Recovering from a bad migraine can be quite a process. In fact, it can feel a lot like recovering from the flu! You may feel tired and nauseous, and eating might be the last thing on your mind. However, this can make it difficult to get the sustenance you need to regain your strength and get back to your life.
What about the crackers and lemon-lime soda we had as kids when we recovered from the flu? Turns out, many of these “recovery staples” like toast, sports drinks, sodas, biscuits, and crackers are full of sugar, gluten, artificial sweeteners, and dyes that contribute to inflammation.
Here are some better choices for the recovery phase:
1. Homemade Egg Drop Soup. Just gently stir in a beaten egg into simmering broth, and garnish with herbs! Avoid take-out soup that often contains Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), a neurotoxin that is a common migraine trigger.
2. Bone Broth With Sea Salt. Simple and replenishing! This can be purchased (watch out for MSG!) or easily made at home.
3. Pho Noodle Soup. This nourishing comfort food always sounds good when I don’t feel well!
4. Ginger Tea. Ginger acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and calms an upset stomach.
5. Oatmeal With Blackberries. Keep frozen blackberries on hand to be ready when you need a gentle meal.
6. Mashed Potatoes with Butter. Plain and simple! Sweet potatoes or squash are great, too.
7. Rice With Fried Egg. This is bland but filling – perfect for an upset stomach.
8. Banana. Assuming bananas aren’t a trigger for you, they can be a great recovery food.
9. Tofu And Plantain. Cook in coconut oil with a sprinkle of salt.
10. Plantain Chips. High in magnesium and easy to snack on, these are a good replacement for crackers or graham crackers if you want something starchy and plain.
11. Coconut Water. This is a healthier and more nutrient-rich choice than soda or sports drinks.
12. Stevia Sweetened Electrolyte Replenisher. I like a brand called Ultima to get rehydrated.
I hope some of my suggestions help you recover quicker and get back to enjoying life. Many are easy to keep on hand and quick to whip up, even when you aren’t feeling great.
What’s your favorite comfort food after a migraine? Leave a comment and let me know.
Erin, I love these recipes. You described it perfectly, too. My husband often skips eating after a migraine for the reasons you described, but I KNOW he would enjoy those recipes! These are easy and will now be my go-to’s to help him get back to 100% more quickly. Thanks for the information – you never disappoint!!
Great post Erin! Headaches are the worst. Wonderful advice! I’ve never tried Ginger tea before! I actually hadn’t heard of it, so I’m interested now!!! Sounds yummy!!! Bananas man! I have to admit that I have a banana addiction. 🙂 YUM! Thanks for sharing this!
I also love Miso Soup.
avocado, cut in half, eat with a spoon (w/ a little salt if you’re in the mood for it). fast, nourishing, blood sugar friendly, & ok for upset tummies. can’t go wrong w/ avocado (so always keep them around!)
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Great web site. Plenty of useful information here. I’m sending it to several friends ans also sharing in delicious.
And certainly, thank you to your effort!
I’ll have to show these to my wife. She gets chronic migraines. I had no idea certain foods could help.
Hhhhmmmm….from time immemorial, ginger tea has always done it for me!
I love this advice. I don’t get full blown migraines anymore, but I do get headaches from time to time that is annoying. I am going to try your ideas.
I’ve had 3 migraines in my life and thank goodness that is all. They are horrible. I’m so happy to have found your food list because I just had my 3rd one recently. I’m trying to gather all of the information I can on the subject.
I´m a fan of Ginger Tea! It´s my cure for everything lol Love bananas and blackberries!
Nice useful tips, especially for me, I suffer from migraines once in a while and it really sucks to have it. They are very good foods, not only for treating migraine but like normal foods too for everyday life. 🙂
My mom gets migraines semi regularly. I can’t wait to share this with her. She’s really going to appreciate it ♡. Thank you!
Migraines are the worst, this is great to have in mind next time one comes on!
I didn’t know that Homemade Egg Drop Soup can be a migraine reliever! These are great home remedy list. I hope I can all have these at home.
What an interesting list of items yi curb a headache naturally. I should try some for other concerns.