5 Recipes to Power Through Cold and Flu Season
At this time of year, erratic temperatures, sick colleagues, and increased travel all create the perfect storm for the common cold or flu to spread. Whether you’re looking to prevent illness or are already feeling under the weather, eating nutritious, healthy meals, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of rest will help boost your immune system. Add these warming recipes with superfood ingredients to your recipe box to keep infection at bay — and kick that cold to the curb if you catch it.
Lemony Chicken and Quinoa Soup
The classic cold buster gets a citrus-flavored twist in this chicken soup recipe from HelloFresh, which offers a dose of vitamins A and C for a satisfying dinner that packs an immunity-boosting punch. Use reduced-sodium vegetable stock, or make your own from scratch, to control the amount of salt and keep the recipe heart-healthy.
Carrot Apple Ginger Soup
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for supporting a healthy immune system, as it maintains the mucous membranes in your mouth, nose, and sinuses that work as a barrier against germs. So it’s smart to eat foods like carrots that are rich in beta-carotene (which the body converts to vitamin A). Enjoy the veggie in this sweet and spicy soup from Joy the Baker, and get the added anti-inflammatory benefits of ginger, too. It’s a simple, tasty way to enjoy the flavors of fall and give your immune system a leg up on the pesky bugs flying around this time of year.
(Photo: Paul Cutter)
Turmeric Milk
A yellow spice that boasts some impressive benefits, from easing arthritis pain to boosting skin health, turmeric is another great anti-inflammatory ingredient to include in your meals. An easy way to incorporate the spice is to try it stirred into your favorite nut milk, like in this turmeric milk recipe from The Healthy Chef.
Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie
Pomegranate juice and blueberries offer a double dose of immunity-boosting antioxidants in this delicious smoothie from Two Peas and Their Pod. It only takes 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to whip up this tasty drink that’s perfect for a midday snack. If you’re enjoying it for breakfast, pair with a hard-boiled egg, a handful of nuts, or blend in a half cup of oatmeal for a lasting meal.
Avgolemono Soup
Take a cue from the Greeks and fix up this comforting lemon and egg chicken soup from The Messy Baker. It’ll only take 20 minutes total and is rich in protein from the chicken and eggs, and brightly flavored with vitamin C-rich lemon juice. Keep sodium levels in check by using low-sodium chicken stock or broth (go homemade if you can!) and add a dose of whole grains with brown rice, instead of white.
By Yi-Jin Yu, Everyday Health Editor
This article originally appeared on EverydayHealth.com: 5 Recipes to Power Through Cold and Flu Season
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