What to Eat When Sick | Best Foods for Colds and Flu

Do you know what to eat when you’re sick? What are the best foods for colds or flu viruses? I’m a big believer that food is the best medicine and one of your first lines of defense. I wish I didn’t have to keep writing about cold remedies but since it’s relevant to my life right now, that’s what I’m doing. I’m sure I’m not alone either. It’s just that time of year, and it’s been a particularly bad one for us and everyone else I have talked to.

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It should go without saying, but these are not substitutes for medical care or a magical cure on their own. However these foods will support and nourish your body to help you fight infection. Plus there are times when medication isn’t even helpful, like for a cough, especially with children. Some research has shown they are no better than placebo and young children can’t take most OTC cough medicines anyway.

There is no cure for the common cold but you can still do everything possible to help your immune system and hopefully reduce symptoms. I know you might only have the energy to heat up a hot pocket but trust me, that’s not going to help. You don’t have to only make soup or broth to help kick the flu. You can incorporate these foods into anything you like.

I was half joking but last time one of my kids was sick I posted on social media that tacos were medicine and this is why. With some garlic, onions, hot pepper, and turmeric it is medicine in my eyes. My kid wanted tacos so that’s what I made him. It’s time to reimagine what we consider health food.

What to Eat When Sick

There is a reason our mothers, our grandmothers, their mothers and their grandmothers always went straight for soup when taking care of sick kids. So read on for a list of some of my favorite foods to fight a cold or the flu.

Most are individual ingredients you can incorporate into whatever you like. The best thing is most of these foods go well together with a few exceptions. Go over the list and then add any or all of them to my bone broth recipe here. You can just dump them in and keep a freezer stash to grab when you’re too sick to cook.

Anyway onto the list! These are some of the things I eat when I’m sick, and the best foods for colds and flu. They are in completely random order and not in order of effectiveness or popularity.

Asparagus

Probably not what you normally see as the first thing recommended for a cold? Sure it makes your pee smell, but it’s rich in Vitamins B-6, B-12, and potassium. It contains a prebiotic fiber called inulin which feeds the good microbes in your gut, which in return helps you fight the bad ones. It’s also high in glutathione, an important antioxidant your body produces that can be found in food sources.

Elderberry

Elderberry has gotten a lot of attention in recent years because of it’s antiviral properties. It can both prevent and shorten the duration of a cold and the flu. Don’t eat elderberry raw though. You can buy supplements but if you want to eat them you have to cook them. You can make a syrup like my elderberry syrup recipe with cinnamon and ginger. I use it the second I feel a cold coming on or if people around me are sick. If you don’t feel like drinking it, try drizzling it on pancakes or waffles. Yes pancakes are health food now too.

Orange Vegetables

Beta carotene is an antioxidant vital to your body when you’re sick. It helps increase T cells which are white blood cells that attack the little jerk viruses and other invaders. Foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, and butternut squash are all good sources of beta carotene. Pretty much any orange veggie is great to eat when you’re sick.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has been hyped up for a lot of things, some of which I raise my eyebrow at however it is thought to be antiviral, antibacterial, and most definitely antifungal. It also happens to be a great medium for extraction and you can infuse it with other things to fight off sickness. Fire cider is one example, loaded with foods and herbs continued on this list. You can incorporate vinegar into soups and salad dressings pretty easily. Or simply dilute a teaspoon in a small glass of water and shoot it down the hatch.

Bay Leaves

Also called bay laurel, bay leaf is a natural anti-inflammatory and can help with aches and pains associated with a cold. It has also been used for ear aches. You probably have a bag of Badia bay leaves in your spice cabinet right now but try to find a quality fresh bay leaf to use when you’re sick. I have my own plant I pluck leaves from year round. Not only a staple ingredient for pasta sauce and soups, it just might make you feel better.

Chicken Bone Broth

Chicken noodle soup is an age old traditional cold remedy, but why? Turkey, chicken or even beef bone broth is loaded with minerals and collagen. It contains cysteine which is thought to thin mucous. It also usually has several other ingredients on this list like garlic, onion, and herbs which help fight infection. That’s why chicken soup is so good when you’re sick. Being comfort food is just a bonus. If you’re dehydrated and barely have an appetite this is perfect to get electrolytes and soothe your gastrointestinal lining. Learn how to make bone broth in your pressure cooker here.

Garlic

Garlic is nature’s antibiotic and one of the best things on this list to eat when you’re sick. Humans have been growing and eating garlic for medicine for thousands of years. Garlic is one of the better studied foods and can definitely help you fight off a virus. It is probably one of the easiest things to work into everyday meals. If you are someone who absolutely hates the taste and smell, first, I’m sorry, and second there are odorless capsules you can take. I eat garlic every single day. I probably stink. My tutorial for Easy Fermented Honey and Garlic is one of my favorite ways to use it. It mellows out the garlic and it’s a sweet treat.

