Question
My son is 3 years old and has recently been experiencing a sore throat, severe cough, and low-grade fever. He has been diagnosed with tonsillitis. What dietary precautions should I take?
Answer
When a child has tonsillitis, it is recommended to pay attention to the following dietary points to promote recovery:
- Light Diet: The child’s daily diet should mainly consist of light foods, with an emphasis on vegetables and fruits, while reducing greasy and heavily flavored dishes.
- Vitamin and Trace Element Intake: Eating more vegetables and fruits can help supplement vitamins and trace elements, boost immunity, and promote recovery. For instance, pears and apples have a cooling and anti-inflammatory effect, which can be consumed more.
- Easy-to-Digest Foods: Provide easy-to-digest foods such as thin porridge or soft noodles.
- Avoid Allergenic Foods: Foods such as beef, mutton, poultry eggs, and seafood can easily cause allergies and inflammation. These should be avoided during this period.
- Avoid Spicy and Irritating Foods: Spicy dishes like Sichuan hotpot can exacerbate inflammation, so they should be avoided.
- Correct Bad Habits: Help the child correct bad habits like picky eating and aversion to food to ensure balanced nutrition intake and comprehensive absorption.