When you’re confined to your bed with the flu or feeling annoyed about a cough that won’t go away, you may be more intentional about incorporating health-promoting foods (the ones you can stomach, at least, when nausea is a symptom).
Some of the best foods and drinks during cold and flu season are ones that likely come to mind first, like ginger and tea.
The last thing that may come to mind is a dessert or something sweet. However, registered dietitian Dalina Soto gives her kids popsicles when they’re sick, and for a good reason. And she recommends them for kids and adults alike.
Soto isn’t the only dietitian who has something good to say about the snack’s (frankly underdiscussed) benefits.
“Diet culture tells us to avoid sugar at all costs and that sugary foods are ‘unhealthy,’ but there are plenty of situations, times, and contexts that exist where these same foods are actually supportive of our health and well-being,” said registered dietitian nutritionist Aleta Storch. (More on the physical benefits of sugar in a bit.)
