Eating when you’re feeling sick might seem counterintuitive at first. After all, when you’re not in the best of spirits, thinking of food would be furthest from your mind. And if you happen to have contracted the COVID-19 virus, you’re probably apprehensive over everything: who you may have infected, how severe your symptoms are, and how long until you get better.
But according to experts, it’s all the more reason for you to fill up. “You want to make sure you’re eating enough to fuel your body for the healing process,” sayas Amanda Holtzer, M.S, R.D, a dietitian interviewed by The Good Housekeeping.
When you’re sick, your body is stressed, and is consuming more energy to fight the illness. So it’s important to load up on nutrient-rich food, and not junk food or empty calories.
Sick with COVID-19? Stay home, isolate, mask up, and eat good food. Here’s what you can eat, beyond the usual chicken soup.
Include a salad or roasted veggies in your diet
As your body works overtime to eliminate the virus, you need plenty of antioxidants to eliminate free radicals, and strengthen your immune system.
During this time, you might want to lean more into a Mediterranean plant-based eating plan. A typical Mediterranean diet consists of fish, nuts, plant oils, fruits, and vegetables.
When we say Mediterranean food, we often think of something like a Greek vegetable salad with feta cheese slathered with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Not exactly jumping up and down, are you? If you’re not a fan of this vegetable medley, no worries. The consistently-ranked healthiest diet in the world provides an array of options.
Such as this chicken wrap with apples and nuts. It should be easy to whip up, too, if you’re fending off for yourself.
This avocado and salmon toast should uplift the mood of the crankiest, saddest “isolating at home” COVID-19 patient. And if you’re not feeling up to the task of cooking, you can always order one from your favorite cafe.
Go plant-based
Another way to look at it is just to go plant-based. Plant-based is a bigger category than a Mediterranean diet.
According to a 2022 review, the researchers found that people who were on a plant-based diet had a lower risk of COVID-19. As for those who get infected, their symptoms were less severe.
So what exactly is a plant-based diet? No, it’s not a diet that consists of plants. Plant-based diet means you make plant-based foods the central part of your melas, such as fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes. Meat and seafood are not necessarily prohibited. But you can cut it down, turn it into a side dish, or reduce your consumption in general.
Load up on Vitamin C-rich food
Can Vitamin C help protect you from COVID-19? Well, no. So why do people, your doctor included, still advise you to take Vitamin C?
Though Vitamin C can’t prevent sickness, it can help you get well faster.
In research and related literature that explores the immune system, you will find that Vitamin C is the most popular nutrient. No other vitamin is more popularly linked to the immune system than Vitamin C.
Vitamin C keeps our white blood cells or leukocytes healthy, as well as boosts our body’s absorption of iron, folate, vitamin D, and zinc. (READ: Best Supplements to Optimize Your Immune System)
So it’s definitely something you shouldn’t miss out on. Luckily, there happens to be so many great foods that are rich in Vitamin C. And yes, they go beyond oranges and citrus fruits. Think peppers, papaya, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes, green peas, spinach, kale, strawberries, Brussel sprouts, the list goes on.
You don’t even have to turn the stove, if you’re not feeling like it. Try an easy, no-frills strawberry and kale salad.
Or light the pit with beef and vegetable skewers (make sure to include pineapples!)
A tomato soup paired with toasted bread will definitely be comforting.
Buf if you’re not feeling like wearing your apron, that’s perfectly okay. The easiest thing you can do is to make a smoothie. Add in vitamin-C rich fruits and vegetables, blend them all together, and you’re good to go.
Do eat protein
When you get COVID-19, as with any virus, it sets up shop and hijacks your cells to increase their numbers, pretty much like army troops. Protein is the best macronutrient to help repair these cells.
Protein might not be your go-to nutrient when you’re nursing a cold or fever, but your body needs it to recover.
You can go as simple as cooking 5-minute scrambled eggs or an omelet (with spinach, mushrooms and cheese, please!)
Include broccoli in your grocery list. Broccoli ticks many boxes: it’s Mediterranean, it’s a plant, and it’s full of protein. This fried-rice with broccoli and mushrooms sounds deliciously healthful and inviting. It’s an easy cook as well.
Lean into aromatics
When you’re sick, you’ve got to go for healing foods. Aromatics, like garlic, onion, scallions, leeks, shallots, and chives, have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
Not only will these healing aromatics give your immune system a lift, it can also help stimulate your taste buds that may have been affected if one of your symptoms is the loss of taste and smell.
How to use aromatics? These are often utilized in making soups, stews, braises, stir-fries, curries and roasts, so now’s a good time to explore these types of food– whether you’re cooking them yourself, someone’s cooking for you (and is asking you what you like), or you’re ordering take-out.
The bottom line
A word to the wise: any of the diets and dishes suggested here won’t protect you from getting COVID-19. Masking up, getting vaccinated, testing, and avoiding close contact will.
What a healthy and nutrient-dense diet can do for you is to help you bounce back faster. So, even though you’re Netflix-marathoning as you wait for the symptoms to subside, avoid or limit processed food. Those will increase inflammation and sugar spikes, ultimately prolonging your body’s recovery.
Even after you recover from COVID-19, experts advise that you continue feeding your immunity with healthy food. Did you know that 70 to 80% of our immune system is housed in the gut? You can take care of your gut health by nourishing your body with the right ingredients and recipes. You don’t have to follow a strict diet plan, just review what we listed down here, and follow your gut.
Nursing COVID-19 or any kind of virus now? We hope you fill yourself up with comforting dishes, strength and healing.
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