Question
I have a four-year-old boy at home, and he’s been complaining about a sore throat recently, even when drinking water, and it hurts. He also has a slight cough and low-grade fever. What dietary precautions should I take to help him recover and prevent a recurrence of tonsillitis?
Answer
When a child has tonsillitis, it’s recommended to start by adjusting their daily diet to help boost their immunity and promote the repair of the tonsils. Here are some dietary precautions to consider:
- Encourage your child to eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits: These are rich in various vitamins and minerals that can enhance your child’s immunity. Particularly, fruits like pears and apples, which have cooling and anti-inflammatory properties, should be consumed more.
- Focus on light, easy-to-digest, and easy-to-swallow foods: During an episode of tonsillitis, children may find swallowing difficult. Therefore, soft foods like porridge and noodles should be the mainstay, avoiding hard or dry foods.
- Drink plenty of plain water: Adequate hydration can help alleviate throat dryness and pain.
- Reduce the intake of foods like beef, mutton, and dog meat that may irritate the throat and exacerbate inflammation.
- Avoid seafood: Seafood may also cause allergies or irritation to the throat, so it’s best to avoid it during the recovery period.
- Cultivate good eating habits in your child: Parents should help children develop hygienic and healthy eating habits, encouraging them not to be picky or biased in their eating, and to balance their intake of various nutrients. I hope these suggestions will help your child recover quickly!