9 Common Foods to Avoid When Sick — What to Skip for Faster Recovery
Skipping these items lets your immune system focus on healing instead of digestion.
9 Foods You Should Never Eat When You’re Sick
When illness strikes, what you eat can have a major impact on how quickly you recover. While some foods give your body the nutrients it needs to fight infection or ease symptoms, others can actually make you feel worse or delay your recovery. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the foods and beverages you should avoid when you’re under the weather, and why skipping them is backed by doctors and nutritionists.
Why What You Eat Matters When You’re Sick
When you’re sick—whether with a cold, the flu, a sore throat, stomach issues, or even just a cough—your body’s immune system is already straining to fight off infection. Eating certain foods can either help or hinder your immune response, making it crucial to make thoughtful dietary choices. Avoiding foods that irritate your digestion, dehydrate you further, or intensify inflammation can ease symptoms and speed healing.
The 9 Foods to Avoid When Sick
Here are the nine worst offenders according to medical and nutritional experts. Each is paired with why it can worsen symptoms or slow down your recovery.
- Coffee
- Orange Juice
- Sweets
- Soda
- Crunchy Snacks
- Alcohol
- Milk
- Fried or Fatty Foods
- Hard-to-Digest Grains & High-Fiber Foods
1. Coffee
When to skip: Anytime you are sick, especially with symptoms of dehydration like fever or stomach upset.
Why it makes you feel worse: Coffee is a diuretic, which means it increases urine production and can leave you more dehydrated when you already need extra fluids. Dehydration exacerbates symptoms like headache, fatigue, and body aches, and can prolong your illness. Coffee can also irritate the stomach lining, making nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea worse. If you rely on caffeine daily, try switching to decaffeinated tea or sip water with lemon instead until you feel better.
2. Orange Juice and Other Acidic Citrus Juices
When to skip: If you have a sore throat, cough, or an upset stomach.
Why it makes you feel worse: While citrus juices are high in vitamin C, their high levels of acid can further irritate a raw, inflamed throat or worsen stomach discomfort. For many people, acidic orange juice can trigger more coughing and a burning sensation in an already sensitive throat. Instead, try non-acidic fluids like herbal teas, water, or coconut water to stay hydrated.
3. Sweets and Sugary Treats
When to skip: If you are sick with any illness—especially those involving inflammation or congestion.
Why they make you feel worse: Sugar causes inflammation in the body and can suppress the immune system’s ability to fight off infection. Eating sweets, candy, bakery treats, and even fruit juices high in added sugar can weaken your white blood cells and extend your recovery time. If you have digestive upset, sugar can also feed bad bacteria, worsening symptoms like bloating or diarrhea.
Healthier alternative: Reach for fresh fruit, which offers vitamins and hydration without the sugar spike of candy or soda.
4. Soda
When to skip: All types of illness, particularly when fever, dehydration, or stomach problems are present.
Why it makes you feel worse: Regular soda is packed with sugar, and diet versions have artificial sweeteners. Both can irritate your gastrointestinal tract, increase inflammation, and contribute to dehydration due to their sodium and caffeine content. Carbonation can also cause bloating and worsen nausea.
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What to drink instead: Hydrating drinks like plain water, warm broth, or electrolyte-rich beverages with little or no added sugar.
5. Crunchy Snacks (Chips, Granola, Toast)
When to skip: If you have a sore throat or a persistent cough.
Why they make you feel worse: The coarse, abrasive texture of crunchy snacks (chips, crackers, granola, even crispy toast) can act like sandpaper on a raw throat, further irritating it, prolonging soreness, and even making you cough more. Continued irritation slows healing and makes swallowing more painful. Opt for soothing, soft foods instead, such as warm oatmeal or applesauce.
6. Alcohol
When to skip: Any type of illness, particularly when you have fever, dehydration, or stomach troubles.
Why it makes you feel worse: Alcohol is a strong diuretic, intensifying sickness-related dehydration. Because you may already be low on fluids when sick, alcohol enters your system faster and makes you feel intoxicated more quickly. Alcohol can also irritate the GI tract and speed up digestion, sometimes causing diarrhea. It further impairs your immune system, making it harder to fight off viruses or bacteria.
7. Milk and Dairy
When to skip: If you have stuffiness, congestion, or are producing extra mucus.
Why it makes you feel worse: Contrary to popular myth, milk doesn’t actually produce more mucus, but it can thicken phlegm and make it feel more unpleasant in your throat, especially for some people. If you notice that dairy makes your congestion worse or more uncomfortable, consider cutting it out until you feel better, then reintroduce it when you’re well.
Note: For individuals who tolerate dairy well, it may be fine, but if it worsens symptoms, avoid it temporarily.
8. Fried or Fatty Foods
When to skip: Particularly when you have a stomach bug, nausea, or diarrhea.
Why they make you feel worse: Fatty and fried foods take longer to digest, which can stress an already sensitive stomach and exacerbate nausea, indigestion, or diarrhea. High-fat foods can also increase inflammation, potentially making other symptoms like aches and pains worse. Stick with lightly cooked, bland foods that are gentle on the stomach and easy to digest, such as steamed rice, baked potatoes, or bananas.
9. Hard-to-Digest Grains & High-Fiber Foods
When to skip: If you are experiencing upset stomach, diarrhea, or nausea.
Why they make you feel worse: Fiber-rich whole grains and complex carbohydrates are great for everyday health, but when you have GI distress, they can be tough to process. Foods like brown rice, high-fiber breads, and bran cereals can increase gas, bloating, and discomfort when your stomach is already sensitive. Instead, stick to low-fiber, easily digested options such as saltine crackers, white rice, or plain toast until your stomach settles.
How Foods Affect Common Illness Symptoms
| Symptom | Foods to AVOID | Better Alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Dehydration | Coffee, alcohol, soda | Water, herbal tea, clear broth, electrolyte drinks |
| Sore Throat | Crunchy snacks, acidic juice | Soft foods (oatmeal, yogurt), warm tea with honey |
| Congestion | Milk, sweets | Warm broths, spicy-free and dairy-free soups |
| Nausea/Diarrhea | Fried, fatty, and high-fiber foods; soda | Bananas, applesauce, white toast, rice |
| Body Aches | Processed foods, caffeine, alcohol | Healthy proteins, easy-to-digest carbs |
What to Eat When You’re Sick
- Broth-based soups: Easy to digest and provide fluids and nutrients.
- Bananas: Soft, bland, and full of potassium.
- Plain rice, toast, or crackers: Gentle on an irritated stomach.
- Steamed or baked potatoes: Non-irritating and easy to prepare.
- Yogurt (if you tolerate dairy): Contains probiotics that may help with GI symptoms.
- Cooked vegetables: Well-cooked carrots or squash are mild and gentle on digestion.
- Herbal teas: Chamomile and ginger tea can soothe an upset stomach and hydrate.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can you drink coffee or tea when you have a cold?
A: Caffeinated drinks like coffee can make dehydration worse, especially if you have fever or vomiting. Opt for non-caffeinated, herbal teas or plain water to stay hydrated.
Q: Should you avoid all dairy when you’re sick?
A: Dairy doesn’t increase mucus production, but it can make phlegm feel thicker for some people. If dairy worsens your symptoms, avoid it until you feel better, then slowly reintroduce it.
Q: Why is sugar bad for you when sick?
A: Sugar suppresses the immune system and encourages inflammation, both of which make it harder for your body to recover from infection.
Q: What should you eat if you have no appetite during illness?
A: Start with small portions of bland, easy-to-digest foods like applesauce, dry toast, or clear soups. As your appetite returns, gradually reintroduce other healthy options.
Q: Are spicy foods helpful or harmful when sick?
A: Spicy foods may act as a decongestant for some, but can irritate sensitive stomachs or throats, so avoid them if you have GI issues or a sore throat.
The Bottom Line: Prioritize Comfort and Nutrition
When you’re feeling sick, focus on foods and drinks that hydrate, soothe, and support recovery—not those that make symptoms worse. Listen to your body, avoid the nine foods discussed above, and choose nourishing, easy-to-digest options until you’re back to full health.
References
- https://www.prevention.com/health/a20439569/best-foods-to-eat-when-sick/
- https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/g20483529/foods-that-make-flu-worse/
- https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/g20496629/foods-to-never-eat-when-sick/
- https://health.osu.edu/wellness/exercise-and-nutrition/foods-to-avoid-with-flu
- https://www.prevention.com/health/health-conditions/a23549713/doctor-eats-avoid-common-cold-flu/
- https://www.prevention.com/health/a20469206/how-to-prevent-a-cold/
- https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/g20498199/foods-you-should-never-eat/
- https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/ss/slideshow-foods-cold
- https://www.tomahhealth.org/wellness/5-foods-that-help-fight-colds/
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