stool volume, size matters! You want your stool to be about the length of your forearm (from elbow to wrist) and about as wide as the circle your thumb and forefinger make when you do the “OK” sign. That might sound oddly specific, but there’s a reason for it—this length and diameter roughly match the final segment of your colon. So, when you pass a stool of that size, you’re likely clearing out a full cycle of waste that’s built up in that area. Some people pass this all at once, others in a couple of trips to the bathroom throughout the day. Either is fine—as long as you’re going consistently and comfortably.
If you’re going less often, straining, or passing small, hard pieces, it could be a sign that your digestion needs support.
The Bristol Stool Chart: What Type Are You?
If you're not sure how your stool stacks up, there's a helpful tool that can take the guesswork out of it: the Bristol Stool Chart. It’s a helpful visual guide used to classify stool into seven types based on form and consistency:
Type 1–2: Constipation (hard, difficult to pass)
Type 3–4: Ideal (soft, well-formed, easy to pass)
Type 5–7: Diarrhea or urgency (loose, mushy, watery)
The Bristol Stool Chart
Types 3 and 4 are what we want to aim for most days. That said, the chart doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s still important to pay attention to other details like color, volume, and how you feel after a bowel movement—because those clues matter just as much when it comes to gut health.
When Your Poop Is Telling You Something’s Off
Stool can vary from day to day depending on what you eat, how much you drink, and even stress levels—but certain patterns can be red flags that your digestion isn’t working optimally. Here are a few signs your poop may be trying to tell you something:
Hard, pellet-like stools – This is a classic sign of constipation. It usually means your stool has spent too long in the colon, drying out and breaking into small pieces. This often points to a need for more hydration and fiber.
Incomplete emptying – If you go, but still feel like something’s left behind, this could be a sign of constipation, pelvic floor dysfunction, spastic bowel, or other gut-brain imbalances. It may also be related to inadequate insoluble fiber intake, which adds bulk to your stool and makes it easier for your colon to move.
Inconsistent stool form – Alternating between hard, loose, or thin stools can suggest stress-related gut disturbances, constipation, microbiome imbalances, inconsistent fiber intake, or inflammation. While occasionally thin stools are not usually a concern, consistent narrow stools (especially pencil-thin or flat) could be a sign of a more serious cause and warrant assessment by a trained medical professional.
Foul smell – Extra smelly stools (like rotten eggs or manure) can signal gut imbalances, infection, or poor absorption of nutrients.
Floating or oily stool – May indicate poor fat absorption or a diet that is too high in fat.
Sticky or hard-to-wipe stool (like the consistency of toothpaste) – Can mean you're not digesting food properly.
Colour changes – Black, red, yellow, pale, or green stools could indicate issues with bile, bleeding, or food intolerances.
If you notice ongoing changes in your stool that concern you—especially bleeding, changes in color, shape, or frequency—it’s always a good idea to check in with your doctor to rule out any underlying issues. (It’s not just hemorrhoids that cause bleeding!)
How to Improve Stool Quality Naturally
The good news? Your poop is something you can influence—often with a few simple shifts in your daily habits. If you want brag-worthy morning poops, here’s how to start supporting better digestion, naturally.
Hydrate well – Water helps keep stool soft and moving.
Eat enough fiber – Include both soluble and insoluble fibers from whole foods. Soluble fiber keeps your stool soft and easy-to-pass, while insoluble fiber adds bulk and speeds up transit time.
Add prebiotic foods – Garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, bananas, and oats help feed good gut bacteria.
Add fermented foods – Sauerkraut, kimchi, cultured yogurt, kefir, and other fermented vegetables add beneficial bacteria that help keep the gut healthy.
Aim for a diverse diet – More plant variety = a more resilient microbiome.
Limit processed foods and added sugar – These can feed unhelpful bacteria and slow digestion.
Moderate animal fats – Too much can lead to slow digestion, inflammation, and microbiome imbalances.
Final Thoughts
Poop might not be dinner table conversation—but it should definitely be something you pay attention to. Keeping track of how often you go, what your stool looks like, and how you feel can give you powerful insights into your gut health.
And if you’re not in the habit of looking in the toilet bowl, it might be time to start. Your stool can offer valuable clues about what’s happening inside your body—and if you’re not checking, you could be missing important messages from your gut.
If something feels off or you’re not seeing progress, it may be time to work with a gut health coach who can help you understand your symptoms and create a plan that actually works.
Because let’s face it—when you’re pooping well, you feel well. And you deserve that.
