When you’re sick and pregnant, the priority is keeping food and fluids down, even if that means eating differently than you normally would. Your body is already working harder to support your pregnancy, and an illness like a cold, stomach bug, or flu increases the demand for fluids, calories, and nutrients at a time when eating feels like the last thing you want to do. The good news: most of the best foods for illness recovery are simple, gentle on your stomach, and easy to prepare.
Fluids Come First
Staying hydrated matters more than eating solid food in the early stages of any illness, especially if you’re dealing with vomiting, diarrhea, or fever. Pregnant women need roughly 8 to 10 glasses of water per day under normal conditions, plus an additional 300 mL (about 10 ounces) starting in the second trimester to support the increased caloric and metabolic demands of pregnancy. When you’re losing fluids through illness, you’ll need even more.
Plain water should be your primary source, but it’s not the only option. Coconut water provides natural electrolytes. Diluted fruit juice adds a small amount of sugar that can help with energy. Broth, whether on its own or as the base of a soup, delivers both fluids and minerals like sodium and potassium that you lose through vomiting or diarrhea. If plain water makes you nauseous, try sipping it cold or at room temperature with a squeeze of lemon, or switch to small, frequent sips rather than large gulps.
Watch the color of your urine as a rough gauge of hydration. Pale yellow is the goal. Dark yellow or amber means you need more fluids, and if you’re unable to keep anything down for more than a few hours, that warrants a call to your provider since IV fluids may be necessary.
Bland Foods for an Upset Stomach
If nausea or a stomach bug is the issue, bland, easy-to-digest foods are your best bet for getting calories back in. The classic BRAT approach (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) remains a reliable starting point. These foods are low in fat, high in simple carbohydrates, and unlikely to trigger further nausea. Bananas also replace potassium lost through vomiting or diarrhea.
Beyond BRAT, focus on high-carbohydrate, low-fat foods and eat them in small, frequent amounts rather than full meals. An empty stomach often makes nausea worse. Crackers, plain pasta, oatmeal, and mashed potatoes all fit this pattern. Protein-rich meals can also help settle nausea, so consider pairing these carbs with something mild like scrambled eggs or a small portion of plain chicken when you’re ready.
The key principle: eat what you can tolerate, even if it’s not a “balanced” meal. A few days of crackers and applesauce won’t harm your baby. Not eating or drinking at all is far more concerning.
Protein That Won’t Turn Your Stomach
Protein supports your immune system and your baby’s growth, but the smell and texture of meat can be deeply unappealing when you’re sick. Fortunately, several high-protein options are easier to stomach.
- Eggs: Hard-boiled eggs are mild in smell and easy to prepare ahead of time. They’re also rich in choline, which supports your baby’s brain development. Try them plain, mashed into egg salad, or sliced on toast.
- Cold chicken: Cooked and chilled chicken tends to be better tolerated than hot meat because it produces less aroma. Slice it for a sandwich or mix it into chicken salad.
- Peanut butter: Spread on a banana or a piece of toast, peanut butter adds protein and healthy fats with minimal preparation.
- Yogurt: Plain or lightly flavored yogurt is gentle on the stomach, provides protein and calcium, and contains probiotics that help restore healthy gut bacteria after a stomach illness. Probiotics do not appear to pose safety concerns during pregnancy.
- Smoothies: Blending fruit with yogurt, milk, or a nut butter creates a complete meal that leaves the stomach faster than solid food, which can reduce nausea. Cold temperatures also tend to be easier to tolerate.
Chicken Soup Is Worth the Hype
If you have a cold, flu, or respiratory illness, chicken soup is one of the most effective single meals you can eat. It combines hydration, protein, easily absorbed minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc), and anti-inflammatory compounds all in one bowl. When the soup is made with bones or bone broth, the slow cooking process releases collagen-rich gelatin that helps reduce inflammation and supports gut health, which is especially useful during pregnancy when digestion naturally slows down.
Adding garlic, celery, and fresh herbs like parsley boosts the anti-inflammatory benefits. Even store-bought versions help, though homemade or pre-made bone broth varieties tend to be more nutrient-dense. The warm steam also helps loosen nasal congestion, making it easier to breathe and sleep.
Ginger for Nausea Relief
Ginger is one of the most studied natural remedies for pregnancy nausea, and it works well for illness-related nausea too. The recommended dose is about 1,000 mg per day, divided into smaller portions. A practical way to think about it: 250 mg every six hours, roughly equivalent to a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger steeped in hot water four times a day.
You can get ginger through fresh ginger tea, ginger chews, ginger ale made with real ginger, or crystallized ginger candy. Avoid exceeding 4 grams per day, as high doses may have uterine-stimulating effects. For most women, a few cups of ginger tea throughout the day falls well within safe limits.
Safe Teas and Warm Drinks
Warm liquids soothe a sore throat, ease congestion, and contribute to your fluid intake. Peppermint tea is classified as safe during pregnancy and may help with nausea, though its effectiveness for reducing vomiting hasn’t been strongly demonstrated in clinical trials. It’s best used in moderation during the first trimester, as excessive amounts have theoretical effects on uterine activity. One to two cups a day is a reasonable limit.
Herbal teas in general lack large-scale clinical trials confirming their safety in pregnancy, so the standard guidance is to keep consumption to two cups per day. Ginger tea and peppermint tea are among the most commonly used and best-studied options. For teas you’re less familiar with, check the ingredient list for herbs you haven’t specifically looked into.
Honey is a safe and effective addition to tea or warm water during pregnancy. While honey can contain botulism spores that are dangerous to infants under one year old, your mature digestive system neutralizes these spores completely. Even in rare cases where pregnant women developed botulism from contaminated honey, their babies showed no signs of infection in the womb. A spoonful of honey in warm water or tea can coat a sore throat and provide quick energy when you’re struggling to eat.
What to Prioritize When You Can Barely Eat
On your worst days, when even crackers feel like a stretch, focus on three things in this order: fluids, then carbohydrates, then protein. A single glass of broth, a few bites of toast, or a handful of grapes is better than nothing. Your body has nutrient reserves your baby can draw from for a short period, so a day or two of minimal eating during an acute illness is not dangerous.
As your appetite returns, gradually reintroduce more nutrient-dense foods. Chilled fresh fruit is often one of the first things that sounds appealing. Watermelon and oranges pull double duty by providing both hydration and vitamins. From there, layer in protein sources like eggs or yogurt, and work back toward your normal eating pattern.
Once the worst has passed and you’re keeping food down reliably, probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, and fermented foods can help rebuild your gut bacteria, particularly if you had a stomach virus or were prescribed antibiotics. These are safe throughout pregnancy and lactation.