By Yvette Quantz RD, CSSD, LDN, CLT, - Ochsner's Eat Fit Acadiana.
It's no secret that eating more nutrient-dense foods an easy way to boost your immune system, helping to keep your body healthy and strong!
Eating more plants is one of the best ways to increase your intake of disease-fighting nutrients. Thanks to The Salad Station, it's easier than ever to pack in an immune-boosting, energy fueling, flavor-packed meal the whole family will love!
When it comes to building my bowl, here are a few of my favorite add-ins:
Carrots & Spinach.
Both are excellent vitamin A sources, which plays a critical role in maintaining a healthy immune system. Vitamin A helps produce white blood cells that serve to fight infection and defend the body against other foreign materials. It also serves a fundamental role in creating and maintaining mucous barriers in your eyes, lungs, gut, and more. The mucous membranes help protect the body by preventing bacteria and dirt from entering. You know when something gets stuck in your eye; it gets watery, and you blink until it's out, right? That reaction is your body's natural defense mechanism to keep it healthy and strong!
Beets & Kale.
Rich in vitamin C, beets, and kale are an excellent addition to your salad, sandwich, or wrap.
When it comes to immune fighting vitamins, vitamin C is the leader of the pack! Essential to stimulating the formation of antibodies, which help suppress an over-reactive inflammatory response. In layman's terms, vitamin C can help slow down how fast a virus reproduces and spreads. Besides its immune fighting powers, vitamin C is also essential for tissue growth and repair, adrenal gland function, maintaining healthy gums, and the production of anti-stress hormones.
Eggs & Pumpkin Seeds.
Not only are they rich in protein, but eggs and pumpkin seeds are also an excellent source of the trace mineral, zinc.
Zinc is known for its disease-fighting and wound-healing abilities. To reap these benefits, top your salad with an egg and sprinkle on a serving of pumpkin seeds for an extra boost of immune-boosting zinc!
Chicken & Sunflower Seeds.
Besides being two of my favorite add ons, what does chicken and sunflower seeds have in common? They are both rich in the immune-boosting mineral is selenium.
Selenium helps slow the body's response to infection by lowering the oxidative stress in your body and reducing inflammation, resulting in an enhanced immune response. A deficiency in this trace mineral can result in an increased risk for illness.
Go ahead and have some fun adding these immune-boosting foods to your mix! Tag @saladstation and @eatfitacadiana to share your creation!