Having a sick day? Whether you have sniffles, a sore throat or a fever and chills, eating colorful meals that are packed with immune-supporting ingredients can help decrease the symptoms of a cold and get you back on your feet in no time.
24 Foods to Eat When You Have a Cold or Feel One Coming On
Updated on May 06, 2024
Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup
Nutrition Facts
1-1/3 cups: 239 calories, 12g fat (3g saturated fat), 68mg cholesterol, 1176mg sodium, 14g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 2g fiber), 18g protein.
You know that chicken soup is good for the soul, but it’s also one of those foods that are good to eat when you have a cold. The medicinal benefits from the blend of celery, carrots and onions in a chicken broth can’t be beat. If you want to reduce the sodium in this recipe, opt for a low-sodium chicken broth and add less salt into the pot as you cook. Find out how much protein is there in the chicken.
1/24
2/24
Tortellini Soup
Total Time
40 min
Servings
6 servings (2 quarts)
From the Recipe Creator:
This is my favorite soup recipe. It's quick to fix on a busy night and full of healthy, tasty ingredients. It originally called for spicy sausage links, but I've found that turkey sausage, or even ground turkey breast, is just as good. —Tracy Fasnacht, Irwin, Pennsylvania
3/24
Roasted Garlic Butternut Soup
Total Time
55 min
Servings
9 servings (2-1/4 quarts)
From the Recipe Creator:
This lower-fat soup is creamy, really intense in flavor and offers 545 mg of potassium. —Robin Haas, Cranston, Rhode, Island
This hearty puree of garlicky sweet potatoes and butternut squash is a soothing anti-inflammatory blend of vitamins A and C as well as hydrating water and broth. It’s easy to whip up this soup by roasting the veggies ahead of time and blending together later.
4/24
Slow & Easy Minestrone
Total Time
7 hours 25 min
Servings
6 servings (2-1/4 quarts)
From the Recipe Creator:
Hot soup on a cold day is something I just can't get enough of. It's a snap to put together, and I don't have to wash pots and pans after a relaxing meal. —Sally Goeb, New Egypt, New Jersey
Full of hydrating vegetables loaded with plant compounds and vitamins, this sick day soup couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is set it and forget it in the slow cooker. Cook it while you nap and wake up to nourishing food to eat when you have a cold.
5/24
Citrus Melon Mingle
Total Time
20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This refreshing fruit salad has a hint of mint, honey and ginger that adds subtle flavor to the sweet combination of melons, grapefruit, oranges, pineapple and bananas. —Doris Heath, Franklin, North Carolina
Bright and fresh, this fruit salad is the perfect food to eat when you have a cold. Packed with immune supporting vitamin C from the oranges, melon and grapefruit, as well as hints of fresh ginger to ease digestion, this salad is a simple healing dish to power your total body wellness.
6/24
Carrot Soup with Orange & Tarragon
Total Time
40 min
Servings
8 servings (2 quarts)
From the Recipe Creator:
A pretty orange color, a delicious hint of citrus and a garden-fresh flavor make this soup a requested dish at my many celebrations. Try sprinkling individual bowls with fresh tarragon before serving. —Phyllis Schmalz, Kansas City, Kansas
Creamy and nourishing, this soup is super simple and packed with vital antioxidants. Plus, the recipe calls for a hint of tarragon, an herb that contains manganese. This mineral can help decrease damaging stress to your cells.
7/24
Rosemary Roasted Baby Carrots
Total Time
35 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Baby carrots go over big when seasoned with the subtle taste of rosemary. I like to sprinkle raisins on top for a combination of sweet and savory. —Aysha Schurman, Ammon, Idaho
Tossed with olive oil, rosemary, cumin and black pepper, these carotenoid-rich carrots are loaded with intense flavor. The best part is you don’t have to tend to them as they roast in the oven. Simply set a timer and rest.
