3 Delicious Ways to Eat More Immunity-Boosting Vitamin C
With coronavirus on the rise and regular cold and flu season concerns in full force, you're likely thinking about ways to strengthen your immune system. And for good reason: taking proactive measures to boost your immunity is imperative.
The good news is, the key to keeping your immune system strong is right in front of you: on your plate, and in your pantry or freezer. “Good hygiene, getting adequate sleep, and eating a well-balanced diet all play an important role in preventing and increasing resilience to infection,” says Anisha Patel, MD, MSPH.
A healthy immune system relies on a balanced variety of vitamins and minerals over time, which is why it's so important to ensure consistent, positive eating habits. Your immune system is exactly that, a system, which requires ongoing care and maintenance to function well.
Increasing fruits and vegetables and reducing added sugar, are all part of a healthful, balanced diet. While no one vitamin is the star of the show when it comes to immunity, boosting vitamin C and probiotics can help to support recovery from viral infections. Vitamin C supports immune system function and iron absorption, and because your body doesn’t produce or store vitamin C, daily intake through the foods you eat is a top priority.
We sat down with Jennifer Tyler Lee, author of Half the Sugar, All the Love: 100 Easy, Low-Sugar Recipes for Every Meal of the Day, to learn three easy ways to eat more vitamin C (and less added sugar) in our home-cooked meals.
1-Whirl up breakfast smoothies.
Smoothies are a deliciously simple way to work more vitamin C into your breakfast routine. “Strawberries, oranges, and mangoes are good sources of vitamin C and make for easy smoothie add-ons,” explains Tyler Lee. For instance, a Strawberry-Peach Smoothie contains 70 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C, with no added sugar. Ready to take it up a notch? “Give it an extra boost by using oranges instead of peaches and increase vitamin C to 113 percent of your recommended daily intake. It’s an easy swap,” she says.
Faced with potentially extended periods of social distancing and the need to cook more simple meals at home, it’s a good idea to keep your freezer stocked with frozen fruits and vegetables—and to get kids involved. “A fun activity for kids is to let them measure and portion their favorite smoothie ingredients into individual glass containers that you can store in your freezer for quick and easy grab-and-go smoothies,” says Tyler Lee.
2 -Cook with Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and spinach.
It’s not just the obvious citrus fruits that give you a boost of vitamin C. “Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and spinach are solid sources of vitamin C, too,” advises Tyler Lee. So let’s bring on the salads and sheet-pan dinners that pack all the roasted veggies.
This vibrant Mason Jar Salad hits all the right notes. “The leafy green vegetables make this salad a great way to power your immune system," says Tyler Lee. "It delivers 130 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C." Plus, you can make it ahead. “I prepare this salad on the weekend, and store it in mason jars in my fridge, for a quick lunch on busy days,” says Tyler Lee.
If you’re ordering your salad at a restaurant, ask them to swap the grains for more leafy greens as an easy way to give your meal a boost of goodness. You can also make some easy swaps when cooking at home. “Try adding Brussels sprouts or broccoli to your stir-fries, or adding spinach to your favorite baked ziti or lasagna recipe, for more easy ways to give your regular meals a boost of vitamin C,” she says.
3 -Make DIY strawberry popsicles for dessert.
Dessert can be a good source of vitamin C, as well. A cup of sliced strawberries can be a delicious and simple dessert all on its own and delivers 130 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C. For a frozen treat that’s easy to make with kids, Strawberry Cream Pops top our list of favorites. “Naturally sweet and ripe strawberries make these creamy ice pops a delicious frozen treat that also delivers 50 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C,” says Tyler Lee.
“They’re fun to make with your kids, and they’re a fraction of the added sugar you’d normally find in a packaged frozen fruit pop.” That’s a sweet reward your immune system will appreciate.
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The good news is, the key to keeping your immune system strong is right in front of you: on your plate, and in your pantry or freezer. “Good hygiene, getting adequate sleep, and eating a well-balanced diet all play an important role in preventing and increasing resilience to infection,” says Anisha Patel, MD, MSPH.
A healthy immune system relies on a balanced variety of vitamins and minerals over time, which is why it's so important to ensure consistent, positive eating habits. Your immune system is exactly that, a system, which requires ongoing care and maintenance to function well.
Increasing fruits and vegetables and reducing added sugar, are all part of a healthful, balanced diet. While no one vitamin is the star of the show when it comes to immunity, boosting vitamin C and probiotics can help to support recovery from viral infections. Vitamin C supports immune system function and iron absorption, and because your body doesn’t produce or store vitamin C, daily intake through the foods you eat is a top priority.
We sat down with Jennifer Tyler Lee, author of Half the Sugar, All the Love: 100 Easy, Low-Sugar Recipes for Every Meal of the Day, to learn three easy ways to eat more vitamin C (and less added sugar) in our home-cooked meals.
1-Whirl up breakfast smoothies.
Smoothies are a deliciously simple way to work more vitamin C into your breakfast routine. “Strawberries, oranges, and mangoes are good sources of vitamin C and make for easy smoothie add-ons,” explains Tyler Lee. For instance, a Strawberry-Peach Smoothie contains 70 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C, with no added sugar. Ready to take it up a notch? “Give it an extra boost by using oranges instead of peaches and increase vitamin C to 113 percent of your recommended daily intake. It’s an easy swap,” she says.
Faced with potentially extended periods of social distancing and the need to cook more simple meals at home, it’s a good idea to keep your freezer stocked with frozen fruits and vegetables—and to get kids involved. “A fun activity for kids is to let them measure and portion their favorite smoothie ingredients into individual glass containers that you can store in your freezer for quick and easy grab-and-go smoothies,” says Tyler Lee.
2 -Cook with Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and spinach.
It’s not just the obvious citrus fruits that give you a boost of vitamin C. “Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and spinach are solid sources of vitamin C, too,” advises Tyler Lee. So let’s bring on the salads and sheet-pan dinners that pack all the roasted veggies.
This vibrant Mason Jar Salad hits all the right notes. “The leafy green vegetables make this salad a great way to power your immune system," says Tyler Lee. "It delivers 130 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C." Plus, you can make it ahead. “I prepare this salad on the weekend, and store it in mason jars in my fridge, for a quick lunch on busy days,” says Tyler Lee.
If you’re ordering your salad at a restaurant, ask them to swap the grains for more leafy greens as an easy way to give your meal a boost of goodness. You can also make some easy swaps when cooking at home. “Try adding Brussels sprouts or broccoli to your stir-fries, or adding spinach to your favorite baked ziti or lasagna recipe, for more easy ways to give your regular meals a boost of vitamin C,” she says.
3 -Make DIY strawberry popsicles for dessert.
Dessert can be a good source of vitamin C, as well. A cup of sliced strawberries can be a delicious and simple dessert all on its own and delivers 130 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C. For a frozen treat that’s easy to make with kids, Strawberry Cream Pops top our list of favorites. “Naturally sweet and ripe strawberries make these creamy ice pops a delicious frozen treat that also delivers 50 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C,” says Tyler Lee.
“They’re fun to make with your kids, and they’re a fraction of the added sugar you’d normally find in a packaged frozen fruit pop.” That’s a sweet reward your immune system will appreciate.
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