Immunity boosting foods for kids! As we head back to school, germs are rampant. Here are some foods to support the immune system.
It’s officially back-to-school season, which also means all of us parents and caregivers (and teachers and peers) are preparing for months of off and on illnesses.
While we can’t always keep illness away, there are things we can practice as families to help support our kids’ natural immune systems.
To be clear, there is no one specific “immune superfood” that will prevent or heal sickness – despite intriguing headlines that circulate around this time of year.
What’s more important is helping your kids eat a wide variety of foods known to be rich in nutrients and antioxidants that help support the natural immune response so it can work as best as it can.
Nutrients for Immunity
Immune health depends on a number of things, including fueling your body well with foods that offer nutrients and immune-boosting compounds, like the ones below:
- Vitamin C, a natural antioxidant with antiviral activity shown to support cellular functions involved in the immune system.
- Vitamin A, known as an anti-inflammation vitamin because of its role in the immune system and benefit for helping treat infectious disease.
- Vitamin E, a fat-soluble antioxidant with immunomodulatory effects.
- Zinc, an essential trace mineral needed for growth, development, and the maintenance of immune function.
- Sulfur-containing compounds, such as sulforaphane and allicin, which may help boost immune function.
- Antioxidants, which help prevent damage from oxidative stress and support immunity
Some of the best sources of these nutrients are listed below!
1. Berries
Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries are full of antioxidants called anthocyanins, which give them their beautiful red, blue, and purple pigments.
Serve berries on their own, blended into smoothies, sliced onto oatmeal or yogurt, or use them to make homemade chia jam.
2. Cruciferous Veggies
Cruciferous veggies include things like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and bok choy. These are rich in fiber, and vitamins C and K, as well as a sulfur-containing compound called sulforaphane that has been studied for its health-promoting effects. Chopping or chewing these – and even adding mustard powder to them – boosts the sulforaphane availability and activity even more.
We love serving broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower steamed or roasted in the oven, cabbage chopped into salads and cole slaw, and making kale chips.
3. Bell Peppers
Red bell peppers have even more vitamin C than oranges, ounce for ounce.
Bell pepper strips go well served raw with hummus, sauteed with onions in a fajita, chopped and served in pasta dishes, or stuffed with rice and beans and baked in the oven.
4. Citrus
Oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits are juicy and delicious, and packed with vitamin C.
We most often serve these in wedges, but for littles, you can remove the peel and the outer skin for easy chewing.
5. Garlic and Onions
These are two of our cooking staples that make regular appearances together in dinners. Garlic and onions both offer the sulfur-containing compound allicin.
Minced garlic and onions are often the first ingredient in the pan, giving off flavor and aroma before we add other ingredients for stir fry, soup, pasta, or fillings for burritos and enchiladas.
6. Leafy Greens
Leafy greens like spinach, Swiss chard, romaine, red lettuce, and parsley are great sources of fiber, vitamins C and K.
Saute leafy greens with a little olive oil and garlic, toss them into smoothies, blend them with hummus, stir them into soups and warm pasta dishes, and layered onto sandwiches, wraps, and burgers.
7. Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are rich in healthy fats and vitamin E, as well as zinc.
While raw nuts and seeds are a choking hazard for babies and young kids, nut and seed butters are a more age-appropriate alternative. They can also be thinned with water as needed.
In addition to slathering on sandwiches, we like adding nut butter to smoothies, using cashews to make vegan cheese dips, and drizzling them onto toast.
8. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a rich source of vitamin A.
They are tastily baked with butter and cinnamon, cubed, softened, and blended into waffle batters, roasted with fresh herbs, or made into air fryer chips or fries.
Additionally, there’s plenty of research in support of Vitamin D as an important nutrient for immune health. In fact, deficiency of vitamin D has been found to be associated with a higher susceptibility to illness and infection. While there aren’t many natural plant sources of vitamin D, you can find some in certain UV-treated mushrooms and fortified non-dairy milk/orange juice. The best sources for plant-based kids are a vitamin D supplement and a healthy dose of sunshine.
Immunity boosting foods for kids! As we head back to school, germs are rampant. Here are some foods to support the immune system.
Chime In: How can you add more of these foods to your family’s diet pattern?
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