Do you have one of those friends that rarely ever seems to catch a cold or get the flu? Even though they are exposed to all the same germs as you they just don’t seem to ever get sick. And they may or may not drive you crazy.

But let me tell you a secret. You can be one of those people too! All you need to do is arm your immune system with the tools it needs to do its job, and just like that – fewer germs will be able to get past your defences.

This past week I attended Cooking School at my local Atlantic Superstore which was focused on foods that help to build a healthy immune system to do just that.

I touched on it in my first post but it really isn’t difficult to build up you immune system by eating the right foods. And while it’s important to have a healthy immune system all year round, this time of year it is especially important because there are so many viruses and bacteria hanging around waiting to prey on you!

These days we can be all too quick to pop a vitamin or mineral to make sure we are getting all that we need, but the truth remains that in almost all cases, you are better off obtaining those nutrients directly from food. Aiming to eat 7-10 servings of vegetables and fruits/day can go a long way all on its own to making sure your immune system is firing on all cylinders. Staying active (even in the cold months), and getting adequate sleep and stress management are all key factors in a healthy immune system and a healthy body overall.

[Tweet “Boost your immune system to get it ready for cold & flu season with these foods #SuperstoreFluCrew”]

Specific foods that are great for cold and flu season include (but aren’t limited to):

Citrus fruit

• Not only do citrus fruits provide vitamin C, they are naturally delicious and highly portable, making them a great food to toss in your bag for an on-the-go snack.

Beans & Legumes

• Boost your zinc intake by including a variety of beans and legumes in your diet. Cooked red lentils make a great addition to smoothies (you can’t even taste them), while beans are wonderful add-ins to soups, pasta, salads and even baking (black bean brownies are delicious).
• Dried beans and legumes are extremely budget friendly and are easy to make. They are low in fat, high in protein and a great source of fibre.

Nuts & Seeds

• Nuts and seeds are a fantastic source of vitamins – especially vitamin E (which is a dietary antioxidant that helps in the maintenance of good health)
• Choose raw, unsalted nuts and seeds whenever possible, and remember one serving is 1/4 cup or 2 Tbsp of nut or seed butter.

Garlic

• Raw garlic is the most beneficial for health.
• Easy ways to increase your raw garlic intake are by making fresh guacamole and fresh (uncooked) salsa.

Seafood

• Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, trout, tuna or sardines are a source of Omega 3 polyunsaturated fats. Adults should aim for 2 servings/week.
• Grill, boil, bake, or steam – there are many ways to prepare fish and boost your omega-3 intake.

But back to cooking school! We tried two different dishes Tuesday night, the first being this delicious soup

I am a self-proclaimed disliker of squash, but I think maybe I like squash soup? Or at least in this type of recipe I do because it was fabulous.

To follow, we had Asian Salad with Unilateral Grilled Salmon with Pistachio Avocado Puree

Asian Salad with Unilateral Grilled Salmon with Pistachio Avocado Puree

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Ingredients

• 3 ripe avocados
• 2 tbsp unsalted pistachios, grilled and lightly crushed
• 1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 Thai green peppers, deseeded and finely shopped
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander, chopped
• 4 Canadian salmon filets, 175g, centre cut
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp grape seed oil
• 1 Dole Chop Chop Ginger Sesame Kit

Instructions

Cut avocados in half with knife, remove seeds and spoon flesh into a bowl. Add lime juice and mash avocado with a work. Add onion, peppers, coriander, salt and pepper. Mix well & sit aside.

Heat oil in a skillet on low. Season the salmon filets with salt and pepper. Cook skin side down for 8-12 minutes (depending on the thickness of the filets) or until the salmon flesh comes apart easily with a fork and the skin is crispy.

Set salmon aside on a plate and cover with aluminum foil; let sit for 5 minutes

Make Asian ginger sesame salad per package instructions.

To plate, trace a line of avocado puree at the bottom of the plate. Top with Salmon filet and add Asian salad; serve immediately.

If you wish, garnish with fresh coriander and a wedge of lime.

This too was a delicious recipe, and both recipes together contained so many of the ingredients I listed above to help boost the immune system! And of course, all the fish you purchase at the Superstore is sustainably sourced which is one last thing you need to think about when making your food choices.

[Tweet “Check out these immune boosting recipes to help you keep a strong immune system #Superstoreflucrew”]

After school let out, I went down to the Pharmacy to get my flu shot. Since I am usually in a rush when getting my groceries (and normally there during the busy Friday afternoons) I hadn’t had a chance to get mine done. But fortunately the store was quiet Tuesday evening so I was able to get my shot without any wait at all – and did I mention it’s free?

And bonus – when you get your flu shot at the Atlantic Superstore, they give you a coupon booklet for bonus PC Plus offers on items that will help you prepare for cold and flu season (including bonus point coupons for some of the products used in the recipes above!).

Even if you don’t feel like getting the flu shot, aside from working on boosting your immune system through food (And recipes like those above), remember the #1 thing you can always do to stop the spread of germs is to wash your hands.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored campaign on behalf of Loblaws/Atlantic Superstore, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.