Ginger

Ginger is popular in traditional Chinese medicine. It can lower a fever and ease pain. It’s well known for it’s anti nausea effects and helping with digestion. It’s also one of the best tasting foods on this list. Even if you’re too tired to cook anything, you can quickly slice up some fresh ginger and simmer it in broth. If the only energy you can muster up is a package of ramen, guess what goes well with that? Ginger, garlic and some other things coming up on this list.

Onion

Onions are truly one of the best things to eat when sick, and can easily incorporate into daily meals. They have been used traditionally for cold, flu, and infection since ancient times. Onions have antibacterial properties and are loaded with nutrients and antioxidants like quercetin. I’m pretty sure everyone has heard of at least one folk remedy using an onion. I use onions almost daily when I cook.

Raw Honey

Honey has been studied for it’s natural antimicrobial properties, and it’s also wonderfully soothing for a sore throat and the digestive tract. It can help a cough better than meds from the drugstore with no nasty side effects. Honey can even help heal wounds. The added bonus is it tastes sweet and most people have no problem eating it, unless you’re my 5 year old who has suddenly refused to take a single sip if it even LOOKS like medicine. If you’re looking for a natural cough remedy head over to my Herbal Honey Cold and Cough Syrup recipe. I promise it is really tasty even for picky kids. Mine is just crazy. He won’t drink juice and doesn’t even like candy so we can’t go by him. Do not give raw honey to babies under 1 year.

Turmeric

This superfood has gotten a lot of attention in recent years for being a powerful anti inflammatory and it is one of the best things you can eat when you have a cold or the flu. It is particularly helpful with joint pain and can reduce symptoms when you’re sick. I make my own homemade tincture with ginger, turmeric and black pepper and it works very well for me. Fresh root is perfect for chicken soup and has a milder flavor than powder. Learn now to make your own tincture here. Dried turmeric powder goes well with curry dishes and anything with Indian flavors.

Rosemary

Lots of culinary herbs are the best things you can put in your food when you have a cold or flu. Rosemary is an aromatic culinary herb but it’s also useful for colds. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It was said to be used to prevent plague. In modern times it’s useful for headaches, sore throat, muscle pain, and more. Just the smell of rosemary is powerful enough for some effects. Try a couple sprigs with roasted chicken or vegetables.

Thyme

Thyme is another culinary herb used as a home remedy. It’s an antiseptic and particularly useful for sinuses, and respiratory issues like bronchitis and whooping cough. Add a handful of fresh or dried thyme to some broth. Not just for cooking, it’s very effective inhaled via steam or a diffuser.

Sage

Sticking with the theme of tasty culinary herbs that double as medicine, next is sage. Sage is one of those herbs that screams fall foods. My favorite way to use it is with pork, apples, and butternut squash. Sage is naturally antibacterial and useful for sore throats and spasmodic coughing. I also use it in tea and my natural cough syrup recipes.

Oregano

Oregano is last of the fragrant culinary herbs on this list that I consider best for colds and flu. Like the previous herbs, it is naturally antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. It works very well for colds, flu, and bacterial infections.

Mushrooms

Different mushrooms will have slightly different composition but most of them are really good for the immune support. Even plain button mushrooms have some benefit. These are in the top 5 best foods for colds and flu in my opinion. They are one of the few natural sources of vitamin D which is also vital to your immune system and other important bodily processes.

Some mushrooms are super high in polysaccharides and other substances that fuel the immune system, among tons and tons of other benefits I could read about all day and still not completely comprehend. I just know they are amazing, peculiar, and there is good reason that science has been heavily focused on them lately. Mushrooms are popular in traditional Chinese medicine. Shiitake, enoki, wood ear, oyster, and maitake mushrooms are all good culinary and medicinal choices.

Capsicum can relieve sinus congestion and help you sweat. It’s also helpful for digestion, increasing circulation, and achy joints. It can improve your appetite if you’re having trouble eating when you’re sick. Hot peppers are high in vitamin C which is an antioxidant. They are my go-to when I can’t breathe through my nose. Try it next time your sinuses are completely stuffed up, they are guaranteed to drain. This food is one I don’t forget to eat when I’m sick.

Now You Know What to Eat When You’re Sick

These are just some of the myriad of foods I think are best for colds and flu. I hope this list helps someone out there feel better, fast. Nothing is a magical cure or prevention, but if you incorporate some or all of these into your meals you should get sick less often and improve symptoms when you are unwell.

Do you already eat some of these foods when you’re sick? Tell me your favorites in the comments!

References and Further Reading

• Mushrooms for Health – Medicinal Secrets of Northeastern Fungi – Greg A. Marley
• Your Guide to Health with Food & Herbs – Using the Wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Herbal Medicine – 190 Herbs to Know and Use
• The Everything Healthy Living Series – Food Remedies: Cold and Flu
• The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies