My Go-To ‘Sick Foods’

July 5, 2012 in Food & Recipes, Health, Lifestyle

These past few weeks, I’ve been sick. This is quite common for me, especially at this time of the year. You see, when God was handing out great immune systems, I was distracted by the kittens in the meadow. OK, this isn’t entirely true, there were no kittens, but for whatever reason, my immune system doesn’t work that well.

This isn’t a man-flu thing (because I’m a woman, for one) and I certainly have a much better immune system than lots of people, especially those with autoimmune disorders, mine is just incredibly lazy. It’s there, it just can’t be bothered getting out of bed to do it’s job. I would happily fire it and hire a new one, but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.

It’s safe to say that about 90% of the year, I have some kind of cold or flu like ailment (yes, even in summer). They last for much longer than the average few days and can sometimes span months. Why am I talking about this? Because it’s full on winter now and everyone will be getting sick and I thought it would be a swell idea to talk about the different kind of foods we like to eat when we’re feeling sick. A kind of group-therapy-comfort-food thing.

I’m a big soup person, especially when sick, and these are my favourites:

Wonton/Short Soup

Big fan of broth/stock based soups and often find them to be quite calming on my stomach. I have never had a Wonton (or Short) Soup that has made me feel sick. I don’t know if it’s the salt in the broth or what it is, but it just makes me feel better. It’s also soothing on my throat.

French Onion Soup

Again, I think it’s the broth that does it. My Dad makes an amazing French Onion Soup (and he adds garlic which makes everything more amazing) and it makes my stomach feel much better, especially when it’s all mucus-y from the lovely head colds I tend to get.

Chicken and Corn Soup

While I generally like to avoid dairy products when I’m all congested (they don’t do much except make me feel worse), I do love Chicken and Corn Soup, it’s my favourite when I’ve just got a head cold and not the trifecta which I normally have (blocked sinuses, sore throat, uneasy stomach).

Honourable Mentions

In the non-soup category some honourable mentions must go to flat lemonade and crinkle cut plain potato chips (and yes, they must be crinkle cut, I’m not a fan non-crinkle cut chips, with the exception of Light and Tangy), as well as Jatz and plain rice crackers when I’m feeling nauseated.

What are your go-to foods when you’re sick? Do you have different ones depending on the kind of sick you are?

Featured Image Image 1 Image 2 Image 3

Author Info

Monique Fischle has written 98 posts.
22 year old communications assistant with a love of books, movies, music, ASOS and all things celebrity! I blog over at ‘the musings of monique’ and tweet quite frequently @moniquefischle.
Follow on twitter: @moniquefischle

29 Comments »

← The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: A New World Of Story Telling

When Religion Mixes with Politics and Power →

http://music.johnanthonyjames.com/ John James

I know it’s the worse thing to eat when you have a sore throat, but I get huge ice-cream cravings…but then again, I get huge ice-cream cravings when I’m perfectly well…
- Monique Fischle
  
  I’m different, I LOVE ice-cream normally but feel an aversion to dairy when I’m sick as I know it will make it worse.
- http://tamsinhowse.com/blog Tamsin Howse
  
  Actually dairy coats your throat so it can be helpful when your throat is sore… Also why you shouldn’t eat/drink dairy before singing.
  - Monique Fischle
    
    Really? It’s always made me feel worse.
http://strongerbraversmarter.wordpress.com Lucy

I tend to go for the orange juice, oranges, fruits, veggies, anything fresh. I don’t know why but I could happily eat my weight in fruit and veggies when I have a cold. Same for frozen cubes of orange juice, chicken soup, chocolate and (the worst of all when congested) ice cream!
- Monique Fischle
  
  Oh I LOVE pulp-y fresh orange juice when I have a sore throat!
Melissa Savage

Hot buttered white toast, orange juice and tea.
- Monique Fischle
  
  Hmm that sounds good!
Detachable Princess

For a sore throat, I much prefer carbonated drinks over ‘normal’ ones. Somehow, they hurt less to swallow. For a stuffy head, mint tea is great. If I’m nauseous/vomiting, I don’t want to eat ANYTHING – but I know when I’ve turned the corner and started to feel better because I get MASSIVE cravings for lemonade ice blocks.
- Monique Fischle
  
