5 Immunity Boosting Foods & How These Help in Boosting Child's Immune System

Is anxiety filling your heart as you nurse your child's third cold in two months? As a parent, you might often wish for a magic wand to cast a "no-illness" spell on your child. It is heartbreaking to see a child struggle with frequent colds and viral illnesses. These 8 immunity booster foods to make baby fight with them. While, unfortunately, there isn't such a wand, there are some healthy additions to your child's diet that can help keep illnesses at bay.

How Can I Help Boost My Child's Immune System?

There are simple food and lifestyle factors that can aid in boosting your child's immune system_

1. Freshly prepared food: Avoid packaged and processed food as much as possible. Juices have high sugar content, which suppresses the immune system
2. Healthy digestive tract: The bacteria that live in the digestive system influences the immune system, too. When there is an imbalance, immunity decreases. Probiotics help in keeping the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut
3. Rest: Your child needs sufficient sleep to have a healthy immune system

What Are Some Immunity-Boosting Superfoods?

Here are some superfoods that you can include in your child's diet-

1. Vegetables: Nothing beats two or three helpings of veggies a day.
   • Green, leafy vegetables are especially known to boost immunity. They are rich in iron, which aids in producing white blood cells and antibodies. An interesting way to offer it is to make some delicious spinach and onion soup, or palak paneer to go with yummy paranthas
   • Vegetable cutlets are a great way to include many, different vegetables
   • Sweet potatoes are great for immunity building
2. Fruits: Vitamin-C rich fruits like oranges and antioxidant-powerhouse berries are known to improve immunity. If your child refuses to eat berries, make yogurt smoothies with strawberries and blueberries. Fruit salads are also a good way to increase fruit intake
3. Dried Fruits & Nuts: Almonds, cashews, figs, raisins, apricots, walnuts – all these are powerhouses of nutrition like essential fatty acids and omega-3, which boost immunity and aid in brain development
4. Herbs and Spices: 
   • One of your basic kitchen essentials, turmeric, has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Enough said, don't you think?
   • Tulsi, a common household plant, works wonders at keeping colds at bay due to its antiviral and antibacterial properties. It also helps when your child is already down with a cold. Boil a few leaves in water, strain and give him a few sips throughout the day
   • Ginger and garlic: Commonly used in preparing masalas and gravies, these two contain flavonoids that boost immunity. Use them in your cooking to enhance flavor while ensuring good health
   • Ghee: A host of nutrients, such as lycopene from tomatoes, and beta-carotene from orange and yellow vegetables, get absorbed by the body only with the aid of fat. Therefore, a couple of spoons of ghee in a day will make your child healthier
   • Eggs and Lean Meat: Whip up that delicious omelet, or give him a boiled egg topped up with delicious herbs or pepper, for your child's daily dose of lean protein—the building blocks of the body. Chicken soup is soul food. When you were a child, didn't your mother offer comfort during illnesses with a bowl of steaming chicken soup? Another good option is fish, although do check if your child has any allergies first
   • Yogurt: Dahi is another must-have food for growing children. Dahi is loaded with healthy bacteria that keep the intestines and gut in smooth, working condition. The better these organs function, the more they absorb nutrients and keep the body ticking
   • Seeds: We don't really pay them the attention we should - watermelon, sunflower, or pumpkin seeds. These are high in zinc, an uber-important nutrient for boosting immunity, and for healthy skin. Crush and sprinkle on dahi, or powder and mix in dough while making rotis

5. Note: Check for Allergies first

Keep changing your child's meal, as the variety will help in keeping his immune system ticking. A portion of these essential foods in rotation every day will make your child not only physically healthy but help his brain develop, too. [Read More - Food That Will Boost Immunity in Kids]

Do you have any tips on superfoods to boost a child's immunity? Share your tips with us in the comments section!