My Top 4 Sick Day Takeout Orders—Plus 1-Ingredient Pantry Upgrades to Take Them to the Next Level

We have picks for when you’re scoring delivery from a pizza parlor, sushi restaurant, Thai spot, and more.

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Cooking and baking are two of my go-to stress-relievers, and both never fail to ground me amidst the whirlwind of modern-day life. The only thing that can knock me off my amateur chef streak? Getting sick. Coming down with COVID-19, a cold, the flu, or otherwise tends to sideline my culinary ambitions and has me craving nothing else but Mom’s home cooking.

But since I’m well into my 30s, and since she lives 3 hours away, I turn to the next best thing: comfort food takeout, made with love by my favorite local restaurants.

With winter right around the corner – prime time for respiratory viruses to spread – I’m dishing up my go-to sick day orders that can help soothe the body and soul. And, since our ability to taste and smell can be a bit dulled when we have COVID-19, I’m sharing quick and easy at-home, one-ingredient upgrades to turn up the flavor of these delivery dinner ideas.

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Ramen

Chicken soup is often lauded as a stellar sick day option due to the ability of warm liquids to ease stuffiness. Plus, broth contains a decent dose of e lectrolytes, which can help combat any illness-related dehydration. Simple chicken soup was great when I was in grade school, but now that I’m an adult, I’ve grown to crave a bountiful bowl of ramen from a local Japanese restaurant or noodle shop when I’m not feeling my best. Chewy noodles swim in an umami-rich broth. Usually, several nourishing, flavor-boosting garnishes are included on the side, such as a soft-boiled egg, kimchi, and scallions. For a fiery finishing touch from your own pantry (if you’re up for it), garnish your bowl with a spoonful (or several) of chili crisp.

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Breadsticks

Pizza is definitely high on my comfort food list, but dairy products have been villainized as part of sick day menus in the past; blamed for increasing mucous production. And, because COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses can bring on nausea or other stomach issues, digesting lactose and devouring certain types of dairy—say, via cheese on pizza—might worsen an upset stomach. With that in mind, my favorite pizza place delivery order, dairy-free and carb-loaded, is a batch of garlic breadsticks. With a portion size that’s easy to scale up or down, and a side of dipping sauces like marinara and garlic sauce, breadsticks make for a nice snack or light meal. For a welcome dose of brightness, dunk them in store-bought pesto sauce.

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Green Curry

Aromatic ingredients like lemongrass, ginger, and garlic team up with fresh herbs and chiles in green chile paste—the star that adds pep to Thai green curry. When chefs pair that paste with just-so-happens-to-be-vegan coconut milk, the result is the cozy, herbaceous base for this entrée. It’s frequently available with your choice of shrimp, chicken, or vegetables. Any which way you order green curry, it will offer a bounty of island flavors, even if you’re savoring it on the coldest day of winter. To introduce a salty, crunchy element to accent the creamy base, consider showering your bowl with a small handful of chopped peanuts.

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Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie was one of mom’s signature Sunday dinners to keep us cozy during the most frigid days of the year. To this day, even the thought of the single-serving savory pies warm my bones. It wasn’t until about 15 years after this weekly winter tradition that I realized the creamy, carby, chicken and vegetable casseroles are also among the best sick day comfort foods. Not only does the base begin with electrolyte-rich chicken broth, but the chicken is rich in cysteine, an amino acid that’s believed to bolster the immune system, reduce inflammation, and potentially help break up mucus. Plus, the vegetables in the mix layer on some immune-bolstering antioxidants. Since chicken pot pie can err on the mild side, I like to sprinkle the top with hot sauce to brighten things up and add a pleasant spicy kick.

While you might be able to hack your dulled sense of taste from a respiratory virus with one-ingredient flavor upgrades, there aren’t any hacks for the COVID-19 virus. But, if you do test positive, prescription medication for COVID-19 exists for certain people (think, those who are 50+ or have an underlying medical condition). So speak with a doctor right away to see whether they may be right for you! Learn more at PfizerForAll.com/COVID-19.