Feeling sick often means losing your appetite, but the right foods can make all the difference. Choosing the best things to eat when sick helps your body fight infection, restore energy, and recover faster.
We’ll walk you through the best foods to eat when sick, along with easy recovery foods and immune-boosting meals to support your healing naturally.
What Are the Best Things to Eat When Sick?
The short answer is: nutrient-dense, easy-to-digest foods that support your immune system. The best things to eat when sick include chicken soup, ginger tea, citrus fruits, bananas, oatmeal, garlic, yogurt, honey, eggs, and plenty of hydrating liquids.
However, not all foods are created equal when you’re sick. While sugary comfort foods might be tempting, they can actually suppress immune function. Understanding which recovery foods support healing and which ones hinder it makes all the difference in how quickly you bounce back.
12 Best Things to Eat When Sick
1. Chicken Soup: The Ultimate Recovery Food
Chicken soup tops the list of best things to eat when sick, and science backs this up. This classic remedy delivers multiple benefits in one bowl:
- The warm broth keeps you hydrated and helps loosen congestion
- Protein from chicken supports immune cell production and tissue repair
- Vegetables provide vitamins A and C that support for immune function
- Steam helps clear nasal passages
Research shows that chicken soup has mild anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce upper respiratory symptoms. To maximize benefits, add garlic for antimicrobial properties and ginger for anti-inflammatory effects.
2. Ginger Tea: Natural Nausea Relief
Ginger is one of the most versatile foods to eat when sick. The compounds gingerol and shogaol provide therapeutic properties:
- Reduces nausea and settles upset stomachs
- Fights inflammation throughout the body
- May help lower fever
- Supports immune function with antioxidants
Make ginger tea by steeping fresh ginger slices in hot water for 10 minutes. Add honey for antimicrobial benefits and lemon for vitamin C.
3. Citrus Fruits: Vitamin C Powerhouses
Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes are essential recovery foods packed with vitamin C. While vitamin C won’t prevent colds, research suggests it may reduce symptom duration and severity.
These fruits also provide hydration and natural sugars for quick energy. If whole fruits seem too acidic, try diluted fresh-squeezed juice or add lemon slices to tea.
4. Bananas: Easy on Your Stomach
Bananas rank among the best things to eat when sick because they’re bland, easy to digest, and surprisingly nutritious.
Benefits include:
- High in potassium (important if you’ve had vomiting or diarrhea)
- Gentle on upset stomachs
- Provide quick energy from natural sugars
- Part of the BRAT diet for digestive issues
5. Oatmeal: Comforting and Immune-Supporting
Warm oatmeal is an excellent choice among foods to eat when sick. It’s easy to digest and provides steady energy through complex carbohydrates. Oatmeal contains beta-glucan, a fiber that research suggests may support immune function.
Top your oatmeal with honey, bananas, or berries for added benefits. Keep it plain if your stomach is sensitive.
6. Garlic: Nature’s Antimicrobial
Garlic contains allicin, a compound with antimicrobial and immune-boosting properties. Studies suggest regular garlic consumption may reduce cold frequency and duration.
Add crushed garlic to soups and broths. Let it sit for 10 minutes before cooking to maximize beneficial compounds.
7. Yogurt: Probiotic Power
Yogurt with live cultures is one of the best things to eat when sick, especially if you’re taking antibiotics. Probiotics support gut health and immune function, since 70% of your immune system resides in your digestive tract.
Choose plain yogurt without added sugars. Greek yogurt provides additional protein for tissue repair.
8. Honey: Sweet Medicine
Honey is more than a sweetener, it’s one of the most effective recovery foods. Research shows honey has antimicrobial properties, soothes sore throats, and may suppress coughs as effectively as some over-the-counter medications.
Use raw, unprocessed honey for maximum benefits. Important: Never give honey to infants under one year old.
9. Eggs: Complete Protein Source
Eggs are easy to prepare, gentle on the stomach, and loaded with high-quality protein. They contain selenium and vitamin D, both important for immune function.
