4 Best Foods To Eat When You Have The Flu

If you’re coming down with the flu or caring for someone suffering from it, then you’ll know how uncomfortable the whole ordeal is. This post from the CDC explains that the flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses and can lead to fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, and a runny nose. Since patients may also suffer from diarrhea and vomiting, drinking lots of water and getting plenty of rest is essential. Finally, people with the flu need to make diet adjustments that allow them to consume more nutrients and recover faster.

This is easier said than done: it can be challenging to pick foods that have the nutrients needed to recover from the flu. If you’re curious about where to start, here are some suggestions that may help.

Rice dishes

If someone with the flu is suffering from a bad stomach, it may be beneficial to eat bland foods since they’re easier to digest. Rice is excellent for this since it’s rich in starch and contains less fiber, helping promote better digestion.

It’s not a hard food to cook, either. This article from We Know Rice explains that you can conveniently prepare it with a rice cooker, making it easier for those who are sick or caring for someone who is. The Aroma MI Cool Touch Mini Rice Cooker is particularly useful since it has a one-touch operation feature that lets you cook various meals with the push of a button. If you want to add flavor, you can use broth or soup to make porridge or congee, which is tastier but still easy to digest.

Fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C

You’re probably familiar with people consuming vitamin C when they contract the flu. That’s because the flu often disrupts the body’s normal immune response to bacterial infection. Medical News Today explains here that vitamin C boosts the immune system, making it a necessary nutrient to consume when sick.

Some great sources of vitamin C include fruits like kiwi, strawberries, oranges, grapefruit, and tomatoes, as well as green peas, spinach, and other leafy green vegetables. If you or the person you’re caring for is too tired to eat, you can blend some vitamin C-rich foods up and make a smoothie. Otherwise, you can whip up many tasty yet nourishing salads that you can top off with vitamin-C-rich citrus dressings.

Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt is excellent for those with the flu for several reasons. It’s rich in probiotics, making it ideal for boosting immunity and addressing gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. Compared to regular yogurt, it has less lactose, helping the body digest it more easily. It’s also twice as rich in protein, which our post explains delivers amino acids to repair the muscles and organs. Beyond this, protein is essential for building antibodies that combat infections like the flu.

Top Greek yogurt with vitamin C-rich fruits or honey, a great remedy for sore throat. This lets you or your patient consume a light meal packed with the necessary nutrients to relieve flu symptoms.

Oatmeal

Another bland and easily digestible food is oatmeal. It contains immunity-boosting vitamins like protein, copper, iron, zinc, and selenium, but you should ensure you’re using varieties that don’t contain added sugar or flavoring.

Like Greek yogurt, you can load your oatmeal with powerhouse foods full of nutrients. You can add fruits rich in vitamin C or bananas, which contain more vitamins like potassium. If you want to boost your protein intake, you can also add cottage cheese or almond butter. These ingredients can also add flavor without being too hard on the stomach.

Getting the flu is never pleasant. Fortunately, you can promote quicker recovery with healthy and enjoyable meals made from these four foods.

Exclusively written for https://lifestyle.org/ by Ameila Conner