Foods To Boost Children’s Immunity
Eating healthy foods to boost children’s immunity is vitally important to ensure they are not easy targets for viruses circulating in the school environment. Also, it will allow them to grow healthy.
Nutritional deficiencies in relation to proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats – such as olive oil, fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins A, C, E and D – make the child’s immunity unable to fight diseases.
With that in mind, let’s present a complete list of foods to boost children’s immunity. In addition, we have also included some very effective and simple recipes.
A balanced diet
Having a balanced and healthy diet ensures that children are in excellent health. Thus, your immune system will be able to fight any disease effectively. This applies especially to the most common school viruses.
When it comes to a balanced diet, nutritionists say that consuming all food groups is essential. Of course, exceptions will be present in children with specific pathologies or with food allergies or intolerances.
However, a frequent question that often comes up is: what are the consequences for children’s immunity when they do not consume products that contain the main groups of nutrients?
Regarding proteins
When children don’t eat enough protein – meat, chicken, fish – they show decreases in lymphocyte formation. These are responsible for the optimal functioning of the immune system.
Absence of carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are present in products such as rice, pasta, flour, cereals or potatoes. These foods are responsible for providing energy, so necessary for the body’s defenses.
about fats
When nutritionists recommend that children eat fat, they always make it clear which types of fat are indicated for consumption.
In the same way that the absence of food can damage a child’s defenses, eating a low-quality product can also be negative.
That’s what happens with this group. If what the child ingests are saturated fats – ingested through sweets and sausages – or trans fats, there will be an almost immediate and considerable reduction in their defenses.
The only fats recommended for children are those that contain omega 3. This fatty acid can be found in olive oil or in fruits such as avocados.
Absence of vitamins from fruits and vegetables
Of all the food groups, those that provide the most vitamins and minerals are fruits and vegetables. When the child does not consume these foods in sufficient quantity, his health fails in all aspects and the immune system cells are oxidized.
Foods to Boost Children’s Immunity
The foods that contribute most to increasing children’s defenses are all those that contain vitamin A, E, C and D, minerals, iron and zinc. Some of the most prominent are:
- Carrot
- Broccoli
- Chard
- Pumpkin
- Avocado
- Orange
- Apple
- Lemon
- Kiwi
- beautiful papaya or papaya
- Grapefruit
- Oat
- Lettuce
- Honey
- Oilseeds
- Eggs
- Grains and cereals
- Salmon
- Tuna fish
- Shrimp
Recipes to Boost Children’s Immunity
Getting children to eat the amounts of fruits and vegetables needed to maintain good health can be difficult.
However, we can prepare drinks that, with the help of the intense flavor of your favorite fruit, can integrate several ingredients beneficial to health.
The most powerful juice mixes to boost children’s defenses are:
- Strawberry, orange and guava.
- Apricot, orange and grapes.
- Gooseberry, spinach and orange.
- Blackcurrant, lemon and apple.
- Pumpkin and carrots.
- Orange with carrots.
- Cold or hot lemonade with honey.
- apple, ginger and parsley
- Apple, lettuce and sesame
- Pineapple and almonds.
- Strawberry and mango.
As a final recommendation, remember that children should consume at least two servings of fruits and vegetables a day, especially citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and tangerines, which are rich in vitamin C.
It is also important to eat nuts, dried fruits, yogurt, honey, cereals, meats and vegetables at least twice a week.
