Your immune system is a pretty big deal. It’s a network of cells and tissues in your body that fight off infection and destroy germs that can make you sick. And it’s pretty neat how well we can protect ourselves from getting sick just by taking care of our immune system, which in turn takes care of us. By looking out for the right healthy foods, you can give it a boost (and say thanks for doing so much work!). Here at Prep and Rally, we recognize the importance of taking care of your immune system and it’s not so hard to get in the goods by meal prepping homemade and non-processed food. You’ll start to notice many immune boosting foods in the prep and rally meal plans.
Prep and Rally’s Go To Immune Boosting Foods
Fermented Foods
Yogurt and fermented friends like kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickles are great sources of probiotics. Probiotics are friendly bacteria that live in your gut, and those little guys do a lot to fight infection and regulate the immune system.
Anti Inflammatory Foods
Turmeric, garlic, and ginger are well known immune boosting foods that also reduce inflammation and provide vitamins and minerals. The spices also happen to taste delicious together in a soothing tea, like this Ginger Turmeric Tea for a Quick Immunity Boost by the Awesome Green! Sounds like a double win for sure. And my DIY Cure for the Cold Remedy recipe is still my ultimate winter staple!
Greens
It’s not hard to believe that dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, and chard are immune boosting foods. Of course, they’re chock full of plenty of nutrients and antioxidant properties, too. The powerhouse vegetable really has a lot going for it! We like greens as a base for salads, blended in smoothies, or a top to grain bowls.
Kitchen Staples
Basics alliums, or members of the onion family, are good for the immune system and happen to add delicious flavor to just about anything, too. It’s easy to incorporate onion and garlic into pretty much every meal, especially since they’re staples that we add to many dishes here at Prep and Rally.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are a no brainer when it comes to immune boosting foods. Fruits and vegetables should be the backbone to your diet and are a go-to ingredient for meal prepping. We’ve been juicing loads of fruit as it provides the best source of vitamins and the kids LOVE it!
We didn’t forget about matcha and coffee, too. Both beverages are known for providing disease-fighting antioxidants that fight bad bacteria.
Why Immune Health is so Important
Taking care of your immune health is necessary to help fight sickness. Your immune system is literally your protector! Essentially, it keeps a record of every germ it’s taken down along the way, remembering them so you have a better chance at not getting sick next time it encounters those foreign invaders. But food plays a bigger role in immune health than most people might think. Necessary nutrients to boost your immune system are found in a variety of healthy foods. For a bit more information about maintaining immune health via foods, read this article about essential micronutrients on Harvard Health Publishing.
An out of whack immune system can cause an array of problems:
- Higher chance of getting sick from germs that battle your immune system
- Illnesses may be more severe or difficult to treat
- Digestive issues
Some causes of a weakened immune system include:
- Not consuming enough healthy immune boosting foods (malnutrition)
- Too many processed foods
- Lack of sleep
- High amounts of stress
Meal Prep & Healthy Habits
Since Prep and Rally incorporates real, whole foods into every meal prep dish, your family is sure to continue consuming immune boosting foods. Meal prep also gets you away from unhealthy habits like grabbing takeout a few times a week or snacking on processed foods. With a little bit of preparation and an eye for healthy goods and mindful habits, you can take small steps to maintain you and your family’s immune health through every week. Questions on the other pros of meal prep with Prep and Rally? Read just a few of those benefits here to get started!
