Boost your immunity with what’s in your fridge (or on your bench)
How can you beat seasonal colds and coughs? Attack from all angles, and use foods that fight the germs and boost your immunity.
So…just head to your fridge (or your fruit bowl)!
6 Immunity Boosting Foods You Can Find In Your Fridge (Or Fruit Bowl)
1. Citrus fruits
Anything citrus packs a load of Vitamin C – oranges, mandarins, tangerines, grapefruit. Pink grapefruit is sweet and delicious for breakfast or drizzled with a little rice malt syrup and grilled for dessert.
Eating the whole peeled fruit gives the best all-round benefits, but you’ll still get the Vitamin C kick by adding it to your smoothie.
If you need something to wake you up in the morning (or at any time during the day) then this Citrus Bang Healthy Mummy Smoothie is a perfect way to kick start your day – bursting with zingy freshness, nutrients and fibre – plus it is full of protein to keep you feeling full.
Check out the recipe in the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge recipe hub.
2. Garlic
Not just an old wives tale, miracle ingredient garlic has been shown to not only help you avoid getting sick in the first place, but if you do get sick, it cuts down the amount of time you’re ill, and reduces the symptoms. Yippee!
We totally recommend digging into garlic as soon as you start to get the sniffles!
Be sure to try this One Pot Spaghetti Bolognese which is a super tasty way to get plenty of the good stuff into the whole family.
3. Bone broth and chicken soup
Feeling under the weather? Chicken soup (as well as beneficial bone broth) has been studied to try and determine why it’s such a powerful – and longstanding – cold remedy.
It’s soothing, contains lots of healthy nutrients, increases hydration and tastes good. One study found that the ingredients in the soup help fight infection and reduce upper respiratory cold symptoms.
Our fab Chicken Noodle Soup for the Soul is a great way to chase away any lingering germs.
Ingredients (makes 4 serves)
- 1L chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 280g chicken breast fillet, cut into chunks
- 1 piece fresh ginger thumb sized, peeled and finely chopped (4 grams)
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped (3 grams)
- 100 grams hokkien noodles (or use any type of your favourite noodle)
- 1 corn cob or half a can of sweetcorn (60 grams fresh or 50 grams can)
- 2 carrots peeled and finely chopped (140 grams)
- 1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced (75 grams)
- 4 spring onions finely sliced (60 grams)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (30 mls)
- Parsley, mint or basil leaves to serve
Method
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Place a large pot over medium to high heat.
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Pour in the stock, chicken, ginger and garlic.
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Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer partly covered for 20 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
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Remove the chicken and use forks to shred it before returning to the pot.
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Add the noodles, corn, carrot, mushrooms, half the spring onions and the soy sauce.
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Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the noodles are tender.
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Ladle into bowls and scatter over the remaining spring onions and herbs.
4. Leafy greens
The darker the greens, the higher the nutrient content.
Full of iron, folate, fibre, antioxidants and Vitamin C, spinach is a superfood for good reason. Kale and rocket fall into the same dark green group – choose these over iceberg lettuce for salads.
5. Sweet potato and carrots
Orange fruit and veg, such as sweet potato and carrots are high in beta-carotene. Our body converts this to Vitamin A, which is essential for maintaining and boosting a strong immune system.
Sweet potatoes are also high in super immune booster Vitamin C.
Try this Sweet Potato and Spinach Lasagne for a double hit of immune building goodness.
6. Kiwifruit
This humble little green fruit is bursting with Vitamin C.
A sweet treat, grab a spoon and eat it as you would a boiled egg for an injection of immune boosting vitamins – you’ll get a dose of Vitamin A and other antioxidants too.
There you have it! Six amazing immunity boosting foods you can find in your refrigerator (or in the fruit bowl)!
Stay fit and healthy this winter with the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge
If you’re keen to stay healthy this winter, join the thousands of other mums doing the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.
The breastfeeding-friendly and affordable meal and exercise plans that make up the Challenge are made especially with mums in mind. The Winter-themed Challenge is full of healthy warming casseroles, stews and roasts that the whole family will love.
