When you have an illness, your body still needs food for energy and to heal. But often, if a person feels nauseated or has GI distress, it is difficult to eat.
Here are some suggestions for easy to digest foods that can be substituted during sick days. Try to maintain the normal amount of carbohydrates that are part of your meal plan.
These portion sizes are each equal to 15 Gm. of carbohydrate:
1/2 cup of orange juice (4 oz.)
1 cup skim milk (8 oz.)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup gatorade
1 piece of toast
1/2 of a banana
1/2 cup of naturally-sweet fruit
1 cup of sugar-free yogurt
You may want to look at the carbohydrate count for other foods, such as cereal, cottage cheese, broths, sherberts, and other easily digested foods.
You can incorporate them into your meal plan for that day, to prevent hypoglycemia when heavier more-solid food may be difficult to eat during your illness.
As always, talk to your doctor when you are ill, about any needed changes in your diet, activity and medications, to help you cruise through your sick day.
