Ask Lemmy

Soup, yogurt or blending a bunch of vegetables/fruit into a smoothie. Tastes awful but it's easy to down and will keep you alive.

If you’re able to hold solid foods besides the things like Gatorade/pedialite/ensure fig newtons are pretty calorie dense too.

if you can find Miso Paste, or even instant Miso anywhere, that's usually one of my go to's. I'd stick to white miso cuz its more bland than awase or red miso. Just put like a tablespoon in a mug and put hot (not boiling) water over it and stir. It's yummy and got salt which might help you absorb water better and save off dehydration. Depending on where you live, you might find miso paste in the refrigerated section of the supermarket

Pair that with a hard boiled egg for a bit of protien and thats usually what I do.

I’ve struggled with appetite issues for a while now and my go-to whenever I can’t get myself to eat regular food is nutritional drinks like Soylent, Boost etc. Enough calories to replace a meal and you won’t miss out on nutrients.

Name brand ones are unfortunately super expensive so I usually stick to the Kroger Fortify+. I know you said flavor isn’t a priority, but avoid vanilla. It’s wretched. Chocolate is the one that’s most palatable.

I was really sick and couldn't eat much of anything for 2 months and lived mostly on the chocolate Soylent. I had issues staying hydrated so I also drank a lot of Liquid IV (Pina colada and watermelon were my favorites).

As I started to tolerate more solid food I ate: canned soup purees like butternut squash/tomato bisque/pea soup, powdered soup mixes from Bob's Red Mill or Knorr, steel cut oatmeal with mushrooms and chicken broth cooked in a pressure cooker, rolled oatmeal with nuts and dried fruit, grits, plain rice crackers, nut thins, fage 5% yogurt, bananas plain or blended up with milk, applesauce, cottage cheese, carrots cooked to mush. Also ate a lot of sweet potatoes and russet potatoes, I cooked a bunch of them whole in the pressure cooker at once and then I'd eat them all week.

Some of my friends recommended Huel or Plenny shakes but I never got around to ordering any.

I'd also avoid anything with too much oil, fat, hot spices, or sugar which can irritate the stomach and limit cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale which can be hard to digest.

Hope you feel better soon.

Not sure if people will scorch this idea but one thing I love when I'm having trouble is scalloped potatoes cut up real small and you just graze it all day. Ginger ale is a nice companion but try to get as low dugar as you can find and use a metal straw and sip very preciously

I know there's dairy and a bunch of other stuff but it goes down super easy and the trick is to have it in a million pieces so you can really go slow. Hope it helps

Make one of those weight gainers shakes, with oatmeal, bananas, nuts, flaxseed, protein powder, berries (also toss in spinach, you can barely taste it). And just down it quickly.

You’ll need a decent blender though.

Hawaiian delight baby food, oyster crackers, broth (better than bouillon and a clove of garlic)

Fruit snacks

I heard many people that are going through different diseases were able to drink those soylent ready-to-drink drinks. They have all the nutrients you need in a creamy drink. I've tried Jimmy Joy and Huel and really liked them.

Chikhirtma is an awesome Georgian soup with cheese and all. Super awesome when you're sick.

P. S. Also great if you're hungover

Fresh fruit tend to be what I can consume without an appetite or even while nauseous. Melons and berries usually, but sparingly if I haven't had much else of substance.

Matzo, nothing fatty. I've been here very recently. Skimmed milk was also helpful

My go to is plain white rice with plain chicken thighs if I can stomach meat if not I'll make it with some chicken broth.

If you're struggling to eat for more than like a week you probably should bite the bullet and see a doctor. A prolonged lack of appetite can be a sign of some pretty serious stuff.

Toast with cinnamon, sugar and butter on top. Pro tip: put the butter, sugar and cinnamon on before you toast it - then it melts into the bread. This was my go-to growing up for being sick and having trouble eating. Feel better soon!

Milk and fat of any kind isn't usually the best if you have trouble eating in general. Lots of apple sauce, chicken soup and crackers mentioned already, so I'll just add the basic ass tostidos round nacho chips. Those give the salt you need, but don't have much else, so they're easy to digest. Anyway, whatever is fine, as long as you can keep it down.

Hang in!

I'm Australian so Vegemite toast is my go to when I am not feeling well.

Bananas. Easy to eat, nutritious, and even helping if you happen to have digestive issues. Very stable food, it's my go to when nothing else goes.

Another great option is diluting a stock cube (or half) in hot water and drinks it as a soup. Nutrients, vitamins and minerals! Very good for rehydration

I used to have to force feed myself when I wasn't hungry. Ramen was essential for priming the appetite. But not the bad stuff. Good stuff like Black Shin