COVID NUTRITION
Although there is no cure right now for COVID-19, a healthy immune system may give your body a boost in protection. Focus on nutrient dense foods along with healthy lifestyle behaviors for the best defense.
The following nutrients play a vital role in our immune system; try to incorporate these foods in your diet.
1) BETA CAROTENE is a red-orange pigment in some fruits and vegetables, and is found in carrots, sweet potato, cantaloupe, yellow and red peppers, apricots, squash and dark leafy greens.
Here is a Grocery List:
–dried apricots
–bag of baby carrots or frozen bag of broccoli
–frozen sweet potato fries
–fresh or frozen spinach, kale, yellow or red fresh peppers
–frozen diced butternut squash
2) VITAMIN C is often linked to a reduction in symptoms of the common cold (a different corona virus), and is found in citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit), papaya, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, sweet potato, yellow or red peppers, tomato, broccoli and kale
Here is a Grocery List:
–fresh or frozen berries
–dried papaya, dried cranberries
–fresh oranges, canned mandarin oranges
–jarred tomato sauce, fresh tomato
–100% fruit juices you can freeze
3) VITAMIN D is found in milk, non-dairy milks fortified with calcium and vitamin D, eggs, fatty fish, and 100% juice fortified with vitamin D.
Here is a Grocery List:
–milk that you can freeze or shelf stable non-dairy milks
–canned salmon
–eggs
–orange juice fortified with Vitamin D you can freeze
4) ZINC may help shorten the duration of cold and is found in beef, seafood and non-animal sources, wheat germ, beans, nuts and tofu.
Here is a Grocery List:
–meats you can freeze
–canned beans, Amy’s Frozen breakfast burrito
–nut mixes
–frozen meals with tofu like Amy’s or Healthy Choice Power Bowls
5) PREBIOTICS and PROBIOTICS are fibers and natural sugars that stimulate the good bacteria in the gut that then promote good health.
–Prebiotics: onion, garlic, banana, asparagus, apple, Jerusalem artichoke
–Probiotics: cultured dairy products and fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, miso and tempeh
Here is a Grocery List:
–unripe bananas which will last longer
–apples
–fresh onion and garlic for cooking
–Greek yogurt
6) PROTEIN can come from both animal and plant sources, and includes milk, yogurt, eggs, beef, chicken, seafood, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils
Here is a Grocery list:
–chicken breast
–canned tuna
–jarred unsalted nuts/nut butters (peanut, almond, cashew)
–canned beans, lentils, chickpeas, bean soups
–protein/energy bars that are low in sugar (less than 10 grams of sugar and more than 3 grams of dietary fiber)