Every time Toby or I show even the slightest signs of getting a cold I make a bunch of high vitamin, high anti-oxidant foods to boost the immune system.
Granted, Toby is a kid who will eat a wide variety of foods, and not all of these are suitable for kids under 18 months, but you can pull from these ideas what you will...
Garlic Soup.
One tub of homemade chicken stock
8 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 Tbsp dried oregano
For my chicken stock I cover chicken bones with water in a deep pot and add carrots, celery, several cloves of garlic, a bay leaf, rosemary, oregano and a touch of salt. Boil for a couple hours uncovered. The water will evaporate and the nutrients in the stock become concentrated. Ladle contents in to a sieve held over a large bowl or measuring cup. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate over night. Carefully spoon excess fat off that will have congealed on the top, stir the remaining juices, and then I pour into washed margarine containers for freezing.
For the soup, I pop out the frozen puck of chicken stock with about an inch of water into a pot and add the sliced garlic and oregano. Bring to boil. I serve it in a mug with a straw and we make a game out of drinking the broth to find the garlic chunks at the bottom and then fish them out with a spoon to eat (Toby's favourite part)
Benefits
-The broken down chicken contains amino acids that loosen congestion. Also it's a good way to get proteins back in your system during stomach flu.
-Garlic is an antioxidant and aids in circulation and keeping low blood pressure. It's used as an all-round immune and health booster in many herbal remedies.
-Oregano has anti-viral and antibacterial properties and improved respiratory health.
Garlic Ginger Tea
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 slices of fresh ginger
Pour two cups of boiling water over garlic and ginger and let steep.
It may sound like an odd tea, but it actual has a very mild soothing flavour!
Benefits
-Again, garlic is an antioxidant and will help clear your body of 'bugs' and boost your immune system.
- Ginger sooths the digestive tract and can help ease nausea. It has anti inflammatory properties so it can ease pain and reduce cold and flu symptoms.
Chamomile and peppermint teas (as long as they are true herbal teas and not flavoured tea leaves) also are very soothing and ease headaches and promote rest.
Salmon Avocado Salad
1 can solid sockeye salmon
1 small ripe avocado
1 Tbsp Nayonaise (or regular Mayo) (optional)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 sheet of sushi nori (seaweed), crumbled
black pepper
This stemmed from Toby asking for sushi (even tho we'd just ate a bunch the night before) but i was out of rice so i gave him some nori to munch on while I made a salmon salad for lunch, and this yumminess was born.
Drain canned salmon and mash together with avocado in a bowl. Add mayo if desired - it makes a creamier texture, but if your avocado is really ripe and creamy you may choose not to use it. Add oregano, black pepper to taste and crumble the nori into the bowl. Mix well.
I served it with rice cakes, and Toby like sunflower seed butter on his.
Benefits
-Salmon contains Omega-3 Fatty acids, loads of vitamins, and calcium - especially from the calcified bones that appear in canned salmon.
- Avocado is packed with vitamins as well, and the high fat content of the fruit means you feel fuller on healthier food and are less likely to snack on other not-so-good foods (which is good when you have a cold!)
- Oregano, again, had anti-viral and antibacterial properties
-Nori, seaweed contains Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, Magnesium and Riboflavin
- Black pepper can diminish the amount of gas in the intestinal system and reduce bloating
This one wouldn't be good food for stomach flu, but to ward off the common cold it's great!
Even just throwing garlic and oregano in everything you make (rice, potatoes, stir-fry) is better than nothing!
Get well soon!!
Salmon Avocado Salad
The dip-and-scoop
The taste test
Yumm!!
hahaha love the pics of Toby at the end.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cutie!