The best foods to eat when you’re sick depend on your symptoms, but a few staples work across the board: broth-based soups, honey, ginger, berries, and simple bland foods when your stomach is upset. Each one targets a different part of feeling miserable, from sore throats to nausea to dehydration. Here’s what actually helps and why.
Chicken Soup Really Does Work
Your grandmother was right. A study published in the journal Chest found that chicken soup has genuine anti-inflammatory properties. Specifically, it slows the movement of certain white blood cells called neutrophils, which are partly responsible for the congestion, achiness, and swelling you feel during a cold or flu. This isn’t just about warmth or comfort. The combination of broth, vegetables, and chicken creates a mix of compounds that actively reduces upper respiratory symptoms.
Beyond the anti-inflammatory effect, soup delivers three things your body needs at once: fluid, sodium, and calories. The hot steam also loosens nasal congestion. If you don’t have chicken soup on hand, any broth-based soup with vegetables will cover the hydration and nutrition basics. Save the creamy, heavy soups for when you’re feeling better.
Honey for Coughs and Sore Throats
Honey is one of the most effective things you can take for a nighttime cough. In a randomized controlled trial of 108 children with upper respiratory infections, a single dose of buckwheat honey before bed reduced cough frequency more than both no treatment and dextromethorphan, the active ingredient in most over-the-counter cough syrups. The standard cough suppressant performed no better than doing nothing at all.
A half teaspoon to two teaspoons (depending on age) coats the throat and calms irritation. You can stir it into warm water or herbal tea for an added soothing effect. One important note: never give honey to children under 12 months old due to the risk of botulism.
Ginger for Nausea
If your illness comes with nausea or vomiting, ginger is your best food-based remedy. The active compounds in ginger, called gingerols and shogaols, work by blocking serotonin receptors in the gut that trigger the vomiting reflex. Most of the body’s serotonin is actually produced in intestinal cells, and when those cells are irritated by illness, they release serotonin that activates nausea signals. Ginger interrupts that chain.
Fresh ginger sliced into hot water makes a simple tea. You can also use ginger chews or ginger ale that contains real ginger (check the ingredients, as many brands use only flavoring). Even small amounts can make a noticeable difference when your stomach won’t settle.
Berries and Dark Fruits for Immune Support
Deeply colored berries are packed with anthocyanins, the pigments that give them their red, blue, and purple hues. These compounds have both antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. Lab studies have shown that certain anthocyanins can block viruses from binding to host cells and suppress the kind of overactive inflammatory response that makes you feel terrible during an infection.
The fruits with the highest anthocyanin concentrations per serving are bilberries (up to 1,000 mg per 100 grams), elderberries (up to 924 mg), chokeberries (up to 690 mg), and blackcurrants (up to 626 mg). More commonly available options like blackberries (up to 180 mg) and raspberries (up to 130 mg) still deliver meaningful amounts. Fresh, frozen, or blended into a smoothie all work. Elderberry syrup has become a popular supplement for this reason.
What to Eat With an Upset Stomach
The classic BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) is fine for a day or two when you’re dealing with stomach flu, food poisoning, or diarrhea, but there’s no reason to limit yourself to just those four foods. Brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and unsweetened dry cereals are equally easy to digest.
Once your stomach starts to settle, typically after 24 to 48 hours, you should move toward more nutritious options. Cooked squash, carrots, sweet potatoes without the skin, avocado, skinless chicken or turkey, fish, and eggs are all bland enough to be gentle on your stomach while providing the protein and nutrients your body needs to recover. Staying on the BRAT diet too long can actually slow recovery by depriving you of essential nutrition.
Staying Hydrated Matters More Than Eating
When you’re sick, hydration often matters more than food. Fever, sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea all drain fluid and electrolytes fast. Plain water helps, but it doesn’t replace the sodium and potassium you’re losing. The World Health Organization’s oral rehydration formula uses a 1:1 ratio of sodium to glucose because the gut absorbs water most efficiently when both are present together.
You don’t need to mix your own solution. Commercial rehydration drinks available at any pharmacy or grocery store work well, even though they use a slightly different ratio. Coconut water, diluted fruit juice with a pinch of salt, and broth are also solid options. The goal is small, frequent sips rather than gulping large amounts, especially if nausea is a factor.
Zinc Can Shorten a Cold
If you’re dealing with a common cold specifically, zinc lozenges may cut its duration by a few days. A systematic review found that doses above 75 mg of elemental zinc per day consistently shortened colds, while lower doses showed no benefit. The effective range in trials was roughly 80 to 92 mg per day, spread across multiple lozenges taken every two hours while awake.
Zinc acetate lozenges had the strongest evidence. The key is starting early, ideally within 24 hours of your first symptoms. Zinc works locally in the throat, which is why lozenges outperform pills or capsules. Taking zinc on an empty stomach can cause nausea, so keep a few crackers handy.
You Don’t Need to Avoid Dairy
A persistent myth says milk and dairy increase mucus production when you’re congested. It’s not true. Research going back decades, including studies reviewed by the Mayo Clinic, confirms that drinking milk does not cause the body to produce more phlegm. What happens is simpler: milk and saliva mix to create a slightly thick coating in the mouth and throat that feels like mucus but isn’t. That sensation fades quickly and has no effect on your actual congestion.
Studies in children with asthma, a group that commonly avoids dairy during flare-ups, found no difference in symptoms between those drinking cow’s milk and those drinking soy milk. If yogurt or milk sounds good to you when you’re sick, go ahead. Yogurt in particular contains beneficial bacteria that support gut health, which brings up one more useful category.
Probiotic Foods During Antibiotic Treatment
If your illness requires antibiotics, eating probiotic-rich foods can help prevent the diarrhea that antibiotics commonly cause. Antibiotics kill harmful bacteria but also wipe out beneficial gut bacteria, and replacing them during treatment makes a real difference. Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso all contain live cultures that help maintain gut balance.
The bacterial strains with the strongest evidence are Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii (a yeast related to brewer’s yeast). Supplements containing these strains at 5 to 40 billion colony-forming units per day showed the best results in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Even lower-dose preparations were effective. If you go the supplement route, take the probiotic a few hours apart from your antibiotic dose so the antibiotic doesn’t immediately kill the beneficial organisms.