Six easy meals to defeat your hangover

A raging headache, the urge to vomit and the insatiable thirst for anything wet and cold — all those shots last night were not worth the hangover. But the day must go on, and food is fuel. Try out these six easy meals to eat to defeat that killer hangover.

Trader Joe’s Frozen Heaven

Head to Trader Joe’s and check out its frozen food section. From pastas and rice bowls to burritos and pizzas, TJ’s offers a variety of meal options that can all be cooked in the microwave. The easy prep time pairs perfectly with reasonable prices that range from $2 to $6 per package.

These relatively healthy meals benefit your hungover body. But if taking the 75 to Trader Joe’s seems too daunting and nausea-inducing, stock up before your night out — they’ll stay fresh in the freezer for a while.

Toast Galore

Toast is an extremely easy meal to make ,and carbs will help settle your stomach. Get creative with it by dressing it up with a variety of ingredients. Slice up a banana and slather some peanut butter on the bread to make peanut butter banana toast — a true delicacy. Bananas are rich in potassium, which help replenish lost electrolytes and solve dehydration. Nuts are rich in magnesium, which is depleted by alcohol. Thus, this combination is the true hangover elixir. 

If you’re looking for a more savory toast experience, mash up an avocado and spread it on the bread. Get even fancier and add some type of egg on top. Avocados help protect against liver injury and eggs are rich in cysteine, which helps break down the toxic byproducts of alcohol metabolism.

If those options require too many ingredients, simply make honey toast. Honey is high in fructose, which can help get rid of the alcohol in the body faster. It’s sweet and light, and easy on the wallet — you can pick up a packet at a cafe stand.

Get Fruity With It

Cut a watermelon in half, grab a spoon and go crazy. Watermelons have high water content, which helps rehydration, and are rich in L-citrulline, which helps increase blood flow. This is a more fun way to replenish that hydration after a long alcohol-filled night out.

Watermelons are not in season right now, but don’t forget about them during a summertime hangover. Instead, grab any other favorite in-season fruits and make a smoothie. Fruits still have a lot of water to help cure the dehydration, and you can drink this meal, which may help with the nausea.

Hot Potato, Hot Potato

Sweet potatoes are packed full of vitamin A, magnesium and potassium, which help replenish what alcohol stole from your body and fight inflammation. It may seem like you need more impressive chef skills to pull this one off, but all you need is a microwave.

First, poke the potato a few times with a fork. Then, place it in the microwave for about five minutes, or until it is tender enough. Cut the potato down the middle and season with salt, pepper and butter — enjoy!

Polly Wants a Cracker

Crackers can increase blood sugar to improve hangovers because they are full of fast-acting carbs. Alcohol prevents the liver from regulating blood sugar, so time to grab a sleeve of saltines.

Similar to toast, there are a plethora of ways to eat crackers. Slice up your favorite block of cheese and enjoy cheese and crackers. Spread peanut butter or nutella on them with some sliced apple on top. Smear jam or preservatives on the crackers and add some dried fruit on top for a sweet, fruity overload. Grab some hummus and roasted peppers to decorate the crackers. The options are endless, but one of those cracker Lunchables will suffice, too.

Quaker is Your New Pal

Oats, water or milk and heat — voila, oatmeal! This easy meal holds many benefits to curing a hangover. Oatmeal’s carbohydrates release sugar slowly and steadily into the bloodstream to help low blood sugar, fatigue and hangover-related anxiety.

Oatmeal does not have to be boring and gross. Add some fun toppings and mix-ins like canned peaches, sliced apples, peanut butter, nutella, honey, cinnamon or whatever else can be found in the pantry.

For an even more convenient meal, make overnight oats. Compile all the ingredients into a container and place it in the fridge before a party — then, the next morning, breakfast will be as easy as opening the refrigerator door.