My parent's Sick Policy was this:  if I had a fever or was throwing up, I had to stay home from school.  If I had a stuffy nose or cough, but no fever, I had to go.  In general, that's our policy here, too, but my daughter has a touchy stomach and is quite dramatic about it, so I never know if I should send her or not--it's hard to say if she's really sick, or just ate something that didn't agree with her--or if she's nervous about something.  She's a fourth generation "nervous stomach" sufferer (including my father, my grandmother and I.)

She starts showing an interest in eating by lunchtime on most days she stays home--which tells me I should have sent her to school--but it's too late then.  What to feed a sicky?

Our pediatrician recommends the B.R.A.T diet for kids that are sick to their stomachs or having diahrrea: bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.  This is a bit healthier than what I remember my mom feeding me as a kid: flat 7-Up or Sprite, Jello, and saltine crackers. 

When a kid has been vomiting or having diahrrea, it's VERY important to remember that they not only need to drink as many fluids as they normally do, they need to drink extra.  This is tough when they can't keep it down or it flushes right through them.  That's why you need to make sure that the fluids they are able to keep down are as helpful as possible, and electrolytes are very important.  Electrolytes are the salts and minerals your body needs to have replaced when you lose liquids. 

Soda and even Gatorade-type drinks are not sufficient electrolytes.  Look for Pedialyte or the store's generic brand.  It comes in a couple of flavors and you can sometimes get the popsicle packs to freeze.  I personally prefer these because when we get the bottles, we typically always waste some.  Plus, the kids can suck on the popsicles and that cools a fever and allows them to take in the fluid more slowly--lessening the chance they are going to vomit it back up.

Remember, kids can become dehydrated very quickly, and dehydration can be very dangerous or even deadly.  If they are unable to hold down any fluids for more than an hour or two, contact their physician immediately. 

Once they're able to hold food down and are feeling a bit better, there's always the tried and true sicky food: chicken noodle soup.  I recommend you avoid what I consider to be junk they sell in the cans--especially the kind with MSG-- it's easy to make your own.  It's fast, healthier, and tastes yummy, even if you're not sick (we often have it for dinner with fresh baked whole wheat dinner rolls and a salad).  Here's my favorite recipe:

Basic Chicken Noodle Soup

2 tbl. olive or canola oil
1/2 small white onion, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
8 cups chicken stock (or 8 cups water and 8 tsp. chicken bouillon, or 8 cups water and 8 bouillon cubes)
6 oz uncooked egg noodles
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken (freshly cooked, leftovers, or canned)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 tsp. dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or other large pot: add onions, carrots, and celery.  Saute until onions are beginning to become translucent.  Increase heat to medium high, add stock and bring to a boil.  Add noodles and continue a medium boil for as long as the noodles take to become al dente (almost done) and the carrots are soft but not mushy.  Stir in chicken and parsley and heat through.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

You can also add 1/2 - 1 cup peas if you like.  If you don't have a sicky and want to make this fancier, try swapping out the onions for leeks, adding 1/2 tsp. sage and leave the chicken in shreds.  You can also make this curry-style by adding cauliflower to the veggies and swapping out the pasta for cubed potatoes.  Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk, 2 tsp. curry powder, and 1/2 to 1 tsp. red pepper flakes at the end.

Serves 4 as an entree, 8 as a side dish.

It's easy to keep these ingredients on hand.  This recipe is one that kids over 8 can make with your supervision and assistance.  When a friend or neighbor is sick, help the kids make a pot and take it over.

Also, please remember that we are not medical experts.  The information in this blog post is meant to be helpful but should never be used in place of a doctor's advice.