Probably the most ideal approaches to remain sound is by picking a variety of nourishments to support your resistant framework. Eating healthy, cell reinforcement rich nourishments, for example, foods are grown from the ground, entire grains, and lean protein is a significant piece of keeping up great invulnerable framework wellbeing to help avert disease and sickness.
While no one food is a silver bullet for optimal immune system function, these have been studied for their potential positive effects on our immune systems.
1. Garlic
Most of the clinical studies done on garlic's potential antibacterial and antiviral properties use concentrated extracts. However, historically, cloves of garlic have been used in food for an assortment of health-related reasons. If you enjoy garlic, it doesn't hurt to include it in your meals and it is possible that some of the health benefits seen from the extracts also translate to culinary uses.
Kid-Friendly Serving Idea: Put lots of garlic into chicken noodle soup. Put some minced garlic into a Greek-style salad made with cucumber, tomato, and feta cheese.
2. Brightly-Colored Vegetables
Carotenoids such as beta-carotene are important antioxidants that aid in immune system function. Carotenoids are present in bright yellow, orange, and red fruits and vegetables, although they can also be found in fruits and veggies that are mostly green. It’s important to get a variety of fruits and vegetables of different colors because various types of carotenoids are thought to work together to strengthen the body’s immune system.
Make It Kid-Friendly: Add roasted red peppers to pasta, offer multi-colored peppers for dipping into hummus, roast winter squash with cinnamon and ginger.
3. Nuts
These protein-packed powerhouses of vitamins and minerals are rich in antioxidants such as vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acids, and zinc.
Studies have shown a link between eating nuts and health benefits such as a lower risk of chronic disease.
Kid-Friendly Snack Idea: Slather some all-natural pure nut butter on whole wheat bread or celery or an apple for an antioxidant-rich snack.
4.Berries
Berries are rich in vitamin C and bioflavonoids, phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables that may work as antioxidants and prevent injury to cells.
One cup of strawberries contains as much as 100 mg of Vitamin C, which is nearly as much as a cup of orange juice. Dark berries such as blueberries are especially high in bioflavonoids. For an optimal immune system boosting effect, eat a bowl of mixed berries, or vary which berries you choose from day to day, rather than eating just one type.
5. Fish
Omega 3 fatty acids and other healthy fats help increase the activity of white blood cells. There are a few different kinds of omega 3s. Oily fish contains docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Certain nuts and vegetable oils contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which can only be acquired through foods. The body can convert ALA into EPA and DHA, but it's more efficient to consume them in your diet.
Kid-Friendly Serving Idea: Make canned wild salmon into salmon salad sandwiches or add anchovies or sardines to pasta sauce. Add a few spoonfuls of flax oil to an antioxidant-rich berry smoothie, make chia seed pudding, or make a yogurt parfait with fresh berries, granola, and a sprinkling of walnuts on top.
6. Poultry and Lean Meats
Foods high in protein, such as lean meats and poultry, are high in zinc — a mineral that increases the production of white blood cells and T-cells, which fight infection. Other great sources of zinc are oysters, nuts, fortified cereal, and beans.
Kid-Friendly Serving Idea: Simmer some chicken vegetable soup or minestrone soup for a hearty dose of immune system-boosting antioxidants.
