During the cold and flu season, it often feels like children come home from school or childcare with a new illness every week. Colds, flu, gastroenteritis, hand, foot and mouth disease, and norovirus spread quickly among kids who spend long hours in close, poorly ventilated spaces. While you can’t entirely prevent your child from getting sick, there are practical ways to help them recover faster and feel better.
Lucy, a children’s dietitian and toddler mom who shares her insights on TikTok, has opened up about the exact foods and fluids she gives her daughter during illness. When her child recently experienced vomiting, Lucy diluted apple juice with water at a 50-50 ratio to keep her hydrated. According to the British Medical Journal, diluted apple juice is a great alternative to oral rehydration solutions for children with gastroenteritis.
Lucy explains, “Our sickness episode started with vomiting, so I used 50-50 diluted apple juice to support hydration. It’s been shown to be as effective as oral rehydration solutions in young children.”
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Hydration remains her top priority, so she includes fluid-rich foods like yogurt — which can also be frozen to soothe sore throats. As her child’s appetite improved, Lucy gradually introduced plain, simple foods that are easy to digest. These predictable foods are often better tolerated when children are unwell, especially after tummy troubles.
Lucy also acknowledges that it’s normal for kids to lose their appetite when sick, so she looks for ways to add extra calories. This includes cooking orzo pasta in milk, boosting porridge with eggs and toppings, and spreading butter generously on both sides of toast for extra energy.
A persistent nighttime cough led Lucy to give her daughter honey mixed with warm water before bed. Research shows that honey can ease coughing overnight in children over one year old and is as effective as many over-the-counter cough remedies.
Importantly, Lucy lets her toddler choose some of her own foods, which recently included a wrap filled with cheese and raspberries — a combination her daughter enjoyed. She also ensures her child continues to get daily vitamin D to support her immune system.
“As she recovers, we focus on plain foods or simple, deconstructed family meals alongside her preferred dishes — even those odd toddler combos,” she shared.
Parents responding to Lucy’s advice thanked her for practical and evidence-based tips, especially around hydration during illness. Many said the apple juice hack was a revelation they plan to remember for future sickness episodes.