Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional habits of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 before, during, and after disease.

Methods: A total of 401 adult individuals, 125 males and 276 females, aged 19-65 years living in Turkey and diagnosed with COVID-19, were included in the study. The general and health information, anthropometric measurements, symptoms experienced during the disease, meal consumption, vitamin/mineral supplement use of functional foods and herbal products, and food consumption frequencies of the individuals were questioned by questionnaire form before, during, and after the COVID-19 disease.

Results: The mean age of the individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 was 29.7 ± 10.9 years. More than half of the individuals (57.1%) stated that they survived the disease at moderate or higher severity. More than half of the obese individuals (56.2%) survived the disease severely. More than half of the individuals (59.1%) stated that their appetite decreased during the disease. During the COVID-19 disease, more than 50% of individuals stated that there was no change in the consumption of milk, yogurt, eggs, meat/chicken, fish, legumes, oilseeds, green leafy vegetables, fast food, packaged food and there was an increase in consumption of fruit. It was determined that the use of at least one vitamin and mineral supplement during the disease (55.6%) increased compared to the pre-disease (38.4%). The most preferred vitamin and mineral supplements during the disease are vitamin C (41.1%) and multivitamin (18.2%). It was determined that all of the individuals (100%) used at least one functional food and herbal product during the disease. The functional foods and herbal products that increase in use during the disease are turmeric (28.2%), ginger (16.5%) and thyme (11.0%), respectively.

Conclusion: In the light of the study data, it was concluded that individuals used more vitamin and mineral supplements during disease preferred the use of more functional foods and herbal products, and increased their fruit consumption.

Keywords: COVID-19, functional foods, herbal product, nutritional habits, vitamin–mineral supplement