8/24
Roasted Pumpkin and Brussels Sprouts
Total Time
50 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
While traveling to Taiwan, I had the pleasure of trying a unique vegetable dish that included fresh pumpkin. It inspired me to roast pumpkin with Brussels sprouts. —Pam Correll, Brockport, Pennsylvania
Try this savory and colorful immune-supporting combo of pumpkin and Brussels sprouts. The garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar amp up the feel-good flavors in this dish, but you can add extra sweetness with dried cranberries. Bonus, dried cranberries are also an excellent source of antioxidants too.
9/24
Cumin-Roasted Carrots
Total Time
55 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Carrots make a super side—they are big on flavor and a breeze to cook. Plus, I can actually get my husband to eat these spiced veggies. —Taylor Kiser, Brandon, Florida
There’s nothing like warm spices to make you feel better when you have a cold. Try these cumin, coriander and garlic dressed carrots to excite your senses and soothe your breathing passages. Toast the aromatic spices in a skillet to enhance the overall flavor experience.
10/24
Garlic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Sauce
Total Time
20 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Don’t be afraid to bring out the roasted Brussels sprouts. Mellowed with mustard sauce, they may just delight even the most skeptical folks. —Becky Walch, Orland, California
There are many health benefits of Brussels sprouts, and adding them to your menu during a sick week can help your body get up to speed more quickly. The carmelized flavor that results from roasting along with the Dijon mustard for dipping will put a pep in your step and immune system.
11/24
Warm Tasty Greens with Garlic
Total Time
30 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My farm box had too many greens, so I had to use them up. This tasty idea uses kale, tomatoes and garlic in a dish that quickly disappears. —Martha Neth, Aurora, Colorado
Kale is packed with vitamins A and C, which are two powerful nutrients in decreasing the severity of the common cold. If you’d rather not boil the kale in this recipe, you can saute it with plenty of olive oil. Sauteeing can also help keep some of the crisp structure of this leafy green vegetable.
12/24
Fennel Carrot Soup
Total Time
55 min
Servings
8 servings (2 qt.)
From the Recipe Creator:
This soup is perfect as a first course for a special-occasion dinner. It gets its delicious flavor from toasted fennel seeds—a pleasant complement to the carrots, apple and sweet potato. —Marlene Bursey, Waverly, Nova Scotia
This blend of plant foods from sweet potatoes, apples, carrots and fennel is a powerhouse in a bowl. Plus, it’s seasoned with curry powder, an anti-inflammatory spice blend that can soothe you when you’re fighting a cold.
13/24
Pumpkin & Cauliflower Garlic Mash
Total Time
25 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I wanted healthy alternatives to my family's favorite recipes. Pumpkin, cauliflower and thyme make an amazing dish. You'll never miss those plain old mashed potatoes. —Kari Wheaton, South Beloit, Illinois
Garlic, pumpkin and cauliflower, oh my! This mash-up is perfect for curing whatever ails you. Tasty as a side dish for grilled chicken or fish, this vibrantly colored puree offers the best defense when you most need it.
14/24
Chicken & Garlic with Fresh Herbs
Total Time
30 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
The key to this savory chicken is the combination of garlic, fresh rosemary and thyme. I like to serve it with mashed potatoes or crusty Italian bread. —Jan Valdez, Lombard, Illinois
This one-pot meal couldn’t be easier to make when you’re having a sick day. Adding high quality protein to your diet gives your muscles the energy you need to get through the day. Plus, the aromatic garlic, rosemary and thyme enhances the flavor and immune-boosting impact of this cozy dish.
15/24
Watercress & Orange Salad
Total Time
20 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Keep this recipe handy when you need to make a special salad quickly. The flavorful vinaigrette adds a refreshing touch to the greens and oranges. —Alpha Wilson, Roswell, New Mexico
Watercress is an excellent superfood green that is fun to use in place of other greens like spinach or kale. With a double punch of vitamin C from the peppery watercress and zesty oranges, this plant-powered dish can boost your immunity, as well as your spirits.
