What do you do when you’re sick and don’t want to eat?

J_Zardo
J_Zardo Posts: 7 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am so sick right now and I know I need to eat at least some food but I am not hungry at all. Do you guys still try to consume food when this happens to you or do you just wait until you are hungry and pick up where you left off before getting sick?

Replies

  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,325 Member
    drink drink drink :)
  • J_Zardo
    J_Zardo Posts: 7 Member
    That makes sense. It’s just been told to me ever since I was a kid that you have to eat when you’re sick, even if you don’t want to, to keep your strength up. So I always think I have to even when it’s the last thing I want to do.
  • RadishEater
    RadishEater Posts: 470 Member
    I eat calorie dense food, pasta with feta cheese sprinkled on top or chef boyardee pizza mix. Really not the healthiest but it is the only time I'm good just eat a slice and being like that's enough.
  • J_Zardo
    J_Zardo Posts: 7 Member
    urloved33 wrote: »
    drink drink drink :)

    I’m drinking water like crazy. That’s about the only think I’m having. I think I’ve eaten maybe 300 calories all day.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    When I'm sick, I eat, but I don't eat a lot. Usually broths or brothy soups and plain toast.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
    Try drinking some broth to get some sodium at least. :) You could try some saltine crackers too, or other bland foods. Feel better soon!
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    I don't eat if I'm sick and don't have an appetite.

    It saves the calories for when I feel better and I'm ravenous.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    Like others have said - hydrate. The old standby is saltines, which I can usually stomach. Melba toast is also usually pretty easy to stomach. But I rarely stay sick long, so i usually don't have long to just wait it out.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    I swear by PowerAde Zero in those situations and then when I do finally get hungry I "allow" myself to eat whatever I am craving like a beef burrito or creamy gravy on biscuits or whatever. Usually it's something out of the ordinary like that, once my appetite returns.

    Hope you feel better soon!!
  • Go_Deskercise
    Go_Deskercise Posts: 1,630 Member
    Drink fluids, wait for appetite to inevitably return.

    Additionally: If you're not eating anything during the day... now is the perfect time for a guilt free milkshake that you can drink without going over your calories for the day :)
  • DawnEmbers
    DawnEmbers Posts: 2,451 Member
    Most of the time if not feeling well I try to get at least 1000 calories but on the occasion don’t make it. Like a day of going over, I also know a day or two that is low won’t do much in the grand scheme of things. Long as it is not a long term thing I don’t worry much over it.
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    Soup, crackers, water, tea... depends on the type of illness, but if I'm not feeling hungry, I'll still try to nibble.
  • olyamhc
    olyamhc Posts: 60 Member
    I drink as much tea and water as I can and also have soups or smoothies (easy to fit energy and nutrient dense foods into these).
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    It depends. I was naseated this morning and the thought of food was gross to me but I was also going to be walking to an appointment and back so not eating while doing that seemed a poor idea. I ate a little bit. If I had been home in bed I probably wouldn't have bothered to eat.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I don't force it. If I do I feel more sick and it usually won't stay with me anyways. This is usually if I have a stomach bug or flu..lasts only a few days then I start to eat a bit again. But I always hydrate best I can.. lots of tea, juice, water, etc
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    You do the best you can. I try to make myself eat something and I'm okay with whatever that "something" is. If I have the flu and the only thing that sounds appetizing is cookies, I eat cookies. (This was the case when I was sick a few years ago and ate nothing but gingersnaps for a day or two.) Your usual diet can wait until you're feeling better.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
    I tend to just skip it. When I'm sick, I'm usually sleeping a lot anyways, so not much time to eat even if I wanted to.

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