Food and Drinks that Soothe a Sore Throat

Helpful advice for what to eat with a sore throat is to choose foods that are easy to swallow and that don’t further irritate your already inflamed throat.

Soft foods

Reach for soft yet nutritious foods such as bananas, yoghurt, or scrambled eggs to prevent irritating your sore throat. You could also try whipping up a smoothie to keep up your intake of fruits and vegetables.

Warm foods

Warm foods such as chicken or vegetable soup can help soothe a sore throat.

Frozen foods

Cold frozen foods such as ice cubes, ice blocks, ice cream, and frozen yoghurt may help to cool your sore throat to reduce discomfort while eating.

Foods that coat your throat

Certain foods such as honey are called demulcents. These foods coat the throat with a soothing film to help relieve the irritation of a sore throat.

We’ve listed some foods that help sore throat, but what about drinks for sore throat? The essential thing to remember is that maintaining your fluid intake is important when you have a sore throat, to prevent dehydration.

Cold drinks

The cooling effect of cold drinks such as iced water or iced tea can help to relieve sore throats.

Warm drinks

Warm drinks such as black, green, or herbal tea can also soothe a sore throat. Consider adding honey to warm water or warm tea to coat and soothe your irritated sore throat.

Now that we know what is good food for sore throat, are there any ‘bad’ foods to avoid? When you are managing a sore throat, try to avoid foods that are difficult to swallow or that could cause more irritation to a painful or inflamed throat.

Rough-textured or hard foods

Foods that are rough or have sharp edges or that are hard and crunchy can all cause more irritation to an already sore throat.

Salty or spicy foods

Consider toning down the levels of spices and salt in your foods when you have a sore throat to help reduce irritation.

Acidic foods

Highly acidic foods such as tomatoes or citrus fruits may also irritate a sore throat.

Sore throats associated with colds and flu usually resolve on their own in around 1 week. As described above, adjusting the temperature and types of food you eat can help relieve discomfort associated with an irritated sore throat. However, there is no scientific evidence to show that any particular food or drink can speed your recovery.