COVID-19 recovery diet: What to eat when recovering from coronavirus

Along with all the medicines and multivitamins that you might be taking, including a healthy meal in your diet while recovering from COVID-19 is equally crucial. A well-balanced and nutritious diet, particularly at the time when you are down with COVID-19 and your immune system has taken a setback due to the deadly virus can help in building internal strength and aid in speedy recovery.

We all know how infectious the virus is and how fast the symptoms can turn severe if not taken care of at the right time. To fight the infection and prevent them from spreading in your lungs, your body naturally needs more energy and fluids, hence it is pivotal to fuel yourself with nutrient-rich foods. According to the National Health Service (NHS), the UK, those recovering from the coronavirus need more proteins, vitamins and minerals to speed up the recovery process and rebuild their immunity. Keeping this in mind several renowned nutritionists of the country took to their Instagram handle and shared a diet plan for people recovering from COVID-19. Here is what they recommend you eat in a day.

Celebrity nutritionist, Rujuta Diwekar 5-step sample meal plan

Early morning: 5-6 soaked almonds and 4-5 raisins
Breakfast: Ragi Dosa or a bowl of porridge

Post-lunch: A spoon of jaggery with ghee. You can also have it along with roti.

Dinner: Plain khichdi to promote good gut bacteria and get better sleep.

Fluid: Apart from water drink homemade lemon juice and buttermilk.

Celebrity nutritionist Pooja Makhija COVID-19 diet plan
Good quality Protein: Include dal parathas, sprouts salad, besan chilla, moong dal dosa, egg frankie, chicken cutlets, fish fingers in your meal

Fruits and vegetables: Have 5-6 servings of fruit and vegetable in a day. You can have mango custard, watermelon salad, peanut butter with banana, vegetable juice, vegetable raitas, zucchini pizza and vegetable pulao

Have home-cooked food and avoid high fat, high sugar and junk food.

For fatigue: Have these two supplements post COVID-19 in case of extreme fatigue.

Omega 3 fatty acid: 1000 mg

Coenzyme Q 10: You can get it from Spinach, Broccoli, Fish, meat or have a 100 mg supplement.

For loss of smell: In case of loss of smell and taste, add these two nutrient to your diet.

Alpha-lipoic acid: A powerful antioxidant that you can get from rice bran, potato, spinach, broccoli, peas or take 200 mg of supplement.

Vitamin A: 2000iu supplement

Celebrity Nutritionist, Namami Agarwal diet plan

Early morning: 6-7 soaked almonds, 2-3 whole walnuts and 5-6 raisins with a cup of a herbal concoction made with ginger, tulsi leaves and coriander seeds. Also, have a clove of raw garlic with water.

Breakfast: For breakfast have besan/dal/ragi/spinach chilla with mint chutney or vegetable poha or idli sambar or uttapam with coconut chutney or a stuffed omelette with corn and spinach along with a tall glass of buttermilk.

Mid-Morning: Coconut water or beetroot, spinach and amla juice with a fruit of your choice (kiwi, orange, apple, papaya, pineapple).

Lunch: Jeera rice, Ajwain roti, Rajma, Gajar Matar sabzi with a bowl of fresh curd.

Or egg rice, Ajwain roti, Methi aloo, dal (of your choice) with a bowl of curd.

Or vegetable daliya, chickpea with a bowl of curd.

Post lunch: Dates (2 pieces)

Evening: Herbal tea with sweet potato/chickpea/rajma/corn/sprout chaat and any fruit of your choice.

Late evening: Kala chana soup/Chicken soup/Mix vegetable soup/dal soup/fruit.

Dinner: Moong dal khichdi with vegetables.

Or rice chicken vegetable bowl.

or garlic Roti with paneer bhurji and mixed vegetables.

Post dinner: Turmeric milk or turmeric and Black pepper water.

Increase calories intake

While fighting the virus present inside the body, a lot of energy is used, that makes us feel drained and tired. Adding calorie-dense foods to your diet is necessary at this time to get back to the form. Including whole-grain cereals like millets, oats, rice and starchy vegetables like potato, sweet potato can help to increase calorie intake and energise you.

Proteins
Protein is an important nutrient for cell growth and regeneration. It is the building block of life and is required by our body for faster recovery. When suffering from COVID-19 it is recommended to eat a high protein diet. Taking 75-100 grams of protein is essential every day. So, add more foods like lentils, legumes, milk and milk products, soy, nuts, seeds, meat, chicken, fish and eggs.

Vitamins and Mineral
Fresh fruits and vegetables are loaded with immune-boosting, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. These can be an excellent addition to your diet for faster recovery and strengthening your immune system. Aim for 5 portions of fruits and vegetables in a day. Citrus fruits are packed with vitamin C, which helps in the formation of antibodies and fights infection, while green and root vegetables help to strengthen the immune system. Also, spend some time outdoors to get a sufficient amount of vitamin D.

Fluids
Water is an essential element for life as it carries nutrients in the blood, regulates body temperature, and flush out toxins from the body. Besides, an infection can dehydrate the body. Try to drink at least 2-3 litres of water every day. You can also consume herbal concoction, coconut water, milk and fresh juice. Avoid packed juice, caffeine and fizzy drinks.