NEWS Coronavirus News What to Eat Before and After Your COVID-19 Vaccine By Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, LD, CLEC Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, LD, CLEC Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LDN, CLEC, CPT, has studied nutrition for almost two decades. She was named an emerging leader in women's health by the National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Learn about our editorial process Updated on December 13, 2021 Fact checked by Nick Blackmer Fact checked by Nick Blackmer LinkedIn Nick Blackmer is a librarian, fact-checker, and researcher with more than 20 years’ experience in consumer-oriented health and wellness content. Learn about our editorial process Share Tweet Email Print Gerber86 / Getty Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Eat Before Your Vaccine Stay Hydrated Skip the Alcohol Focus on These Foods Anti-Nausea Items Now that every person in the U.S. ages 5 and over is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters are available to those 16 and older, you may be gearing up for an appointment. You've likely heard of the vaccines' potential side effects, especially after the second shot of a two-dose regimen or a booster shot. Even though there are no sure-fire ways to prevent feeling tired or nauseated post-injection, there are some dietary tips you can follow that may help you feel a bit better during the process. Can I Exercise Before Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine? This article will share five steps you can take before and after your vaccine appointment to help prepare your body and keep you feeling your best. Do Not Get Your Vaccine on an Empty Stomach Having something nutritious in your system pre-injection can help the entire process feel a bit more bearable. While eating before your appointment does not appear to have any effect on the vaccine’s effectiveness, it could help prevent you from fainting or feeling dizzy—especially if you don’t typically do well with needles. Considering people are required to wait at least 10 to 15 minutes post-vaccine to monitor for any potential allergic reactions to the injection, eating something beforehand can help you feel your best during the entire process. Most facilities won't allow you to eat snacks in the waiting area. Choose food combinations that include unrefined carbohydrates, healthy fats, and protein to give your meal some staying power. Something as little as a piece of fruit with nut butter can be a perfect pick-me-up before your appointment. Stay Hydrated Headaches are a common side-effect of the vaccine, and being dehydrated can exacerbate that pain. Stay ahead of the sour feeling by drinking lots of fluids. Stick with water, 100% fruit juice, teas, or other options that aren’t too sugary. Keeping a water bottle by your side throughout the day can help stay on top of your hydration the day of your appointment. A Timeline of COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects Skip the Alcohol Drinking alcohol before you get the vaccine is not advised. And although having a cocktail or two after your shot does not appear to make your shot less effective, overdoing it can make you feel physically worse. Add that with the side effects many experience after getting vaccinated—fatigue, headache—and it makes the perfect recipe for not feeling great. It might also make it difficult to tell what is a side effect of the vaccine from what is a side effect of too much alcohol. Does Alcohol Reduce COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness? Plus, alcohol can cause an inflammatory response in the body, which you should try to steer clear from when trying to support your overall health and immune system. Focus on Anti-Inflammatory Foods After you get your vaccine, you want to support your immune system. Focusing on anti-inflammatory foods that are not heavily processed or refined may help your body stay healthy. In a 2020 article published in the British Journal of Nutrition, results show that eating an anti-inflammatory diet can help reduce the risk of COVID-19. And since the ultimate goal is to keep your body COVID-free, continuing to follow an anti-inflammatory diet will serve you well. 8 Supplements Dietitians Are Taking During Cold and Flu Season Focus on healthy fats and less-processed foods to reap the most benefits from your diet. Avocados, salmon, nuts, and vegetables are all great choices with anti-inflammatory effects. Keep Anti-Nausea Items on Hand While some people will feel just fine after receiving their vaccine, some may feel nauseated afterward. Keeping items that may help combat nausea on hand can be helpful in case it kicks in. Some items that can help include: Ginger tea or fresh ginger Soda crackers Chicken broth Lemon wedges (for smelling) What to Do Before, During, and After Your COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit our coronavirus news page. 4 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 vaccines for children and teens. Updated November 23, 2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 booster shots. Updated December 9, 2021. Hause AM, Baggs J, Gee J, et al. Safety monitoring of an additional dose of covid-19 vaccine — united states, august 12–september 19, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70(39):1379-1384. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7039e4 Morais AHA, Aquino JS, da Silva-Maia JK, Vale SHL, Maciel BLL, Passos TS. Nutritional status, diet and viral respiratory infections: perspectives for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Br J Nutr. 2021 Apr 28;125(8):851-862. doi:10.1017/S0007114520003311 See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit