• Nutrition
• Lifestyle

What to Eat When Hungover: The Best Foods for Your Morning After

Medically reviewed and edited by Madalaine Hayes, MSN, FNP

Whether you’ve drunk too much on a night out or overdid it at a dinner party, hangovers can be really unpleasant.

With symptoms like headaches, an upset stomach, vomiting, and fatigue, you may be searching for hangover cures for a quick recovery. 

Although the last thing you might feel like doing is eating, the right food can significantly aid your hangover recovery.

Eating the wrong food can exacerbate your hangover symptoms and make you feel worse.

In this article, we’ll discuss the best hangover foods to help you feel better after consuming alcohol. We’ll also share some foods to avoid, providing the best hangover cure. 

Why Does Alcohol Cause a Hangover?

There are several reasons why heavy drinking can result in a hangover:

• Dehydration: Alcohol has a dehydrating effect on the body as it increases urine production. Dehydration causes symptoms like thirst, dizziness, and headaches.

• Electrolyte imbalance: Increased urine production can lead to the loss of essential electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, which can lead to fatigue and weakness.

• Gastrointestinal effects: Alcohol may irritate the stomach lining, increasing the production of stomach acid. This can cause nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain.

• Blood sugar levels: Alcohol can cause a significant drop in blood sugar levels, resulting in weakness, fatigue, and even mood disturbances like anxiety. 

For these reasons, it’s important to prioritize food and beverages that help rehydrate the body, replenish electrolytes, and stabilize blood sugar levels.

Feel Better With These 9 Hangover Foods

While there is no known cure for hangovers, eating the foods below may help you feel better more quickly: 

Fruits and vegetables

Fresh fruit and vegetables often have a high water content, which can help to rehydrate the body. They are also good sources of electrolytes, which can help restore balance.

They’re packed with vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and B, which may help with your recovery and reduce the inflammation caused by alcohol consumption.

Fruits and vegetables are typically easy on the stomach, which is helpful if you’re experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms.

Bananas, watermelon, blueberries, pickles, sweet potatoes, spinach, and avocado are all excellent hangover food options. 

If you have an upset stomach and can’t tolerate solid food, drink tomato or orange juice.

Meat

Meat is a rich source of protein, which can help to stabilize blood sugar levels and provide sustained energy. Protein also repairs tissues and muscles, which can be beneficial after the stress alcohol places on the body.

It also contains amino acids such as cysteine, that help break down the toxic byproduct acetaldehyde which is produced when the body metabolizes alcohol.

Lean chicken, turkey beef, and pork loin or tenderloin are all easy on the stomach while you’re fighting a hangover.

Fatty fish

Fish like salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have strong anti-inflammatory properties. 

Omega-3s can help reduce inflammation caused by alcohol, which may alleviate headaches and muscle aches associated with hangovers.

This food item provides high-quality protein that helps to stabilize your blood sugar and boost your energy levels.

Besides salmon, other fatty fish options to try if you’re hungover include mackerel, sardines, anchovies, and trout.

Chicken noodle soup

The broth in chicken noodle soup can help to rehydrate the body, which is crucial as alcohol consumption causes dehydration.

As discussed earlier, rebalancing electrolytes is important after consuming alcohol. Chicken noodle soup contains sodium and other electrolytes that can help replenish them in your body.

Chicken noodle soup is typically easy on your gut, which may help if you feel nauseous or have an upset stomach.

Eggs

Eggs are rich in amino acids like cysteine. As mentioned earlier, amino acids are important for breaking down acetaldehyde, which can help to reduce the severity and duration of your hangover symptoms.

This food also contains choline, which is an essential nutrient for brain health and liver function. 

Choline supports the liver in processing and eliminating toxins, including those from alcohol. 

Whether you include them in breakfast burritos, enjoy them scrambled on toast, or as a side dish, eggs are an excellent food to eat during a hangover.

Oatmeal

If you’re feeling nauseous or you’re experiencing discomfort from a hangover, oatmeal can help to alleviate your symptoms. This is because oatmeal is easy to digest and soothing for the stomach.

As you’ll likely cook your oatmeal with water or milk, it can also help rehydrate the body.

Oatmeal is rich in complex carbohydrates, which provide a steady energy release. This helps stabilize your blood sugar levels, which can make you feel less fatigued and weak.