The protein helps maintain muscle mass when you’re not eating much. Prepare them scrambled, poached, or soft-boiled.
10. Leafy Greens: Nutrient-Dense Recovery Foods
When you can tolerate them, spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are powerful immune boosting meals. They’re packed with vitamins A, C, E, and K, plus iron and calcium.
If raw greens seem too heavy, add them to soup where they’ll wilt and become easier to digest. The vitamin A in leafy greens helps maintain healthy mucous membranes, your first defense against pathogens.
11. Bone Broth: Healing Liquid Gold
Bone broth is one of the most nutrient-dense foods to eat when sick. It contains amino acids like glycine and arginine that have anti-inflammatory properties. The collagen supports gut health, which is critical for immune function.
Sip bone broth throughout the day for hydration and easy-to-absorb nutrients.
12. Berries: Antioxidant-Rich Recovery Foods
Blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are packed with antioxidants that support immune function. They’re easy to eat, gentle on the stomach, and can be added to yogurt or oatmeal.
Berries provide vitamin C and natural compounds that may help reduce inflammation.
Why Do the Best Things to Eat When Sick Matter?
What you eat during illness directly impacts how quickly and effectively your body recovers. When you’re fighting an infection, your body goes into overdrive. Your metabolism increases, inflammation rises, and your immune cells multiply rapidly. This process demands extra calories, specific vitamins and minerals, and adequate hydration.
When you choose proper foods to eat when sick, you’re providing your body with the building blocks it needs for immune cell production, tissue repair, and inflammation management. The right immune boosting meals also help maintain strength when your appetite disappears and keep you hydrated when fever and congestion threaten dehydration.
Foods to Avoid When Sick
While knowing the best things to eat when sick is important, it’s equally crucial to know what to avoid:
- Sugary foods and drinks – Sugar can temporarily suppress immune function
- Alcohol – Dehydrates you and weakens immune response
- Excessive caffeine – Can worsen dehydration
- Greasy, fried foods – Difficult to digest and can upset sensitive stomachs
- Processed foods – Lack nutrients your body needs for recovery
Hydration: The Foundation of Recovery
Adequate hydration is essential when discussing the best things to eat when sick. Dehydration worsens symptoms and slows recovery. Water, herbal teas, broths, and diluted fruit juices all support healing.
Signs of dehydration include:
- Dark urine
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Decreased urination
Aim to drink fluids regularly throughout the day. If plain water is unappealing, try adding cucumber, mint, or fruit slices for flavor. In severe cases where you cannot keep liquids down, IV fluids for severe dehydration may be necessary to restore hydration quickly.
Additional Immune Boosting Meals to Consider
Beyond the top 12, these recovery foods also support healing:
- Turmeric – Contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory compound. Add to soups or make golden milk.
- Green tea – Provides antioxidants called catechins that support immune function while keeping you hydrated.
- Sweet potatoes – Easy to digest and packed with vitamin A for immune health.
- Coconut water – Natural electrolytes for hydration without added sugars.
- Salmon – Rich in omega-3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation (if you can tolerate it).
When to Seek Medical Care
While the best things to eat when sick support recovery, food doesn’t replace medical treatment. Seek professional care if you experience:
- High fever (over 103°F/39.4°C) that won’t break
- Severe dehydration (unable to keep liquids down)
- Symptoms lasting more than 7-10 days
- Difficulty breathing or chest pain
- Rapidly worsening symptoms
- Severe or persistent vomiting/diarrhea
Key Takeaway
The best foods to eat when you’re sick are simple, nourishing options that keep you hydrated and help your body heal. Focus on easy-to-digest, nutrient-rich choices like chicken soup, ginger tea, citrus fruits, bananas, oatmeal, garlic, yogurt, and plenty of fluids. These recovery foods and immune-boosting meals supply your body with the energy and nutrients it needs to recover without putting added stress on your digestive system.
However, if your symptoms become severe, persistent, or are accompanied by a high fever, dehydration, or difficulty breathing, it’s important to seek professional medical care. While good nutrition aids healing, expert emergency care means no complication goes unnoticed.
