Tasty Ways to Take on Cold and Flu Season

In the midst of cold and flu season, we must all take precautions to keep our families healthy ( beginning with our food choices. In addition to getting daily exercise and eating a healthy balanced diet, Gail Rampersaud, registered dietitian, recommends filling our pantries and plates with the following immune-supporting foods:

Mushrooms

Believe it or not, mushrooms can be immune system gold. Perfect as a stand-alone savoury side, a garnish for meats, or a stir-fry staple, they provide key nutrients like niacin and riboflavin, vitamin D, potassium, selenium and copper.

Yogurt

Whether paired with fruit or granola for breakfast or enjoyed as a light afternoon snack, yogurt provides you with a daily dose of probiotics and supports your digestive tract with a healthy balance of good bacteria. It also, provides many of the nutrients your immune system needs to function best, like protein, calcium, vitamins B2 and B12, potassium and phosphorus.

Water

When the temperature drops and the snow hits the ground, we often forget to drink enough water. But it’s crucial to stay hydrated during the winter, so always have water on-hand as part of your daily routine. To keep taste buds happy, try adding some lemon, lime or orange slices.

Orange Juice

Rampersaud recommends integrating a glass of orange juice into your daily diet. “Florida Orange Juice has no added sugar and a simple 240 millilitre serving provides our body with vitamin C, potassium, folate and other nutrients and phytochemicals to help support overall health and a healthy immune system.”

Turmeric

For extra fuel to help when you feel the flu or cold coming on, add this nutrient-rich super-spice to shakes or whisk a pinch of ground turmeric into half a glass of Florida Orange Juice, honey and grated ginger.