I am super sick right now and haven’t eaten much in a few days. It’s getting to the point where I am gonna need to force myself to eat something to keep my strength up but everything just sounds terrible to me right now. I have been subsisting mostly on small glasses of milk and the occasional packet of instant oatmeal.
Any suggestions on things to eat that go down easy and has nutritional value? Flavor is pretty far down on my list of requirements right now and I’m finding myself exhausted after chewing a few bites. Any serious suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Chicken soup has a good reputation in this regard.
I saw recently that chicken soup actually causes an immune response of some kind that helps make you better.
In my area most people suggest Gatorade or pedialyte (my go to). Going without a meal or a few is okay, but make sure to drink, get electrolytes, and make sure it has sugar in it.
Meal replacement shake (or bar) with calories, vitamins, and minerals. It’s what doctor’s recommended after I hit the pavement.
My doctor suggested Soylent and I found some near me. I was thinking this might be an option.
I’ve had illness that broke my swallowing. Soylent is relatively good tasting, has the nutrients you need, and goes down fast and easy. It isn’t pleasant to live on, but I did it for almost two months and it was way better than only eating soggy bread. I definitely recommend Soylent.
Edit: there’s also (I’m sorry I don’t remember the brand) a really good cinnabon breakfast shake that tastes good and helps break up the monotony of a meal replacement shake only diet.
The cinnamon one is Huel, which also has a better nutritional profile than Soylent
Seconding Soylent. I had some issues keeping food down a couple years ago because of some medication I was taking. Soylent was one of the few things I could “eat”. I still like it and drink the banana pie one for my lunch when I have to go into the office.
A few drops of real vanilla extract can make Soylent a bit more palatable if you have a problem with the taste. I haven’t had it for a few years though. I spent a year and a bit mostly just having Soylent and Pho but now I’m back to cooking meals and eating keto.
I wonder if something like this would be good for me when I’ve no appetite when my IBD flares up.
If you suffer from allergic or any kind of reactions to MSG, watch for those in the ingredients. I’m not sure about soylent, but pediasure and boost definitely have it in it.
MSG sensitivity isn’t a real thing, according to the studies done on it. It was a bad bit of science that got thrown into the news cycle and caused a panic (kinda like the vaccine==autism thing).
If you’re feeling bad from food with MSG in it, it’s probably because your body is pissed at you for consuming so much sodium in general.
Hot buttered toast!
To add to this: cinnamon toast. Butter some bread, smear cinnamon sugar on it and microwave for thirty seconds. With bread goes down easy, and cinnamon toast is definitely the best way I came up with to get some carbs.
My issue was with my swallowing. So actual toast was too crunchy to reliably get down. When the butter melted in the microwave, it sort of “set” into the bread. So it was super soggy and easily “dissolved” in my throat. So I personally couldn’t really eat “solid” foods. Microwaved cinnamon toast was the best way I found to get carbs.
Edit: could to couldnt
Nuts are super nutrient-dense. Just a handful gets you a decent amount of calories & protein. You can crush some up and mix with your oatmeal if they’re too much to chew.
Nuts and seeds.
With women who have already had breast cancer, taking 12mg of lignin (found in flak and some other seeds) every day correlated with an 80% reduction in death after 5 years.
Beans are good also. As well as Greens, Onions, Mushrooms, & Berries.
