When you’re fighting the flu or COVID, your body needs fluids above all else, followed by easy-to-digest foods that deliver calories and nutrients without making you feel worse. Appetite often disappears during acute illness, and that’s normal. The priority is staying hydrated, getting enough electrolytes, and eating what you can tolerate.
Fluids Come First
Fever, sweating, and rapid breathing all pull water from your body faster than usual. Dehydration can make headaches worse, thicken mucus, and leave you feeling even more exhausted. Water is the obvious starting point, but it’s not the only option, and it’s not always the best one.
Broths and soups pull double duty: they hydrate you while delivering calories and sodium. If you’re running a fever or dealing with diarrhea, that sodium matters because it helps your body actually retain the fluid you’re taking in. Electrolyte drinks serve the same purpose. For kids, something like Pedialyte is a better choice than sports drinks, which tend to have more sugar. Adults can use either, though lower-sugar versions are gentler on the stomach.
Herbal teas, especially ginger tea, can soothe nausea and warm your throat. Regular tea is fine too, but go easy on caffeine since it can be mildly dehydrating. Warm liquids in general tend to feel better on a raw throat than cold ones. Adding a squeeze of lemon to warm water gives you a small dose of vitamin C and makes plain water more appealing when nothing sounds good.
Fruit juice is tempting because it tastes good when you can’t eat much, but it’s high in sugar and can worsen diarrhea. A splash of juice in a glass of water is a better approach: you get the flavor without the sugar load.
Best Foods When You Have No Appetite
You don’t need to force full meals. Small amounts of nutrient-dense food throughout the day work better than trying to eat a plate of food your stomach isn’t ready for. The goal is to give your immune system fuel without asking your digestive system to do heavy lifting.
Chicken soup has earned its reputation for good reason. It combines hydration, sodium, protein from the chicken, and easily digestible carbohydrates if you add noodles or rice. The warm broth coats the throat and the steam can help loosen nasal congestion. Any broth-based soup works, but protein-containing versions give your body more to work with.
Other well-tolerated options include toast, plain rice, bananas, applesauce, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, and yogurt. These foods are bland enough to stay down when your stomach is uneasy but still provide calories and some nutrients. Eggs in particular are a good source of protein and zinc, both of which support immune function.
Fresh fruits with high water content can help with hydration and deliver vitamins at the same time. Watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, and peaches are especially good choices. They’re easy to eat in small amounts and won’t sit heavy in your stomach.
Honey for Cough and Sore Throat
Honey acts like a natural cough drop. Its thick, sticky texture coats the lining of your throat, creating a protective layer that reduces that raw, scratchy feeling and makes swallowing easier. The soothing effect also quiets a nagging cough. Research suggests honey may actually work better than over-the-counter cough suppressants, particularly for nighttime symptoms.
Beyond the coating effect, honey contains flavonoids, plant chemicals with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that can help your immune system fight off viral invaders. Manuka honey has an additional antibacterial compound that may reduce certain bacteria in the mouth and throat.
Stir honey into warm tea or lemon water for a combined soothing effect, but don’t use boiling water, which can destroy some of honey’s beneficial compounds. One important note: honey should never be given to children under one year old due to the risk of botulism.
Nutrients That Support Recovery
Your immune system runs on specific raw materials, and eating foods rich in those nutrients gives it an advantage. Zinc is one of the most important. Low zinc levels are associated with more severe illness and longer recovery times, and your body doesn’t store much of it, so you need a steady supply from food. The richest sources are meat, fish, shellfish (oysters are especially high), eggs, and dairy. Beans, nuts, and whole grains contain zinc too, but your body absorbs less of it from plant sources because compounds called phytates partially block absorption. Soaking beans, grains, and seeds in water for several hours before cooking reduces this effect.
Vitamin C from fruits and vegetables supports immune cell function. While megadose vitamin C supplements haven’t shown consistent benefits in clinical trials for COVID patients, getting adequate vitamin C through food is still worthwhile. Citrus fruits, strawberries, bell peppers, and broccoli are all rich sources.
Vitamin D plays a role in immune regulation, and many people run low on it, especially during winter months when respiratory viruses peak. One randomized trial found that 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily reduced the risk of COVID infection in healthcare workers. Fatty fish like salmon, fortified dairy products, and egg yolks are dietary sources, though supplements may be more practical during acute illness when appetite is low.
When Your Stomach Is the Problem
Both the flu and COVID can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, sometimes as the primary symptoms. When your gut is involved, the rules shift. You need to replace not just water but also the sodium and sugar that help your intestines absorb it. Broth, diluted juice, and electrolyte solutions are better than plain water for this purpose.
Ginger tea is one of the most effective natural remedies for nausea. Peppermint tea works too, and even just smelling peppermint can help take the edge off. Start with small sips rather than gulping a full glass, which can trigger more nausea.
For food, stick to the blandest options: plain rice, dry toast, crackers, bananas, and applesauce. Introduce small portions and wait to see how your stomach responds before eating more. As symptoms improve, gradually add back protein sources like scrambled eggs or plain chicken.
Foods to Avoid During Illness
Some foods actively work against recovery by promoting inflammation or taxing your digestive system. Fried foods, processed meats like hot dogs and sausage, and sugary pastries all trigger inflammatory responses in the body at a time when your immune system is already managing significant inflammation from the infection itself.
Sugar-sweetened sodas and energy drinks can worsen dehydration and feed gut inflammation. Alcohol is a clear no: it’s dehydrating, suppresses immune function, and interacts poorly with most cold and flu medications. Dairy is sometimes blamed for thickening mucus, though the evidence for this is weak. If dairy doesn’t bother you, yogurt is actually a good choice because it’s easy on the stomach and contains beneficial bacteria.
Spicy food is a judgment call. Some people find that spice helps clear congestion temporarily, but if your throat is already raw or your stomach is upset, it will likely make things worse. Rich, heavy, or greasy meals are best saved for after you’ve recovered. Your digestive system slows down during illness, and forcing it to process a complex meal diverts energy your immune system could use.
A Practical Eating Plan
During the first day or two when symptoms are worst, don’t worry about eating balanced meals. Focus on sipping fluids constantly: broth, tea, water with a splash of juice, electrolyte drinks. If you can manage a few bites of toast or crackers, great. If not, staying hydrated is enough for now.
As your appetite begins to return, usually around day two or three, start incorporating soft, protein-containing foods like eggs, yogurt, or chicken soup. Add fruits when they sound appealing. Keep portions small and eat more frequently rather than attempting three big meals.
By the time your fever breaks and energy starts creeping back, you can begin returning to your normal diet. Many people find their appetite rebounds aggressively at this stage. Lean into nutrient-dense foods: vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and fruits. Your body has been running on minimal fuel and needs to replenish. Recovery from the flu or COVID often takes longer than the acute illness itself, and good nutrition in the week after your worst symptoms can make a real difference in how quickly you bounce back.