  Totally agree with you on the carbonated drinks, I love “syrup coke” from the fast food places! I also love super doopers when I have a sore throat.
Kris

I have had tonsilitis pretty chronically over the years (only the last 6 years or so that I haven’t been knocked down, kill me now sick with it) and I know when it’s coming because I really feel like tea. Then when I can eat again (after however many days), I feel like Mexican food, the hotter the better, corn chips and all. I also used to find that smoking made my throat feel better (weird I know).
When coming down with a cold, I love laksas and Tom Yum soups – the spicier the better!
- Kris
  
  Oh, and I feel like junk food, too! I won’t feel like KFC for months, then last week, I picked up the tonso that KDot had, and all I wanted to eat was KFC. Weird.
  - http://tamsinhowse.com/blog Tamsin Howse
    
    Oh man sometimes I massively get KFC cravings but it has nothing to do with being sick
- Monique Fischle
  
  When I want to clear out my sinuses, love a good green curry so I completely understand wanting hot food! Sucks about the tonsillitis, I’ve never had it, I mainly get bronchitis and the occasional laryngitis,
  - Kris
    
    I think my tonsils have kind of given up. I tried to get them out, but they said it wasn’t chronic enough.
    
    Hot stuff is great for warming you up and getting your body working! I think it kills the bug in some instances!
    - Monique Fischle
      
      What? Silly doctors. I do love spicy food to clear out the bad stuff.
Maya

Orange juice and poached eggs on white toast! What is it about OJ that makes us crave it when we’re sick? My dad used to make poached eggs for me when I was sick as a kid, and it’s stuck with me into adulthood as a comfort food. I don’t have many great skills in the kitchen but I can poach eggs like a mofo.
- Monique Fischle
  
  Has to be the fresh pulp-y OJ. And I love that you can “poach eggs like a mofo” gave me a good giggle. I wish I could poach eggs, you should teach me!
  - http://tamsinhowse.com/blog Tamsin Howse
    
    I’ll join in that lesson!!
Detachable Princess

Was just reminded of a friend’s home remedy for a cold: Mix up tabasco, crushed garlic, orange juice and a whisked egg. Down the lot, put on all your clothes and get under the doona to sweat it all out. Um, I think I’d rather have the cold thanks!

P-Daddy swears by slowly sipping a neat Scotch when he feels a tonsil-attack coming on.
- Monique Fischle
  
  I’ve heard the whole “sweat it out” thing, but I know many people who have tried this and it’s changed nothing. I’m with you, I’d rather wait it out.
Mazi Gray

I tend to go greasy, especially after an anesthetic… I craved baked beans on toast and sausages.

I usually avoid other meat though, it tends to taste funny to me, especially when I have a cold or am drugged up,
But for stomach problems I go with porridge.
- Monique Fischle
  
  Mmmm porridge is good!
Inge-Lise

There is actually some scientific evidence for the efficacy of Chicken Soup, but personally I settle down to White toast with Marmite and a “Nice cup of Tea.”
- Monique Fischle
  
  I must eat chicken soup more then! I love drinking tea normally, especially when I have a sore throat.
Bek M

I’m all about the vegemite toast. My mum used to make it, cut it into strips and stack it into a tower to serve me when I was sick.

One time when I was in first yr uni and getting all the germs, I had some kind of super flu that had me go back to my parents to recuperate. All I wanted was Mum’s homemade rissoles, with onion and grated carrot inside. I think I was low on iron or something. Mmmm they tasted so good.
- Monique Fischle
  
  I love having parents look after you when you’re sick.
fender4eva

Brilliant post, Monique. You had me, at the kittens in the meadow bit. GOLD !
- Monique Fischle
  
  Thanks

KiKi & Tea