Contributed by: Healthians Team
Introduction
An uptick in new COVID cases is being noticed in children, and with this comes an urgent and pressing health need to make our children well prepared in their fight against COVID-19.
As a new variant of Covid-19 threatening to rear its ugly head, it’s high time parents take COVID among children very seriously and boost their immune systems.
It is a well-known fact that a well-balanced diet with a well-functioning immune system can never go wrong.
A healthy body can protect your kids from any disease — including the possible fourth wave of coronavirus peeking through — if they have a healthy immune system.
Colourful foods to boost your child’s immunity
As the threat of another Covid-19 wave wears on, adding food with multiple colours can bring additional health benefits for children.
These vibrant foods are high in immune-boosting nutrients — lycopene, carotenoids, lutein, anthocyanins and allicin — all of which are vital to building up a healthy body system which may be a prerequisite to navigating this global pandemic.
Six colours are quite important – red, orange, yellow, green, white and purple.
Because of naturally occurring compounds, each of these colours is associated with a variety of health advantages.
The more naturally occurring colours on your plate, the better the production of white blood cells in your body.
Make sure that your little one eats from at least four food groups throughout the day and week.
Green foods
The green colour is the key player in providing essential nutrients for your kids’ immunity development.
No matter which way you serve them, try getting your kids to munch on green fruits and vegetables to give them a myriad of health benefits.
Raw green fruits and vegetables are very essential as they are rich in substances such as chlorophyll, carotenoid, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
So go green with this colour at each meal or snack – the greener your child’s diet, the better!
Suggestions:
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Green cabbage
- Cucumbers
- Green apples
- Green grapes
- Kiwis
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Spinach
Red foods
One of the most important colours that can help your kid’s immune system is red fruits and vegetables.
They provide vitamin C, bioflavonoids as well as phytochemicals to the body, which are good for the immunity of the kids.
Suggestions
- Strawberries
- Beetroot
- Pomegranates
- Tomatoes
- Raspberries
- Watermelon
- Apples
- Red Peppers
- Cherries
- Cranberries
- Raspberries
- Red Grapes
- Watermelon
- Tomatoes, beetroot, red peppers & red onions
Purple/blue foods
Purple and blue fruits and vegetables are the way to go if you want to support a healthy immunity in your child.
Blue/purple foods provide wonderful health benefits due to the phytochemicals that exist naturally in them.
Blue/purple foods are packed with health-boosting substances such as anthocyanin and resveratrol, which are reputed for boosting immunity and potency of other antioxidants in the body.
Suggestions
- Purple grapes
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Prunes
- Eggplant
- Purple cabbage
- Purple sweet potatoes
- Black sticky rice and beetroot
- Plums
- Turnips
Yellow/orange foods
Covid-19 risk calls for including yellow/orange hued foods, as these are very high in antioxidants, and contain important substances such as carotenoids, flavonoids, and vitamin C.
The yellow/orange group is a good source of phytonutrients, including vitamin A, which is known to kickstart the production of white blood cells (WBCs) in your child’s body.
Suggestions
- Turmeric
- Oranges
- Bananas
- Passion fruit
- Cantaloupe
- Sweetcorn
- Capsicums
- Carrots
- Yams
- Papaya
- Figs
- Pineapple
- Carrots
- Pumpkins
- Corn
- Sweet potatoes
- Yellow bell peppers
White foods
Natural, unprocessed white coloured foods are super-healthy foods that can become an immunity booster for children.
White coloured foods are known to have antiviral and antibacterial properties and include those which are tan or brown on the outside and white on the inside.
Suggestions
- Garlic
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Beans
- Onions
- Mushrooms
- Turnips
- Pears
- Custard apples
- Lychees
- Radishes
- Cauliflower
- Ginger
- Mushrooms
Final thoughts
While the market is replete with immunity-boosting medications, embracing a broad colour palette is the best approach to nip the coming wave in the bud.
Dish out different-hued dishes for your kids that are diverse in pigments and overflowing in all essential vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals for a reinforced immunity.
It’s also vital to keep a check on your child’s overall health by getting regular health checkups and keeping an eye on his/her immunity levels.
