What's Best to Eat When Feeling Sick?

November 26, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, a nutritious diet plays a critical role in supporting the immune system and speeding up recovery from illness. But when you're under the weather, knowing what's best to eat when feeling sick can be a challenge. Bland, easy-to-digest foods are often the most comforting and beneficial for your body during this time.

Quick Summary

This guide provides expert-backed food and drink recommendations for common illness symptoms like nausea, sore throat, and congestion. It details key nutrients for recovery, suggests hydrating fluids, and outlines foods to avoid, helping you make the right dietary choices to support healing.

Key Points

Hydrate Constantly: Drink plenty of fluids like water, herbal teas, and broths to combat dehydration from fever, sweating, and other symptoms.
Soothe Your Stomach with Bland Foods: For nausea or upset stomach, stick to the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) and add ginger to help settle your gut.
Embrace Warmth for Sore Throats: Honey and warm herbal teas can coat and soothe a scratchy throat, while soft, smooth foods like yogurt are gentle to swallow.
Clear Congestion with Heat and Spice: The warmth from soups and teas helps loosen mucus, and compounds in garlic, ginger, and spicy foods offer anti-inflammatory and decongestant benefits.
Avoid Sugary, Greasy, and Processed Foods: These can increase inflammation, suppress immune function, and require more digestive effort, hindering your recovery.
Prioritize Easy-to-Digest Nutrients: When your appetite is low, focus on foods that provide essential vitamins and minerals without taxing your digestive system, such as lean proteins and avocados.
Listen to Your Body: If you lack appetite, prioritize hydration. When you do eat, start with small, frequent, and simple meals to see what you can tolerate.
Stay Clear of Dehydrating Drinks: Avoid alcohol and excessive caffeine, as they can worsen dehydration and interfere with the crucial rest your body needs to heal.

Hydration is Key: Drink Your Way to Recovery

When you're sick, staying hydrated is a top priority, as dehydration can occur from fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. Warm, soothing liquids are often best as they can help reduce inflammation and loosen mucus.

Recommended Fluids

Water: The simplest and most effective way to stay hydrated. Sip it slowly throughout the day.
Herbal Teas: Chamomile, ginger, and peppermint teas are naturally soothing and can help with congestion and nausea. Adding a little honey can also help a sore throat.
Broths and Soups: A classic for a reason, chicken soup and bone broth provide fluids, electrolytes, and nutrients that are easy for your body to process.
Coconut Water: Rich in electrolytes like potassium, it's an excellent way to replenish lost minerals after sweating or vomiting.
Oral Rehydration Solutions: Over-the-counter electrolyte drinks can be especially helpful for severe dehydration but should be chosen carefully due to high sugar content.

Soothing Remedies for Specific Symptoms

Different ailments call for different dietary approaches. By tailoring your food choices to your symptoms, you can maximize comfort and recovery.

For Nausea and Upset Stomach

If you're dealing with nausea, the goal is to eat bland, easily digestible foods that won't overwhelm your digestive system.

The BRAT Diet: A classic recommendation consisting of Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. These foods are low in fiber and can help firm up your stool if you have diarrhea.
Ginger: Known for its anti-nausea properties, ginger can be consumed as a tea, in real ginger ale, or as ginger chews.
Crackers and Dry Cereal: Plain carbohydrates like saltine crackers or dry toast can help absorb stomach acids and settle your stomach.

For Sore Throat and Cough

Soft, gentle foods that don't irritate your throat are ideal when swallowing is painful.

Honey: A spoonful of honey or mixed with warm tea can coat and soothe a sore throat. It also has antimicrobial properties.
Yogurt and Smoothies: These are soft, cool, and easy to swallow. Probiotic-rich yogurt can also aid in gut health, which supports the immune system.
Mashed Potatoes and Oatmeal: Creamy textures are gentle on the throat while providing nourishing carbs and calories.

For Congestion

Certain foods can help loosen mucus and provide anti-inflammatory benefits to clear up stuffy sinuses.

