When you are suffering from fever, it is really important that you get sufficient nutrition but your diet should be simple enough so that it is not very difficult for your digestive system to cope with the food.
Deciding a diet that is easy to digest and yet full of nutrition is not very difficult and after going through this article you can easily come up with the right diet to take during fevers.
Healthy diet during fever
One should be responsible when eating during fever. At the time of fever, a person’s body becomes very weak and needs more care and nutrition. Fever can occur with cold and cough and can cause loss of appetite, weakness and fatigue.
Hence, it is important for the sick person to take care of the diet and food intake.
- The nutrition can be provided to the sick person through the means of a healthy diet routine followed for 3 or more days.
- It includes high protein and calorie, high fluid diet with no fatty intake at all. The daily diet routine should consist of fruits and vegetables that are easy to blend and swallow.
- The person should avoid fatty and spicy food as it is difficult to digest. It should also be noted that at the time of high fever the body lacks certain vitamins such as Vitamin A, B, C, Calcium, Iron and Sodium.
Following items should be served to the person at the time of fever
Indian bread
Indian bread or Roti as it is called is full of fibre and whole grain which makes it easy to digest for the ailing person.
Khichdi
A kind of an Indian food which is not heavy, gives a sense of fullness to the stomach and can be easily digested as well.
Boiled potatoes
Boiled potatoes provide carbohydrates to the body which is needed at the time of fever. Also, adding pepper or cloves to it not only enhances its flavour but also cures from cough and cold.
Apple
As the phrase says, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. An apple consists of many properties that are anti-bacterial in nature and hence fights with the infection and cures fever and keeps the person hydrated.
Tulsi tea
Herbal tea or tea with tulsi cures fever, sore throat and cough all at once. Tulsi consists of antifungal, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant properties that builds up the immune system and fights with the infection.
Chenna
The Indian cottage cheese or chenna is extracted from pouring lemon into milk. It is high in calcium and add up to the nutritional intake of the ill person.
Dalia
A popular Indian snack which is light, oil free, healthy, full of nutrients and digestive.
Poha
Poha are light and healthy snacks as they do not consist of oil or fat and adding little bit of spices to it satisfies the taste buds as well because fever kills the function of taste buds.
Oatmeal
Oats are rich in nutrition and considered to be very healthy. The consumption of these satisfies the stomach and provides them energy and nutrients.
Coconut water
If you are not feeling too good or have a soaring fever, one of the most important things to ensure is that you are getting enough hydration as fever, sweating and vomiting can cause a loss of electrolytes and water from the body.
Coconut water has a high concentration of glucose and electrolytes and can help you rehydrate your body. It also contains antioxidants and causes way lesser stomach distress than other such beverages though it can cause bloating.
Tea
There is an adage that suggests that there is nothing that a cup of tea can’t treat. This is especially true in case of symptoms associated with cold and flu. It helps act as an all-natural decongestant and can help in clearing up the sinuses of any mucus buildup.
Tea can also help you stay hydrated. They also are rich in polyphenols which provide a whole range of health benefits from antioxidant to anti-inflammatory properties to help provide antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties.
Studies in rats have showed decreases in the levels of bacterial growth in the throat during fever and sore throat issues when they consumed tannic acid present in black tea.
Echinacea tea can also help in reducing the severity of symptoms associated with cold and flu. There are also a wide range of teas available in the market to help with throat pain and cough.
Honey
Honey is a potent antibacterial agent and contains a number of antimicrobial compounds and has been used since ages for dressing wounds. It is also excellent for stimulating the body’s immune system.
If you have a fever accompanied by sore throat and bacterial infection, honey can be an excellent source of immune boosting properties. You can combine it with some ginger and suck on the mixture for better relief than the over the counter cough drops.
Following food items should be avoided during fever
Junk foods
Junk foods and aerated drinks are not the food items one should eat at the time of fever. Junk foods are high in cholesterol and beverages would trigger cough and cold.
Dairy products
Dairy products should be avoided as they are can give a rise into the body temperature.
Fibre rich foods
Food like whole wheat grains, cereals take a little long time to digest and can make the digestive system tired of breaking down the food molecules.
Spicy foods
Spicy and chilli food can cause inflammation to the stomach and can cause disruption in the digestion.
Foods that you can add to the liquids that you take
You can add these foods with the liquid that you take during fever. These add to the food value of the liquid and helps in the process of curing your ailment.
Angelica root
This is effective food during fever. This can be taken by mixing with soup or tea. You must drink the liquid when it is hot. It lowers temperature and helps you digest other food that you take.
Raisins
Dry grapes are called raisins. These contain antioxidants and help you to fight any type of infection within your body. Vitamin C in the raisins helps in fighting feverish condition.
Garlic
It is best food that you can take with any type of solid or liquid food during fever. The antioxidant present in this food is very high and boosts the infection fighting strength of your body. Use cloves of garlic with hot water twice in a day. This will help in taking down fever.
Basils
This is an Indian herb that helps in ailments. The healing power of your body increases with the intake of this leaf. You will recover faster if you take the juice of basil mixed with honey and hot water.
Diet for fever patients
Breakfast for fever patients
Eat juices in breakfast. Vitamin C from the juices will strengthen the immune system. Warm milk is also good during fever. Add a pinch of saffron and a tablespoon of honey to get better results.
You can try nuts like almonds or ground nuts when you do not want to take much in breakfast. Try to avoid heavy breakfast and take something that will help your body to fight the symptoms of fever.
Lunch during fever
Take some carbohydrates like bread. Make sure you take brown bread to avoid indigestion. You can take some vegetables and soup with the bread. Protein is good for your body. You can take some boiled eggs for increasing the count of white blood cells.
Banana, fish, oat meals and chicken also aids your body to fight with the infection by increasing the WBC. Fermented food is good for the bacteria will help your body to get better. You can take buttermilk, yogurt and soy products if you want. Cooked food and boiled vegetables are better than raw food.
Dinner during fever
Dinner should be light. You must not take anything that is heavy for digestion. Salads and boiled vegetables are good for dinner. You can take sprouts or beans if you like them. Chicken soup or vegetable soups are good choice for dinner.
Chicken stew can be a good option
Doctors suggest that when you are down with fever, you should opt for simple and boiled preparations of chicken.
Chicken is a good source of protein which will strengthen your body and your immunity system, will give you the required energy but is comparatively easier for you to digest. Chicken stew is so much preferred during fevers because it is prepared in a form which makes it easier to digest.
So, if you are suffering from fever and you are running out of options about what to eat, a chicken soup added with minimum butter, pepper and salt can be a good option for your taste buds as well as for your weak body.
Precautions about fruits and veggies
Fever is a symptom that your body is fighting against an infection and during this time it is really important that you keep yourself safe from getting any fresh infections.
The foods and drinks we take in often work as the major source of infection in our body and hence when you are already suffering from fever make sure that you do not eat or drink anything that might be contaminated with germs.
If you are eating any fresh fruits, make sure that it has been soaked in clean water and has been washed properly and peeled before you eat it.
Also washing the fruits with salt-mixed water can be a good option as it kills more germs from the surface compared to the plain water. When you are ill, do never opt for fruits that have been cut and left open even for some time.
When it comes to the vegetables, make sure that you eat only well cocked vegetables that has been preserved and washed properly before cooking. Also make it a point to wash your hands clean every time you eat.
Precautions about water
To keep yourself safe from any new infection, it is really important that you take only completely clean water when you are ill. If you are not using a modern water purifier in your home, it is better to depend on boiled water during this span.
Also make sure that you are using drinking water for washing your mouth as often waterborne infections enter our body with water while washing the mouth.
