15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (2024)

With holidays and colder months approaching, immunity is fresh on our minds. Whether you're stocking up on extra supplements or packing your pantry full of healthy ingredients, chances are you're thinking about how to keep your immune system healthy during the upcoming cold and flu season.

"A healthy immune system is vital for good health because it helps fight off any foreign invaders to the body, and if our immune systems are healthy, it's easier to fight bacteria, viruses or anything else trying to make us sick," says Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND award winning nutrition expert and Wall Street Journal best-selling author of The Family Immunity Cookbook.

And even though it may sound overwhelming to make sure your immune system is healthy, Amidor says "it all starts with what you eat."

That is why we have this roundup ofdelicious, healthy recipes that can help boost your immune system this season and help you stay true to your health goals.

Check out our favorite immunity recipes, and for more ideas of what to make for breakfast, make sure to check out the 22 Cozy Breakfast Recipes That Are Perfect For Weight Loss.

Fire Cider Recipe

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (1)

This deliciously spicy cider is full of immune-boosting ingredients like garlic, honey, apple cider vinegar, and orange. You can make it quickly or do it the old-fashioned cider way, but it will give you a necessary immunity boost for the winter either way.

Get our recipe for Fire Cider

Sign up for our newsletter to get daily recipes and food news in your inbox!

Potato and Kale Soup

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (2)

Kale is considered one of the best foods to eat to boost your immune system, so enjoy it in a warm, hearty potato and kale soup this season.

Get our recipe for Potato and Kale Soup

Tomato and Garlic Sauce

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (3)

Garlic and tomatoes are other great immunity-boosting ingredients, and this recipe perfectly combines them into a flavorful sauce for your favorite pasta dish.

Get our recipe for Tomato and Garlic Sauce

Immune-Boosting Brownies

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (4)

There's nothing better than a brownie recipe that can also help boost your immune system's health. Bake these up and share them with your family—or, just enjoy them all to yourself!

Get the recipe from Toby Amidor Nutrition

Beef and Sweet Potato Bowls

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (5)

These bowls are full of healthy ingredients—like ginger, garlic, broth, spinach, and potatoes—to help you combat flu season.

Get the recipe from Toby Amidor Nutrition

Hearty Lentil Tomato Soup

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (6)

There's nothing cozier than enjoying soup on a cold winter day, and this one is full of immune-boosting ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, turmeric, and ground ginger.

Get the recipe from Toby Amidor Nutrition

Coconut Curry Ramen

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (7)

You can still enjoy restaurant-quality curry at home for half the price. Enjoy mushrooms, garlic, onions, delicious broth, and natural sweetness from coconut milk.

Get the recipe from Minimalist Baker

Immunity Power Bowl

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (8)

Everything about this bowl is powerful. Enjoy the perfect combination of sweet potatoes, pumpkin seeds, kale, chickpeas, and fresh avocado slices on top.

Get the recipe from One Ingredient Chef

Immune-Boosting Wellness Smoothie

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (9)

Healthy smoothies are a great way to boost your immunity because you can get a ton of nutrients early in the morning to start your day off right! This one is packed full of greens, citrus, and anti-inflammatory spices.

Get the recipe from Ambitious Kitchen

Adaptogenic Hot Chocolate

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (10)

Adaptogens are natural ingredients that are used to help your body in different ways, and this immunity recipe is full of them. You'll have reishi mushrooms, Ashwagandha, and maca powder mixed with cocoa powder and cinnamon for a cozy cup of hot chocolate at any time of day.

Get the recipe from Minimalist Baker

Ginger Garlic Miso Tahini Dressing

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (11)

Ginger and garlic are powerful ingredients that help with inflammation, and this recipe perfectly combines them to make a delicious dressing that's great on any type of salad.

Get the recipe from Minimalist Baker

Immune-Boosting Soup

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (12)

The combination of kale, bok choy, mushrooms, garlic, and coconut oil makes for a delicious and easy recipe to try on a chill fall day.

Get the recipe from Healthy Maven

Turmeric Smoothie

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (13)

If you want the anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric but aren't a fan of the taste-this is the smoothie recipe for you. It tastes just like your favorite creamy berry smoothie, but it's packed full of fruit, spinach, yogurt, and turmeric to give you a health boost in the morning or for a mid-afternoon snack.

Get the recipe from Well Plated By Erin

Easy Chicken Soup

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (14)

You can't talk about immune-boosting recipes without discussing a classic chicken noodle soup. This one combines all your favorite ingredients and makes for the perfect comfort soup.

Get the recipe from Ambitious Kitchen

Orange Probiotic Immunity Boosting Smoothie

15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (15)

Not only does this smoothie come with immunity-boosting ingredients like orange, carrot, ginger, and cinnamon, but the kefir yogurt will help your gut health, as well.

