Effective as they can be for clearing up infections, antibiotics can have some pretty unpleasant side effects, such as diarrhea. They’re also known to deplete certain nutrients in your body like B-vitamins, iron, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K. So while the meds do their thing, it’s important to also feed your body well.

On her blog Nutrition Data, Monica Reinagel, RD, LD/N lists five foods you should eat while taking antibiotics:

• Yogurt offers up a healthy dose of probiotics, helping to balance digestive function by “repopulating” the good bacteria in the GI tract. It’s also a good source or calcium.
• Nutritional Yeast is an excellent source of B-vitamins. I like it on stir-fry, but it’s also great sprinkled on top of popcorn and steamed veggies. It’s often used in vegan cheese sauces as well—if you’re homebound, it might be a good time to experiment and blow off some cabin-fever steam.
• Molasses is rich in iron. It’s great on oatmeal along with powdered ginger, cinnamon, and raisins. If you’re into pumpkin in your oats, it blends perfectly with the sweet flavor  of molasses.
• Kale (and other leafy greens like swiss chard) is loaded with vitamin K. Sauté with garlic or add to soups. Kale chips are also a cinch to make and fun to eat.
• Pumpkin Seeds are a good source of both iron and magnesium. A handful of roasted seeds packs a bone-building dose of these key nutrients.

It’s important to follow the treatment prescribed by your doctor. If you’re anything like me, you probably shouldn’t read the side effects list, but make sure your doc or pharmacist fills you in on any interactions or issues you need to be aware of.