The 10 Best Meals to Eat When You Feel Your Worst

When you have a headache, nausea, sore throat, or other everyday illnesses, eating certain foods can help you feel better. 

Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.

Strategic eating could help ease symptoms

When you have a headache, nausea, sore throat, or other everyday illnesses, eating certain foods can help you feel better. According to dietitians and expert research, there are plenty of foods that may help. Here’s what to eat, depending on your symptoms.

bowl of yummy soup
iStock/evp82

When you have a headache

Eat: Moroccan lentil soup made with spices like turmeric and cinnamon. “This meal is free of potential headache triggers like dairy, cured meat, nuts, and chocolate. Plus, it also doesn’t require chewing, which can aggravate a headache,” says Cynthia Sass, RD, based in Los Angeles, author of Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches With Pulses — The New Superfood. The soup also delivers a good dose of protein, anti-inflammatory spices, and magnesium—which helps relax blood vessels to ease headaches.

spicy pepper soup
from my point of view/ Shutterstock

When you have sinus pressure

Eat: anything spicy—the capsaicin in chili peppers can help clear up types of sinus inflammation, according to research published in Current Allergy and Asthma Reports.

chicken noodle soup
iStock/DNY59

When you have a sore throat

Eat: A soup made with a hot, thin broth (either vegetable- or chicken-stock base), with garlic, herbs, and vegetables; plus hot green tea with honey. For starters, both hot liquids will help drain congestion, Sass explains. “The garlic is anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting, the veggies provide nutrients for healing, and honey has been shown to help ease the pain from a sore throat,” she adds. Sore throat gargles are another trick to feel better.

banana smoothie
iStock/nata_vkusidey

When you have nausea

Eat: bananas, steamed brown rice, applesauce, and ginger tea, Sass suggests. Each of these foods is easy to keep down and tends to soothe the digestive system. Opt for tea bags with real ginger in it (like Yogi Ginger or Tazo Green Ginger), or better yet, steep some of the herb fresh in hot water. A University of Rochester study found that as little as a quarter of a teaspoon of ginger cut nausea by 40 percent in queasy chemotherapy patients.

salmon on salad on white plate with fork
iStock/Synergee

When you have fatigue

Eat: There isn’t a one-size-fits-all remedy for this one since the fix largely depends on the cause of fatigue. Your best bet? A leafy green salad topped with chopped vegetables and grilled salmon to give a boost of vitamins, minerals, and omega 3s, which will, in turn, increase your energy. Be sure to hydrate, since dehydration alone is enough to slow your energy down, says Emily Littlefield, nutritionist and health coach in Santa Barbara, California. (Don’t miss these other 7 sneaky signs of dehydration.) If the fatigue is from a lack of sleep, avoid caffeine. “It may seem counterintuitive, but the temporary Band-Aid of coffee or an energy drink will only provide a brief false sense of energy, usually followed by even more intense fatigue, then trouble sleeping, which perpetuates the cycle,” Sass explains.

white cup of tea with ginger on side
iStock/matka_Wariatka

When you have menstrual cramps

Drink: a pot of hot ginger tea with a little honey and lemon. “Ginger root is soothing and calming and has been used for healing stomach pain for centuries,” says Littlefield. A study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that ginger was just as effective in relieving menstrual cramp pain as ibuprofen (whoa!). Plus, proper hydration can help reduce tension in certain muscles that contribute to menstrual cramping. These unusual period cramp remedies are also worth a try.

oatmeal with raspberries
iStock/JacobVanHouten

When you have constipation

Eat: oatmeal topped with fiber-rich fruit and a mug of hot water with lemon. The goal here is to get your stool moving. “The fiber from the oats and fruit helps to soften stool,” Sass explains. “The drink will help stimulate your digestive muscles to contract and move waste through.”

gatorade-type sports drinks
iStock/GreenPimp

When you have diarrhea

Drink: a sports drink or Pedialyte, to start, Sass suggests. “The top goal is replacing fluids and electrolytes while diarrhea is active,” she says. Once it stops, continue to rehydrate, but start eating foods that are easy to digest, like bananas and brown rice. (Switch to one of these digestive health diets if your symptoms are ongoing.) If you eat your usual fare, it can overstimulate digestive muscles or trigger unwanted inflammation or irritation, she adds. You can also soothe your stomach with these remedies.

eggs, waffles and orange juice
iStock/Preto_perola

When you have brain fog

Eat: two eggs any style; a whole-grain, low-sugar waffle (like Vans); and cup of black coffee. Countless studies have found that caffeine improves both alertness and attention. Between eggs and the waffle, you’ll score the perfect balance of fat, protein, and healthy carbohydrates to help avoid blood sugar dips that make you feel foggy. To get to the source of the issue, watch for these 8 medical reasons you have brain fog.

lovely cup of tea with mint on side
iStock/GeorgeDolgikh

When you have stress

Drink: a combo of chamomile and mint herbal teas. Refill indefinitely until you feel the hot drink calm your nervous system. (This other common drink can fight stress damage, too.) Avoid anything high in fats or in sugar, which a study in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology found can exacerbate other health problems that accompany stress, such as oxidative damage and the accumulation of abdominal fat, which can make you feel even worse than you already do. Trade them for these 14 best foods to eat when you’re stressed.

Sources
Medically reviewed by Elisabetta Politi, CDE, MPH, RD, on October 13, 2019