Chamomile Tea with Turmeric and Honey


Chamomile Tea with Turmeric and Honey

Written by Amy Godiwalla

We are nearing the end of winter, and while I really do enjoy the cooler weather, sipping warm tea by the fireplace, and the feeling of a soft, cashmere sweater, I’m not crazy about the coughs, colds, and viruses that come along with wintertime. If you’re like us and have a child attending preschool, elementary school, or daycare, you’re all too familiar with the runny nose, cough, and sore throat that come home from school with your child, along with his cute “self portrait” art work and his neon colored backpack.

About once a month, this happens to our preschool attending 2-year-old son who is currently building his immune system like all kids his age. A runny nose, sore throat, and congestion can cause great discomfort and sleeping difficulty for toddlers, and while there’s no miracle treatment to prevent these colds and viruses from occurring in the first place (other than the medically sound but infuriating “Wash your hands constantly!” advice), I make a special, soothing herbal tea to help ease the symptoms.

Recently, Landon woke up in the middle of the night coughing. He was unable to soothe himself back to sleep, so after hearing him struggle for a bit, I entered his room.

“What’s wrong, Landon? You can’t sleep?” I asked, at some unthinkable hour.

“No, I can’t sleep. I’m not feeling very well. I need some chamomile tea,” he said in his most convincing voice.

Somewhere between the medical advice of Pediatricians, Registered Dietitians, and my father, I concocted the recipe below for Chamomile Tea with Turmeric and Honey. It’s a soothing tea that I have before bedtime when I’m under the weather, and once in a while when Landon is not well, I spoon-feed him a small amount of this warm tea before he goes to bed to help ease his symptoms. He finds the experience delightful and special!

I feel good about serving this tea because each ingredient serves a purpose:

  • Water is hydrating
  • Chamomile is calming and helps settle the stomach (WebMD)
  • Honey temporarily helps coat a sore throat and may help ease coughing
  • Turmeric may help reduce inflammation and has been used for thousands of years in Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic medicine for a multitude of conditions, including colds (WebMD)

Chamomile Tea with Turmeric and Honey Recipe:

Age: 15 months plus
Yield: approximately 6 ounces (1 cup of tea)
Prep Time: 5-7 minutes
Cook Time: no cook!
Food Storage: refrigerator friendly for up to 24 hours

  • 6 ounces boiling water
  • 1 chamomile tea bag
  • 1 teaspoon local farmer’s honey
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

Steep the tea bag in boiling water per package instructions. Remove the tea bag and discard. Add honey, turmeric, and mix well. Allow the tea to cool slightly, then using a teaspoon, spoon-feed your child or place the tea in a sippy cup. We recommend serving only ¼ cup of the tea to your child at a time. You can enjoy the rest yourself, or store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. To reserve, reheat, mix well, and serve.

If you enjoyed this post, sign up to receive our newsletter for other great ideas on feeding your baby, toddler, and family. Look out for our upcoming cookbook What a Good Eater! for baby & toddler recipes with healthy herbs and spices to add flavor and broaden your baby’s palette, expected April 2016.

About Amy Godiwalla

Amy Godiwalla is co-author of the What a Good Eater! cookbook, available on Amazon. Amy and her husband, Shaun, live in Denver, Colorado, with their two little boys. When Amy is not feeding little mouths or inventing recipes, she enjoys hiking, yoga, snowboarding, cooking, entertaining, traveling to the mountains, sipping hot chocolate at ski resorts, and wine tasting.

+ There are no comments

Add yours

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.