Back to School
The 2020-2021 school year will look a little different for everyone. Depending on your location and personal choice, your children might be back in the classroom following CDC guidelines, doing a hybrid year of some distance learning and some in class sessions, or they might be committed to an entire year of distance learning/home schooling. Regardless of how your child will be returning to school, it is especially important to focus on their health this year. One of the best ways to do this is to provide your child with healthy, immune boosting snacks and meals.
Immune Boosting Snacks and Meals
Listed below are foods that have immune boosting properties, as well as ways to incorporate them into your child’s diet!
Almonds: Almonds are packed with vitamin E and manganese, a strong immune-boosting duo that both enhance natural killer cell activity. Almonds are a great snack on their own, but you can also incorporate them into other snacks and meals, such as:
- Homemade Trail Mix
- Cinnamon Almond Oatmeal
- Maple Almond Smoothie
- You can also make your own almond butter to put on sandwiches or use as a dip for fruits and veggies.
Berries: Berries are full of antioxidants, which helps the body improve immunity by fighting oxidative stress caused by free radicals. If berries are out of season, frozen ones are great too! All berries are a good choice for the following recipes:
- Triple Berry Baked Oatmeal
- Berries N Cream Chia Pudding
- Berry Creamsicles
- Berry Cashew Smoothie Bowl
Seeds: Eating a variety of seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds, provides the body with the immune boosting nutrients vitamin E, zinc, and omega 3 fatty acids. Seeds can be eaten on their own as a snack, but they can also easily be added to any trail mix, oatmeal, smoothie, or salad! Here are a few other recipes to try:
Yogurt: 70-80% of immune cells are located in and around the digestive system. The probiotics in yogurt help boost digestive health, and therefore they help improve overall health and immunity. Just make sure you give your child yogurt that has little to no added sugars. Here are some great ways to use yogurt in recipes!
- Yogurt Ranch Dip for dipping veggies
- Strawberry Banana Frozen Yogurt
- Lemon Yogurt Chicken Breasts
Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene, which studies have shown to increase the number of white blood cells and increase the activity of killer cells. Sweet potatoes are also a great source of vitamin C, which is another immune system enhancer. Try them in these recipes!
Eggs: Research shows that a vitamin D deficiency can make the body more susceptible to illness. Eggs not only contain vitamin D, but also additional immune boosting nutrients like B vitamins and selenium. Hard boiled eggs and scrambled eggs are both great options for you children, but you can also try more exciting recipes like:
For more healthy recipe ideas for your children, visit Super Healthy Kids!
