Best and Worst Foods To Eat When You're Sick (2023)

FAQs

Best and Worst Foods To Eat When You're Sick? ›

Best foods: The BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. Also oatmeal, boiled potatoes, saltine crackers, and baked chicken or turkey without skin are safe bets. Worst foods: Sugarless candy and gum containing sorbitol or other artificial sweeteners, which aren't digestible and can trigger diarrhea.

Try pretzels, dry cereal, toast or plain crackers like saltines. Cold foods & foods with little odor. Because smells can trigger nausea (especially in pregnancy), cold foods might be a good choice. Try Jell-O, ice cream, frozen fruit, yogurt or popsicles.

Worst foods: Avoid hard, scratchy foods such as potato chips, nuts, and granola. The acidic juices from many fruits and vegetables, as well as orange juice, grape juice, and lemonade, can also irritate a sore throat.

And here's a more important solution: It's always important to eat well — especially when you're sick. Not eating when you're sick can inhibit your body's ability to heal itself. While you might crave junk foods while you're sick, they won't help your body heal either.

Gatorade, because of its electrolyte content, helps to restore the lost electrolytes and keep a person hydrated, during intense activity. It can also replace electrolytes, during times of illness, such as stomach viruses.

Answer: Oftentimes when we get a cold or the flu, we lose our appetites, and that's very, very common. It's not important to force feed yourself in order to keep up with the cold. However, it is important to stay hydrated.

They can carry harmful germs that can make you very sick if the food is contaminated. Raw foods of animal origin are the most likely to be contaminated, specifically raw or undercooked meat and poultry, raw or lightly cooked eggs, unpasteurized (raw) milk, and raw shellfish.

“'Feed a cold, starve a fever' has been debunked,” says Rebecca Schilling, RDN, a dietitian with Dietitians Delivered. “The most current science suggests that during acute illness, such as cold or fever, nutrient needs increase. Eating and drinking is recommended over fasting.”

What kills viruses naturally? ›

Salmon. Salmon is one of the best protein sources to eat when you're sick. It's soft, easy to eat, and full of the high quality protein your body needs for recovery ( 52 ).

Avoid foods (e.g. snacks) that are high in salt and sugar. Limit your intake of soft drinks or sodas and other drinks that are high in sugar (e.g. fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates and syrups, flavoured milks and yogurt drinks). Choose fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate.

Nuts. A lack of protein can make nausea feel even worse, so look to protein-packed foods, such as nuts — even peanut butter, as long as you're not allergic — that are easy to digest. They'll quickly replenish your depleted energy and help keep your nausea at bay.

Kale, broccoli, cranberries, green tea, red onions, blueberries: What do these have in common? All have an antioxidant called quercetin that may help you fight the common cold.

The acid can irritate a sore or inflamed throat. Many store-bought orange juices are also high in sugar, which is not recommended for treating cold symptoms. Stick with water and clear liquids, such as broth, instead.

Try clear fluids such as water, broth or sports drinks. Use a squeeze bottle or a straw if you're too weak to drink from a cup. Try sucking on ice chips or ice pops.

It's a myth!

Because oranges are rich in vitamin C, we believe – falsely – that eating them can help cure a cold. Let us be clear: after the onset of cold symptoms, eating oranges or drinking orange juice is not an effective treatment.

When you are seriously ill, your body may not be able to use food to build itself up. Because the body recognises that it can no longer use as much food as before, your appetite becomes smaller. You may find that the amount you eat or drink changes from day to day.

How long does a cold last? ›

In adults and older children, they usually last about 7 to 10 days, but can last longer. A cough in particular can last for two or three weeks. Colds tend to last longer in younger children who are under five, typically lasting around 10 to 14 days.

This makes the runny or stuffy nose. Hence, a person who is already suffering from cough and cold should avoid foods that are rich in histamines. Some foods to avoid are avocados, mushrooms, strawberries, dry fruits, alcohol, yogurt, vinegar and fermented foods.

“Oatmeal is easy, and usually gentle on the stomach,” she says. She also suggests trying toast with egg whites, drinking bone broth, or having a smoothie, if you think you can tolerate it. “Keep it simple and don't force it if you feel like you cannot even look at food,” Cording says.

Norovirus is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis. Symptoms usually begin 12 to 48 hours after you come into contact with the virus and last 1 to 3 days. rotavirus. Symptoms usually begin about 2 days after you come into contact with the virus and last for 3 to 8 days.

There's no way to cure a cold—or sweat it out. Breathing in warm, moist air can help alleviate cold symptoms, like congestion. Light exercise can increase blood flow, which also might help with congestion. However, there's no quick fix.

White bread

White bread is soft, low in fiber, and not spicy. It doesn't typically cause stomach upset, even when people are sick. Plus, it contains carbohydrates — a good source of energy.

Eating pizza while sick isn't a good idea in most cases. It might be all right as comfort food if you're just feeling a little under the weather, but the ingredients all impact your body in detrimental ways. Most notably, they cause inflammation, which can overtax your immune system and slow down your recovery rate.

Steer clear of fast food when you're sick or fighting off a cold. Refined sugars and artificial sweeteners cause inflammation within the body, so do your best to avoid highly processed foods with added sugar in them.

What should I eat when I have a cold and flu? ›

When sick, you might be tempted to reach for your favorite candy or junk food for comfort, even if you know they are unhealthy. But if you find yourself doing this, stop. These foods are typically loaded with immune-suppressing fats or sugars, which could actually prolong your illness instead of helping you get better.

Kale, broccoli, cranberries, green tea, red onions, blueberries: What do these have in common? All have an antioxidant called quercetin that may help you fight the common cold.

As Abramson explained, when we are sick, whether we have a fever or not, our metabolic rates skyrocket, and our bodies need more calories to support that high metabolic rate.

Most colds go away in a few days. Some things you can do to take care of yourself with a cold include: Get plenty of rest and drink fluids. Over-the-counter (OTC) cold and cough medicines may help ease symptoms in adults and older children.

The common cold is an infection of your nose, sinuses, throat and windpipe. Colds spread easily, especially within homes, classrooms and workplaces. More than 200 different viruses can cause colds. There's no cure for a common cold, but it usually goes away within a week to 10 days.

Research shows that the immune system follows a circadian rhythm and that the cells involved in healing and inflammation tend to rev up in the evening. Some evidence suggests that more white blood cells (WBCs) are sent to your tissues to fight off infection during the night compared to the day.

"Sports beverages may be fine for healthy persons following intensive exercise, but they are not recommended for those with fever, diarrhea or vomiting.

“Oatmeal is easy, and usually gentle on the stomach,” she says. She also suggests trying toast with egg whites, drinking bone broth, or having a smoothie, if you think you can tolerate it. “Keep it simple and don't force it if you feel like you cannot even look at food,” Cording says.

What should you avoid when you have a cold? ›

Avoid salty foods, alcohol, coffee and sugary drinks, which can be dehydrating. Ice chips are another simple way to stay hydrated and calm a scratchy throat. Gargle with salt water. A saltwater gargle with about 1 teaspoon of salt per cup of warm water can help reduce the pain and swelling of a sore throat.