Ginger

Ginger is well-known for its ability to alleviate nausea and vomiting. This is due to its active compounds — gingerol and shogaol — which may soothe the stomach.

It also has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the inflammation in the body caused by alcohol consumption. 

A great way to ease a hangover and reduce your recovery time is to eat foods that are rich in antioxidants. 

Ginger is packed with antioxidants that can reduce the toxins in the body caused by alcohol metabolism.

You can consume ginger in tea, smoothies, or by drinking ginger ale. You can also include it in meals such as stir-fries, soups, or even oatmeal.

Honey

Honey is a good source of natural sugars, including fructose and glucose. 

These natural sugars help stabilize blood sugar levels, which can alleviate the symptoms associated with a hangover.

The fructose in honey can speed up the body’s metabolism of alcohol, which could reduce the duration of your hangover symptoms. Fructose also helps to break down alcohol into less toxic byproducts.

You can mix honey with warm water for a hydration boost or add it to herbal teas, smoothies, oatmeal, and yogurt.

Crackers 

Crackers contain carbohydrates that act fast and can increase your blood sugar while you’re experiencing a hangover. 

They’re also bland and easy to digest, making them great for when you’re feeling nauseous or have an upset stomach. 

Crackers are less likely to irritate the stomach lining compared to more complex carbohydrates or rich foods.

The starchy nature of crackers can help absorb stomach acid, which can reduce any gastrointestinal discomfort. They may also be able to soak up any remaining alcohol in the stomach. 

5 Foods to Avoid When You Have a Hangover

Now that you know what the best options are to eat when you’re experiencing a hangover, let’s look at some foods to avoid:

Greasy food

A hangover may make you crave greasy food, but this isn’t a good thing to eat if you’re not feeling well.

Greasy foods are high in fat, making them difficult for your body to digest. This can worsen hangover symptoms like nausea and stomach discomfort, further irritating the stomach lining.

Pizza, bacon, heavy pasta dishes, and fast food are best avoided while you’re hungover.

Saturated fats

Foods high in saturated fat can make nausea, vomiting, and stomach discomfort worse. They can also prolong the recovery process.

This is because saturated fats are difficult for the body to break down and can slow digestion, increasing strain on the digestive system.

Avoid fatty cuts of meat, sausages, full-fat dairy products, pastries, and heavy cream sauces.

Sugary foods and drinks

Foods and drinks high in sugar can cause rapid spikes and drops in blood sugar levels. This may worsen hangover symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, and irritability.

Sugary drinks like sodas can cause further dehydration, so it’s best to stick to water, sports drinks, or even coconut water.

Caffeinated beverages

If you’ve consumed alcohol, your body is likely dehydrated. Like alcohol, caffeine is a diuretic, which can worsen dehydration 

Caffeine also increases your heart rate and stimulates the nervous system, which can cause anxiety, often referred to as ‘hangxiety’ (hangover anxiety).

Avoid coffee and energy drinks during a hangover. Rather, opt for sports drinks, fruit juices, and electrolyte solutions. 

Highly processed foods

Processed foods are often high in sodium, which can worsen dehydration, headaches, dry mouth, and dizziness.

Highly processed foods are also low in the essential nutrients your body needs to recover from a hangover. 

Consuming nutrient-poor foods doesn’t help your body replenish what was lost due to alcohol consumption.

Foods to avoid include potato chips, sugary cereals, instant noodles, and ready-to-eat frozen meals.

Where Can I Learn More About the Best Food Choices?

The food you consume can significantly impact your health and well-being. 

That’s why at LifeMD, licensed healthcare professionals are here to provide you with the best nutritional advice to ensure you’re maintaining a healthy diet.

Make an appointment online to get started.

Madalaine Hayes, MSN, FNP

Madalaine earned her Master’s of Science degree with a specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner from Florida Atlantic University. She’s dedicated to ensuring her patients feel supported and valued throughout their entire healthcare journey. A passionate traveler, Madalaine loves exploring the world with her family and creating lasting memories across the globe. She’s also an avid reader, and she’s curated an extensive home library that encompasses a diverse range of literary genres. Whether she’s embarking on new adventures with loved ones or engrossed in the pages of a captivating novel, Madalaine finds immense joy in the rich experiences that life and literature bring.

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