Five best foods to eat when you have a sore throat

Sore throats can make it hard to enjoy your favourite foods and drinks (Image: iStock)

A sore throat is commonly caused by either a viral infection like the common cold or the streptococcus bacteria.

It comes with symptoms such as an itchy throat, inflammation and the most irritating of them all, a sore feeling that can make it hard for you to eat or swallow.

While you’re experiencing a sore throat, it’s difficult to enjoy the foods and drinks you love because most things can easily irritate your throat.

For now, you will have to avoid acidic drinks like citrus fruits or juices, sugary foods and coarse foods because they all make the symptoms worse.

The good thing is that there are still other options that will soothe your throat and others that come with healing properties:

With all the ingredients in this soup can you even resist it? (Image: Shutterstock)

• Chicken and veggie soups

Although sore throats make most foods unbearable, you should consider trying out chicken or vegetable soups-or a combination of both.

It’s generally good for you because of the nutritional value but also because they come packed with benefits that could help your body fight the infection.

They will boost your immunity and replenish the fluids lost to get you healthy again.

For best results, make one from scratch so you can add other healing ingredients like ginger. This gives you more nutritional benefits than instant soups.

Eggs are very easy to eat and cook and will keep you satiated for long (Image: iStock)

• Eggs

Eggs have always been a breakfast favorite in many households. They are a great source of various minerals and vitamins and they contain a good amount of protein that keeps you healthy.

This is just what you need while you recover because vitamins like B12 and D and minerals such as iron and zinc found in eggs will suppress the infection.

Even better, eggs are soft so the process of swallowing them won’t be horrible. You can boil or scramble them for a quick meal.

• Oatmeal

Another quick and tasty meal you can benefit from is oatmeal. It doesn’t irritate the throat and has a lot of infection-fighting properties.

You can enjoy a bowl for breakfast and add a little honey which also has some anti-bacterial properties.

But, remember that you shouldn’t go overboard with the honey because the sweetness can make the sore throat worse.

Sweet potatoes will slide down your throat with the added advantage of being very nutritious (Image: iStock)

• Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes have been around for years and they’re not disappearing anytime soon. It was discovered that they have a unique taste and as well as some wonderful nutritional qualities which is why they’re still very popular to date.

When battling a sore throat, you will get vitamins along with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits that boost your immunity.

You can have plain sweet potatoes with ginger tea or enjoy them with vegetables and healthy stews when mashed.

Another option is to use any other type of potato if you’re not a fan of sweet potatoes.

• Vegetables

Vegetables should always be on your plate with each meal. A good choice for you would be cabbage or any other leafy green.

To prevent any irritation, ensure they are well cooked and soft enough to swallow without any problems.

Alternatively, you can blend some vegetables into a smoothie along with plain yoghurt, honey and bananas. This will also aid in the healing process.