Viral fever diet: foods to eat & avoid during viral fever

"Viral fever" refers to a collection of viral infections that result in fever and various other symptoms. Normally, viral fever has symptoms such as body aches, high fever, and fatigue. These would last for about 7 to 10 days.  During this time, your body fights the infection on its own; eating a balanced, healthy diet during viral fever can help you recover quickly. Consuming vitamin C-rich foods can help boost your immune system, whereas consuming processed foods or alcohol can harm your health. Watching your diet when you have viral fever is extremely important.

People often complain about nausea and a diminished appetite, but your body needs nutrition and energy as much as it needs to rest. Here you will find some food recommendations to create the best viral fever diet chart and heal quickly.

What To Eat In Viral Fever

When you are down with viral fever, you should eat light meals that are easy to digest and ensure you take in enough fluids.  Some of the recommendations for foods that you need to eat during the viral fever infection are : 

Soups:

Soups are known for nutrition and are a completely easier option to digest. It is important to take plenty of water to reduce the effect of fever. Vegetable broth or even chicken soup is highly recommended for viral fever. These would automatically reduce the effect of the fever in the body. Soups are also easier to prepare at home. It is convenient to try various soup recipes like

• Sweet corn soup
• Broccoli soup
•  Tomato soup
•  Chicken soup with boiled eggs

You can also add ginger to your soup to easily increase the flavor. These are suitable for ensuring the body gets more nutrients. It also reduces inflammation and strengthens the immune system. 

Green and leafy vegetables Rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, and other micro-nutrients, green vegetables are extremely beneficial for you, especially when you are under the weather. Spinach, bottle gourd, broccoli, cabbage, are excellent foods for viral fever as they make your immune system stronger. You can incorporate them into a smoothie, salad, or chapati or vegetable preparation. Most green vegetables are packed with nutrition and easy to digest, making them one of the best foods for viral fever. Also Read : 4 Common Causes of Viral Fever Infection

Citrus fruits All citrus fruits are packed with vitamin C, which is a great immunity booster. Including fruits, like oranges, kiwis, sweet limes, strawberries, and gooseberries, in your viral fever diet chart is a great way to ensure a speedy recovery. Your doctor may also prescribe vitamin C supplements to boost your immunity; it is preferable to eat citrus fruits instead as your body can absorb it better this way. These are one of the best foods for viral fever.

Oatmeal Oatmeal is a versatile food item that can be prepared in different variations, such as oat pudding, boiled oats, and oat khichdi. People suffering from viral fever can benefit from this simple-to-prepare nutritious food item. It is rich in beta-glucan fibre and vitamin E, which makes it excellent for your heart and immune system and for maintaining your blood-sugar levels, in addition to aiding digestion. You can make a smoothie with oats soaked overnight or a warm preparation with milk, fruits, and nuts to enhance the nutritional content of the meal. Coconut water

Being rich in electrolytes, potassium, and glucose, coconut water helps you regain your energy in addition to providing hydration. People with viral fever should consider adding coconut water to their diet. This also improves your digestion and helps you recover quickly.

Herbal tea

Sipping a cup of warm tea infused with ginger, basil leaves, and/or cloves can soothe your throat and improve your health. This works especially well for viral fevers that cause viral fever symptoms like a sore throat. If you don’t like tea with milk, you can prepare a ginger lemon tea with honey to comfort your sore throat.

Khichdi and porridge

One of the best comfort foods of India, khichdi and porridge are extremely easy to prepare and full of nutrition. Khichdi, prepared with rice, toor dal, and some vegetables for extra nutrition, is a wonderful food to eat in viral fever. 

Having sweet porridge or Daliya with milk is a great option for increasing the recovery rate of viral infection. Or if you prefer salty food, you can try cooking daliya with vegetables as a replacement for standard khichdi. It will be suitable for assisting you with returning to a normal diet. 

Turmeric milk Make sure to drink warm milk along with turmeric to easily reduce inflammation and get faster recovery from viral fever conditions. 