Get the recipe from Cotter Crunch

Read these next:

  • 15 Best Healthy Banana Bread Recipes
  • 21 Cozy Oatmeal Recipes Perfect for Weight Loss This Fall
  • 23 Cozy Crock-Pot Recipes Perfect for Weight Loss This Fall
15 Best Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Immunity (2024)

FAQs

Which fruit is no 1 immunity booster? ›

Most citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, lemons, and limes contain high levels of vitamin C, which is thought to help fight infection by increasing your white blood cells.

How can I boost my immune system quickly? ›

Vaccines, such as the flu vaccine, build immunity against specific diseases. Some additional ways you can strengthen your immune system are eating well, being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough sleep, not smoking, and avoiding excessive alcohol use.

What foods help fight viruses? ›

Foods that help your immune system

Specific veggies and fruits that reduce inflammation are apples, berries, tomatoes, celery and onions. Add fermented foods. Fermented foods have “good bacteria,” a.k.a. probiotics that help your immune system. Eating more fermented foods also reduces gas, bloating and diarrhea.

What weakens the immune system? ›

It can also happen to people following organ transplants who take medicine to prevent organ rejection. Also, infections like the flu virus, mono (mononucleosis), and measles can weaken the immune system for a brief time. Your immune system can also be weakened by smoking, alcohol, and poor nutrition.

How can I boost my immune system in 24 hours? ›

Top 7 Tips to Boost Your Immune System In 24 Hours...
  1. Hydrate! Our need for hydration increases when we're fighting infections, so you'll need to double down on water and comforting cups of herbal tea (Guide to Herbal Tea). ...
  2. Drink Bone Broth. ...
  3. Up your vitamin C. ...
  4. Step outside. ...
  5. Stock up on zinc. ...
  6. Rest up. ...
  7. Fermented foods.
Oct 9, 2023

Does egg increase immunity? ›

Eggs. Adequate protein intake is important to support immune response, and eggs are a great way to do this since they also contain nutrients like vitamin D, zinc, selenium, and vitamin E that the body needs for proper immune functioning. If you can, opt for eggs from chickens that were fed a vegetarian diet.

Why do I get sick so often? ›

You may get sick more often if you have certain health conditions. It could be related to a vitamin deficiency, dehydration, or diet, among other possibilities. If you get sick often, it may be due to your immune system function or other health conditions that affect it.

Are bananas good for the immune system? ›

Bananas are not only a prebiotic food – supporting gut health – they are high in vitamin B6. This vitamin is needed to keep the immune system functioning properly. Bananas are an excellent base for your next smoothie! Other foods high in vitamin B6 include cold-water fish, lean chicken breast, chickpeas and potatoes.

What vegetables can boost your immune system? ›

Leafy greens – Vegetables such as spinach, kale, chard, collard greens, arugula and lettuce provide loads of health benefits. Since they contain high levels of vitamins C and K, as well as beta carotene, folate and fiber, they're also powerful immune boosters.

Which juice is best for immunity? ›

8 Immunity Boosting Juices to Improve your Health
  • Apple, carrot and Orange Juice.
  • Tomato and Carrot Juice.
  • Kale, Spinach and Lettuce Juice.
  • Orange and Grapefruit Juice.
  • Kale, Tomato and Cherry Juice.
  • Beet, Carrot, Ginger and Turmeric Juice.
  • Watermelon Juice.
  • Strawberry and Mango Juice.

What mineral boosts the immune system? ›

Consuming adequate amounts of several vitamins and minerals—including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, selenium, and zinc—is important for proper immune function, and clinical deficiencies of these nutrients weaken immunity and can increase susceptibility to infections [2,4,5,8-10].

What drink helps white blood cells? ›

Green tea

Green tea is also rich in L-theanine, an amino acid that is thought to help your white blood cells produce germ-fighting compounds.

What protein is good for the immune system? ›

Nutrition to boost immune system

People should consume complete, high-quality proteins (egg, dairy, and soy proteins) in their daily diet. Other important immunity enhancing properties are found in vitamins (Vitamin C, B6 and E), essential fatty acids, and some probiotics.

Is banana good for the immune system? ›

Bananas are not only a prebiotic food – supporting gut health – they are high in vitamin B6. This vitamin is needed to keep the immune system functioning properly. Bananas are an excellent base for your next smoothie! Other foods high in vitamin B6 include cold-water fish, lean chicken breast, chickpeas and potatoes.

What foods calm the immune system? ›

Choose Calming Foods

Fruits and vegetables (aim for a broad rainbow of colors to get the most antioxidant variety), fish and fish oil, olive oil, ground flaxseeds, and spices like ginger, rosemary, basil and turmeric can all have a quieting effect on an overactive immune system.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Sen. Ignacio Ratke

Last Updated:

Views: 5890

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (76 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Sen. Ignacio Ratke

Birthday: 1999-05-27

Address: Apt. 171 8116 Bailey Via, Roberthaven, GA 58289

Phone: +2585395768220

Job: Lead Liaison

Hobby: Lockpicking, LARPing, Lego building, Lapidary, Macrame, Book restoration, Bodybuilding

Introduction: My name is Sen. Ignacio Ratke, I am a adventurous, zealous, outstanding, agreeable, precious, excited, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.