Spicy Foods: Foods containing capsaicin, like chili peppers, can help thin mucus and provide temporary relief.
Garlic and Onion: These contain compounds with anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties that can boost immune function.
Pineapple: Contains bromelain, an enzyme with anti-inflammatory effects that may help reduce sinus swelling.

Comparison Table: Best Foods by Symptom


Symptom	Best Food Choices	What They Do
Nausea	Bananas, rice, applesauce, toast (BRAT diet), ginger, plain crackers	Mild on the stomach, absorbs stomach acid, contains natural anti-nausea properties.
Sore Throat	Honey, yogurt, herbal tea, mashed potatoes, oatmeal	Soothes irritation, antimicrobial effects, provides gentle, soft texture.
Congestion	Hot broth, garlic, ginger, spicy foods, pineapple	Thins mucus, anti-inflammatory, antiviral properties, clears sinuses.
Fever/Dehydration	Water, broths, coconut water, water-rich fruits	Replenishes fluids and electrolytes lost through sweating, helps regulate body temperature.
Fatigue	Lean protein (chicken, fish), oats, avocados	Provides essential building blocks for recovery, sustained energy, healthy fats.

What to Avoid When You're Sick

Just as important as what you should eat is what you shouldn't. Avoiding certain foods can prevent exacerbating symptoms and conserve your body's energy for healing.

Greasy and Fried Foods: These are difficult for your body to digest and can worsen stomach upset.
Sugary Foods and Drinks: While they offer a temporary energy boost, high sugar intake can suppress the immune system and cause inflammation.
Alcohol and Caffeine: Both are diuretics that can cause dehydration, and alcohol can also interfere with your immune system.
Processed Foods: Often low in nutrients and high in unhealthy fats and preservatives, they provide little support for a recovering body.

Conclusion: Fuel Your Body's Healing Process

Choosing the right foods and fluids when you're sick is a simple yet powerful way to support your body's natural recovery process. Staying hydrated is paramount, and tailoring your diet to address specific symptoms can provide targeted relief. By focusing on nutrient-dense, easily digestible options and avoiding inflammatory triggers, you can help your immune system work more effectively. Remember to listen to your body; if your appetite is low, start with small, frequent meals or liquid nourishment like broth or a smoothie. For severe or prolonged illness, always consult a healthcare professional. Your kitchen can be a powerful ally in helping you feel better, faster. For more information on illness recovery nutrition, you can consult reliable sources like the Healthline article: The 15 Best Foods to Eat When You're Sick.

Frequently Asked Questions

Staying hydrated is crucial because illness, especially with fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, can lead to significant fluid loss. Replacing these fluids with water, broths, or electrolyte drinks helps your body regulate its temperature, transport nutrients, and flush out toxins, all vital for recovery.

While dairy doesn't increase mucus production for everyone, some people with colds or congestion find it can temporarily thicken existing mucus and worsen symptoms. It's best to listen to your body; if dairy makes you feel worse, try a lactose-free alternative like almond or oat milk.

The BRAT diet, which stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast, is a time-tested remedy for stomach bugs. These foods are bland, low in fiber, and easy on a sensitive digestive system. The diet can help firm up your stool and is a good starting point when recovering from an upset stomach.

Yes, chicken soup is beneficial for several reasons. The warm broth helps relieve congestion by thinning mucus, and it provides electrolytes for hydration. The chicken also contains cysteine, an amino acid with antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. It's also a comforting, easy-to-digest source of nutrition.

When you have a sore throat, avoid hard, crunchy, or scratchy foods like chips, nuts, or coarse toast, which can further irritate the throat. Also, limit acidic or very spicy foods that can cause inflammation and discomfort. Stick to soft, gentle foods and warm liquids instead.

Yes, spicy foods containing capsaicin, like chili peppers, can help temporarily clear nasal passages. The 'heat' helps thin mucus and acts as a natural decongestant, but this should be avoided if you also have an upset stomach, as it can be irritating.

Excess sugar can suppress your immune system and increase inflammation, which can slow down your body's healing process. Sugary foods and drinks also offer little nutritional value and can leave you feeling more fatigued.