When you suffer from a fever, you typically lose your appetite. However, there are times when you may find yourself craving certain foods, even though you know you shouldn’t eat them. So, what should you do if you crave chicken when you have a fever? Can you eat chicken during fever?
Surprisingly, eating chicken is safe and healthy during fever. In fact, From easy to digest to high in vitamins and minerals, there are plenty of benefits to eating chicken during fever.
Here are five of these benefits.
Also read: Yes! You Can Eat Banana When You Have A Fever. Here’s Why
5 Benefits of eating chicken during fever
1. Chicken is high in protein
Chicken is high in protein, which can help you maintain your strength and energy levels while fighting off a fever.
When you are ill, you need to ensure that you are getting enough protein to help your body fight off infection and speed up the healing process. Chicken is an excellent source of protein, containing 27 grams in every 100 grams. Plus, it is a lean source of protein.
Also, there is a lot of evidence that suggests the intake of protein-rich foods can help prevent cold and flu, both of which are common during fever.
While eating chicken during fever gives your plenty of protein, experts suggest that eating lots of protein could lead to dehydration. Therefore, drinking plenty of water or any other liquid is important to keep yourself hydrated.
2. Chicken is a good source of vitamins and minerals
Chicken is an excellent source of energy-boosting nutrients such as selenium, zinc, biotin, riboflavin, B6, phosphorus, and niacin.
All these nutrients are essential for a healthy immune system, which is important when fighting off sickness.
So next time you feel under the weather, reach for some chicken. It’s actually a great way to fuel your body with the nutrients to get better.
Also read: 8 Practical Ways to Recover From Weakness After Fever
3. Chicken is comforting food
Chicken soup has been a traditional remedy for cold or flu, and it can be helpful for fever too.
It contains ingredients that can help to clear congestion, reduce inflammation, and boost immunity. These properties make chicken soup an excellent food to have when you have a fever.
In addition, chicken is also high in tryptophan, which helps your body produce serotonin, a hormone that enhances your mood and gives you the feeling of ‘comfort.’
4. Chicken is easy to digest
During fever, your body works hard to fight infection and this can take a lot of energy leaving you tired and weak.
Eating easy-to-digest foods can help you get the necessary nutrients without having to work too hard to digest them.
Most people think chicken is hard to digest, but that’s a myth. In fact, chicken has no fiber content, making it easy to digest.
Also read: Can You Eat Eggs During Fever? Well, Let’s Find Out!
5. Chicken helps to expel mucus from the body
It is not uncommon for people to experience an increase in mucus production when they have a fever. This is because the body is trying to flush out the infection by producing more mucus.
Chicken is an excellent food to eat during fever because it contains cysteine, an amino acid that helps to thin mucus and make it easier to expel from the body.
Cysteine is also found in chicken soup, which is why chicken soup is often recommended as a home remedy for colds and flu.
Important things to keep in mind when eating chicken during fever
While you choose to eat chicken during fever, there are some important things to keep in your mind.
- Make sure the chicken is fully cooked before eating it. Raw chicken contains Salmonella bacteria that can make you sick.
- Fever can dehydrate you, so it’s important to drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
- Avoid spicy or fried chicken as it may contain lots of oil which can increase inflammation and make you feel worse.
- Eat small portions of chicken and space out your meals throughout the day. Overeating at once can be hard on your stomach and can make you feel worse.
What are other food options available during fever?
While chicken is a great food to eat during fever, it’s not necessary to depend on only it to get better and fight the infection.
There are plenty of other food options that can also be beneficial when you are feverish such as:
- Coconut water
- Ginger tea
- Fruits and vegetables
- Yogurt
- Khichdi
- Dalia
- Bananas
- Fish
These foods can help hydrate and nourish your body and are also usually easy to digest.
Final words
In conclusion, eating chicken during fever can be beneficial for your in many ways. It is an excellent source of protein, high in vitamins and minerals, easy to digest, and can help you expel mucus.
Just remember to cook it thoroughly, with the right ingredients, and enjoy its fantastic healing properties.
Also, make sure not to overeat chicken in one go.
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