Is it good to eat crackers when you have a cold?

November 9, 2025 •

4 min read

While often recommended as a sick-day staple, whether it's good to eat crackers when you have a cold depends heavily on your specific symptoms. For nausea and an upset stomach, bland saltine crackers can be beneficial, but their hard, crunchy texture can significantly irritate a sore throat. Understanding the context of your symptoms is key to making the right choice for your recovery.

Quick Summary

Crackers can be helpful for nausea and an upset stomach during a cold due to their bland, easily digestible starch. However, the crunchy texture can irritate a sore throat, so softer foods are better. Selecting the right type of cracker and eating method is essential for symptom management.

Key Points

Crackers can help nausea: Bland, simple crackers like saltines are often recommended for nausea and upset stomachs due to their easy-to-digest starches.
Avoid with a sore throat: The hard, crunchy texture of crackers can irritate an already inflamed throat, causing more pain and discomfort.
Salt helps with hydration: Lightly salted crackers can help replenish electrolytes like sodium, which are often lost with a fever or sweating.
Better nutritional alternatives exist: For overall recovery, nutrient-dense foods like chicken soup, smoothies, and oatmeal are more beneficial than crackers.
Not a substitute for nutrients: While helpful for a specific symptom, crackers lack the vitamins and minerals necessary to effectively fight the infection.
Listen to your body: The best approach is to assess your primary symptoms and choose foods accordingly—bland for nausea, soft for a sore throat.

The Double-Edged Cracker: Good for Nausea, Bad for Sore Throats

For generations, crackers have been a go-to food when feeling under the weather, but the truth is more nuanced. The effectiveness of eating crackers largely depends on your dominant cold symptom. While plain, lightly salted crackers are a staple for an upset stomach or nausea, their hard edges can be counterproductive for other common cold issues, particularly a sore throat.

Crackers for Nausea and Upset Stomach

If your cold comes with an upset stomach or persistent nausea, bland saltine crackers are often a beneficial choice. Here’s why they can help:

Easy to Digest: Crackers are high in simple starches, making them gentle on a sensitive digestive system. This is especially useful when your appetite is low and heavier foods are unappealing.
Absorbs Stomach Acid: The starch in crackers can help absorb excess stomach acid, which can soothe nausea and an uneasy feeling.
Replaces Electrolytes: Lightly salted varieties, like saltines, can help replenish sodium, a vital electrolyte that can be depleted from a fever, sweating, or vomiting.
Odorless and Bland: The lack of strong flavors or odors in plain crackers helps prevent triggering nausea, which can be sensitive to smells.

The Problem with Crackers and Sore Throats

When dealing with a sore throat, eating crackers is generally a bad idea. The hard, scratchy, and sometimes sharp edges of crackers can irritate an already inflamed and sensitive throat lining. This can cause further pain and delay healing. In this scenario, soft, soothing foods are a much better option.

Symptoms and Cracker Choices

Choosing the right food when sick is about listening to your body. Here is a comparison to help you decide when to reach for crackers or opt for an alternative.


Symptom	Is it good to eat crackers when you have a cold?	Better Food Alternatives
Nausea / Upset Stomach	YES, plain and salted varieties (like saltines) are ideal for settling your stomach.	Toast, plain rice, bananas, ginger tea.
Sore Throat	NO, the hard, dry texture will likely cause more pain and irritation.	Warm broth, oatmeal, yogurt, ice cream, soft fruits.
Congestion / Sinus Pressure	MAYBE, depending on other symptoms. Crackers don't directly help with congestion.	Hot soup or spicy foods can help thin mucus. Hydrating teas.
Loss of Appetite	YES, their mild flavor and light texture make them an easy way to get some calories.	Chicken soup, smoothies, herbal teas with honey.

Important Considerations and Healthy Swaps

While plain crackers can be a temporary solution for nausea, they are not a nutritional powerhouse. Relying on them exclusively won't give your body the vitamins and minerals it needs to fight the infection effectively. A cold is your body's signal that it needs nutrient-dense fuel to recover.

Healthy Swaps for Cold Recovery

For a nutrient boost: Instead of plain crackers, opt for a small bowl of chicken noodle soup or broth. The warm liquid is hydrating, the protein in chicken helps recovery, and the steam can help clear stuffy sinuses.
For soft, anti-inflammatory options: If a sore throat is your main concern, creamy oatmeal, scrambled eggs, or a fruit smoothie are better choices. These are easy to swallow and can provide much-needed nutrients without irritation.
To stay hydrated: Hydration is crucial for fighting a cold. Alongside water, sip on hot herbal tea with honey to soothe your throat and provide antioxidants.

The Bottom Line on Crackers and Colds

In summary, whether to eat crackers when you have a cold is not a one-size-fits-all answer. For a queasy stomach, they are a practical and gentle option. However, their hard, crunchy nature makes them a poor choice if you have a sore throat. For overall cold recovery, focusing on nutrient-rich foods and staying hydrated is the most effective strategy. If you find yourself gravitating towards crackers, consider pairing them with a warm, soothing broth to get the best of both worlds—stomach-settling starch and hydrating liquid.

Conclusion: Listen to Your Symptoms

For a cold accompanied by nausea, bland crackers like saltines can be a comfort food that provides easy-to-digest starches and replaces sodium. However, if your cold symptoms include a sore or scratchy throat, it is best to avoid hard, crunchy foods like crackers to prevent further irritation and discomfort. A balanced approach is to use soft, nutrient-dense foods for nourishment while opting for crackers only when needed to manage stomach upset. Always prioritize hydration and a varied intake of immune-supporting foods to help your body heal efficiently. For additional guidance, a great resource on boosting your immune system can be found at Healthline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, saltine crackers can be good for a cold if you are experiencing nausea or an upset stomach. They are bland, easy to digest, and the salt can help replenish lost electrolytes.

Yes, crackers can make a sore throat worse. Their hard and crunchy texture can be abrasive and further irritate the sensitive, inflamed tissue of your throat.

Soup is generally better for a cold than crackers, as it provides hydrating fluids, warmth to soothe a sore throat, and a more balanced set of nutrients. Crackers are best reserved for managing nausea.

Crackers help with nausea because their bland, starchy nature absorbs excess stomach acid and they have a mild, inoffensive taste and smell. This combination is gentle on a sensitive stomach.

Good alternatives include soft, bland foods like toast, bananas, rice, and applesauce. For sore throats, warm broth, oatmeal, or yogurt are excellent choices.

During the initial, most symptomatic phase of a cold, it may be better to stick with simple, refined crackers like saltines, especially if your stomach is upset. The higher fiber content in whole-wheat crackers can sometimes be harder to digest.

Crackers can help indirectly if you have a fever. The salt in lightly salted crackers can help replace sodium lost through sweating. However, drinking plenty of fluids is a more important focus for managing a fever.