16/24
Lemon Thyme Green Tea
Total Time
1 hour 20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Fresh sprigs of lemon thyme make this citrusy tea so refreshing—it’s like sipping summer from a cup. My family and I enjoy it so much that it’s a staple on our southern front porch.—Melissa Pelkey Hass, Waleska, Georgia
Sick days call for vitamin C, a water soluble vitamin that boosts immune health and can decrease the severity of a cold. This lemon tea is sure to soothe a sore throat and any aches and pains you have. Plus, it steeps in minutes, making it a simple elixir to help you feel better.
17/24
Roasted Carrots & Fennel
Total Time
55 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This addictive fennel recipe is a fresh take on one of my mother's standard wintertime dishes. I usually add more carrots—as many as the pans will hold. —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia
Fennel, a licorice-flavored herb is jam-packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that boost cell health. In addition, you get a healthy dose of vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and manganese, which all come in handy when fighting a cold.
18/24
Herb Roasted Root Vegetables
Total Time
50 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Here's a simple-to-fix side that is perfect for a festive dinner. It looks beautiful with any entree. Roasting brings out the vegetables' natural sweetness. —Deirdre Cox, Kansas City, Missouri
You can’t go wrong with fresh root vegetables to remedy a cold. This dish is loaded with immune-supportive vitamin C and potassium from the mix of white and sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips and turnips. The high fiber also keeps the healthy bacteria teeming in your tummy.
19/24
Orange Poppy Seed Salad
Total Time
35 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
In our area, olives, walnuts, pomegranates and oranges are grown locally, and I love using them in recipes. I include all four ingredients in a simple but refreshing romanine salad. —Faith Sommers, Bangor, California
It’s easy to throw together this salad when you have a cold, plus you know you’re doing your body good. Packed with vitamin C from the oranges, fiber and omega-3 fats from walnuts and antioxidants from the pomegranate seeds, your immune system will get the nutritional support it desperately needs. If you make the dressing with raw apple cider vinegar, you’ll get an added probiotic boost too!
20/24
Fresh Green Beans & Garlic
Total Time
25 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I am a firm believer that fresh is best. I developed this recipe to take advantage of our garden veggies. It really shows off the full flavor of the green beans. —Carol Mayer, Sparta, Illinois
If you notice digestive issues when you have a cold, it could be because of the stress on the cells in your body. To promote healthy cell turnover and to give your body the immune support it requires to heal, try this green bean dish. It’s also rich with garlic, which will give you a great antimicrobial boost.
21/24
Minestrone Soup
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
11 servings (2-3/4 quarts)
From the Recipe Creator:
This minestrone soup recipe is special to me because it’s one of the few dinners my entire family loves. And I can feel good about serving it because it’s full of nutrition and low in fat. —Lauren Brennan, Hood River, Oregon
22/24
Simple Tomato Soup
Total Time
30 min
Servings
8 servings (2 quarts)
From the Recipe Creator:
I created this recipe on a bad weather day. My husband, Mic, and my daughter, Liz, ask for this soup constantly. Whenever I send it with my daughter for lunch at school, I always send some for her friend too. It is pure comfort food. —Lanaee O'Neill, Chico, California
Who doesn’t love tomato soup when you have a cold? This soup is loaded with lycopene, a powerful antioxidant packed into tomatoes—which is especially high in cooked canned tomatoes. If you need a comfort food classic to pair with this tomato soup, try a gooey grilled cheese sandwich.
23/24
Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
Total Time
25 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I order cauliflower mash every time we visit our favorite restaurant. Lucky us; one night, I figured out how to make it at home. It was so easy! —Jean Keiser, West Chester, Pennsylvania
Cauliflower, the ultimate cruciferous veggie, is the star in this dish. It’s one of those foods that are high in vitamin C, and it’s also super simple to whip together on a sick day. To add more gut-friendly bacteria, use a dollop of plain yogurt instead of mayo.
24/24
Chai Tea
Total Time
20 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Perfect for cold nights, this masala chai tea recipe incorporates spices that make it so delicious, you'll want to drink it every day. —Kelly Pacowta, Danbury, Connecticut
