By now, depending on your job, you’re probably sheltering in place in the comfort (and boredom) of your own home. You’re either out of work or working from home with a fair amount of free time to read, watch Netflix, and stare blankly out the window at the world you aren’t supposed to walk around in. Given this extra free time, you’re probably gorging yourself on carb-filled, fatty junk food just to pass the time. If you’re already eating because you’re bored, you might as well munch on healthy foods that will help keep your immune system in tip-top shape (and hopefully keep you coronavirus-free). Check out all the immune-boosting foods below.
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Immune Boosting Foods
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Almonds
Not only are almonds a tasty, nutritious, and filling snack, they’re also full of vitamin E, a vitamin known for boosting your immune system. So, every now and then, take a break from your potato chips and snacks on a handful of almonds instead.
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Broccoli
Broccoli is a superfood. It’s chock full of vitamins like C, E, and A. It’s also ripe with fiber and antioxidants. If you like broccoli, you should be eating a lot of it. Mix it into pasta, eat it with humus, or slather it in cheese for all we care.
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Chicken Soup
While it might seem like an old wives' tale that chicken soup can cure anything, it is partially true. That’s because the chicken in your soup contains a chemical called carnosine that is known to help in the protection of viruses such as the flu.
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Garlic
Not only will it fight off the ever-present threat of vampires, but garlic is know to lower blood pressure and boost your immune system with things like calcium, potassium, and over 100 sulfuric compounds. Plus, it tastes pretty good in pasta.
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Grapefruit
Maybe you’re more of an orange fan (go right ahead and eat that instead). But we love a good grapefruit. It’s full of vitamin C, which helps build up your immune system and increases white blood cells. It also tastes pretty good when juiced and mixed with tequila.
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Mushrooms
The addition of mushrooms (particularly button mushrooms) to any meal is a really great idea due to the amount of vitamin B, riboflavin, niacin, and selenium packed into each 'shroom. Riboflavin and niacin help boost your immune system and selenium is known to lower the severity of a flu.
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Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes (just like carrots) are full of beta-carotene. When you eat them, your body turns it into vitamin A, a vitamin known for helping with free radicals (no, not the band) and boosting your immune system. So, instead of eating regular potatoes, opt for sweet potatoes instead. Cover 'em in sour cream, cheese, and bacon for an extra special snack.
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Yogurt
Yogurt, although it looks like goopy cream, is alive. We know that’s hard to believe even though you've read about the “live” cultures in it for as long as you can remember. The live cultures are the key to its immune system-boosting properties. These probiotics help fight off bad bacteria and give your immune system a jump start.
