Boost Your Child’s Immunity with These 8 Winter Superfoods

Photo by Hannah Tasker on Unsplash

by Kunal Tambe

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It is common for kids to get frequent coughs and colds during winter. The main culprit behind this repeated cycle is weak immunity; blame the lifestyle we live. In an era of pre-made ready-to-cook food, it is hard to build an immune system that quickly fights infections and diseases.

Top 8 Superfoods to Boost Your Child’s Immune System

Are you worried about not having enough knowledge to strengthen your child’s immunity? While it is entirely normal behavior to worry about your child’s health as the temperature drops, merely concern isn’t enough. You need to act quickly and begin boosting your child’s immune system! We have made your life easier by gathering a list of eight of the best immune booster foods for kids.

1. Jaggery

Coated in luxurious sweetness, jaggery or gur adds an exotic flavor to every sweet dish you make. Apart from being a flavorful delight, jaggery is also effective in curbing a cold and cough because it contains natural warming properties.

You can consume jaggery as it is or mix it with ginger and saunf to enhance the health benefits. Boost your child’s immunity by making yummy dishes from organic jaggery like jaggery laddoo.

2. Dates

Does your child have a sweet tooth and frequently crave something sweet? Instead of handing them a chunk of chocolate, curb their dessert desire by giving them a seedless date (khajur). Dates are rich in calcium; hence, they are great for keeping your child’s teeth and bones strong and healthy! They are also packed with essential vitamins, minerals, potassium, and iron.

Like jaggery, even dates contain warming properties to keep your child warm during the cold months. So, go ahead and don’t fear experimenting with new dishes made of dates.

3. Eggs

Some of the best sources of protein are dairy foods, nuts, lentils, beans, and eggs. Out of these eggs are one of the best protein sources for a child’s solid foundation. An egg a day can fulfill your child’s daily nutrient requirement and constituent for a fulfilling winter diet. Besides being a healthy choice, eggs are versatile in terms of recipes. There’s a favorite egg recipe for every child – yes, even the picky eaters!

4. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potato, also known as shakarkandi, is a winter superfood delight! Filled with fiber, potassium, and vitamin A, it is believed that regular consumption of sweet potato dishes is great in curing constipation, reducing inflammation, and building a strong immune system. It’s even high in iron, boosting your child’s energy and promoting proper immune system functioning.

5. Jowar/Ragi/Bajra/Makka

Indian kitchen is incomplete without holding the essentials like jowar, bajra, ragi and makka. Most Indian dishes use these cereals by making flour out of them. Later, the flour can be used in various ways, like making rotis or other Indian dishes. Rotis made from jowar and bajra can be served with curd, jaggery, ghee, or daal.

If your child doesn’t like rotis, you can make dosas or pizza and take full benefit of jowar, bajra and ragi.

6. Citrus Fruits

Many parents fear giving their kids citrus fruits like orange and amla during winter, thinking they might catch a cold or cough. However, these fruits are essential as they are high in vitamin C, which is the best for boosting immunity. Amla, specifically, gives a dose of antioxidants and plays a key role in fighting infections and diseases during winter.

7. Nuts

Almonds, cashews, raisins, figs, and walnuts contain a healthy dose of micronutrients, minerals, and fibers, making them a powerhouse of nutrition. Eating a small quantity of dry fruits every day in winter and even after that can boost your child’s metabolism and immunity to keep them away from infections and diseases.

8. Turmeric

A staple in every Indian household, turmeric has healing and anti-inflammatory properties, which is why most mothers believe in applying a pinch of turmeric powder to their child’s wounds to quicken their healing process. Rich in antioxidants, turmeric stimulates the immune system, keeping flu and the common cold away every winter and beyond that!

Turmeric is good for women as well as children. Of course, eating turmeric powder on its own is not ideal. Instead, you can add it to your child’s glass of milk daily or a pinch in parathas!

Make the Most Out of These Winter Superfoods!

Most of the above-listed foods are already available in an ideal Indian kitchen. You don’t need to go overboard with your grocery shopping! The best part is that you can make various dishes with them. Grab them and boost your child’s immunity, so you won’t find them coughing and sneezing the winter away!

Author Bio

Kunal Tambe is a part of the content marketing team at Two Brothers Organic Farms. With his team, he works tirelessly to create awareness about organic farming, food sovereignty, sustainable practices, nutrition, climate change and a myriad of issues that surround these topics. His content offers value to farmers, the agriculture industry and to end consumers. Besides writing and developing content strategies, he loves adventure sports and listening to classical music.