Banana Mildly flavoured and nutrition-packed bananas are extremely good for people with viral fever infections. They are rich in essential micronutrients, including potassium, vitamin C, magnesium, and manganese, for maintaining a healthy body. Bananas are also easy on your digestive system.

Curd You may have heard that consuming curd during viral fever is not good for your health. However, you will be surprised by the health benefits of curd during viral fever. It is a good source of probiotics, which help support the immune system and improve digestion and the absorption of nutrients. Eating plain curd without sugar can be quite helpful for you. If you are concerned about consuming curd while suffering from viral fever, perform a "patch test." Consume a small quantity of curd and see how it affects your body; you can include curd in your meals if you don’t see any negative reactions.

Viral Fever Diet

Time	Meal	Recommended Food Items
Early Morning	Warm water + Herbal infusion	Warm water with honey & lemon or tulsi/ginger tea
Breakfast	Light & nutritious	Khichdi with moong dal, oats porridge, boiled egg (if not vegetarian), toast with banana
Mid-Morning	Hydration + Vitamins	Fresh orange juice (diluted), coconut water, or seasonal fruits (papaya, watermelon)
Lunch	Soft, easily digestible meal	Plain rice + dal, vegetable soup, boiled vegetables, curd (if no throat congestion)
Afternoon Snack	Light snack + fluids	Buttermilk, glucose water, a handful of soaked almonds or digestive biscuits
Evening	Light nourishment	Moong dal soup, herbal tea, or ragi porridge
Dinner	Light, warm meal	Soft khichdi or plain rice with boiled veggies, clear chicken soup (optional)
Before Bed	Immunity booster	Warm turmeric milk or warm water with ginger

Viral Fever Foods To Avoid

Your body fights viral fever infection on its own; most medication and treatment for viral fever is aimed at managing the symptoms and supporting your immune system to perform well. As a result, providing your body with the proper fuel and nutrition is critical to your recovery. Now that you know which foods help you recover quickly, here are some items that you should avoid during viral fever:

Processed foods Your fast-paced life may encourage you to consume processed foods, but the nutrient content of this food decreases with each processing cycle. Processed food is not good for you when you are healthy; it can deprive your body of the required nutrition it needs, especially when you are sick. Alcohol and caffeinated beverages Viral fever is usually accompanied by dehydration as your body tries to fight the infection and flush out the virus. Drinking alcohol weakens your immune system and further dehydrates your body. You should also avoid beverages like coffee and tea to avoid dehydration. Fat-rich food items In viral fever, your digestive system may not be able to digest heavy food items that are rich in fat, which may lead to diarrhoea. Doctors recommend eating an easy-to-digest meals for patients with viral fever. Simple sugars Food items such as candies, toffees, and sweetened beverages are low in nutrition and can aggravate diarrhoea. *People who have viral gastroenteritis should avoid or limit dairy products, such as milk, curd, or paneer, as their digestive systems may not be able to digest the lactose present in these food items easily. Also Read : Top 5 Different Types Of Viral Fever

References:

1. Foods to avoid when you have the flu. The Ohio State University [Internet]. https://health.osu.edu/wellness/exercise-and-nutrition/foods-to-avoid-with-flu. Accessed April 10, 2023.
2. Viral Fever: What Foods To Eat And Avoid To Reduce The Risk Of Illness. Onlymyhealth [Internet]. https://www.onlymyhealth.com/viral-fever-foods-to-reduce-risk-of-illness-1612350074. Accessed April 05, 2023.
3. Foods to eat when sick with flu. OSF Healthcare [Internet]. https://www.osfhealthcare.org/blog/foods-to-eat-when-sick-with-flu/. Accessed April 10, 2023.

4. Foods to eat and avoid with the flu. MedicalNewsToday[Internet]. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326306. Accessed April 15, 2023.

5. 11 Foods and Drinks to Help Soothe Flu Symptoms. Everyday Health. https://www.everydayhealth.com/flu/foods-and-drinks-to-help-soothe-flu-symptoms/. Accessed April 22, 2023.