Our immune system is our first line of defense against external aggressions, like bacteria and viruses, that we face on a daily basis. Perhaps you have already heard that good health depends on diet? Nothing could be truer when it comes to the immune system. Indeed, to function effectively, our immune system needs a certain amount of micronutrients. It is therefore essential to provide it a sufficient quantity of these nutrients via our food. To get the nutrients you need and enjoy tasty food, we have prepared 3 recipes to boost your immunity.
Fall recipe to boost your immunity: beef wok with crips vegetables
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 400 g of Chinese egg noodles
- 300 g of beef
- 1 broccoli
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3 cm of ginger
- 4 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
- A few sprigs of coriander
Method
Slice the beef into thin strips.
Peel and chop the garlic cloves and the piece of ginger.
Place the sliced beef in a dish with the grated garlic and ginger, then cover with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and sesame oil. Cover the mixture and place in the fridge.
In a saucepan, bring a large volume of salted water to the boil.
While the water is heating up, peel and cut the onion into thick strips. Wash, peel and cut the carrots into sticks. Finally, separate the tops from the broccoli stalk and wash them.
Wash and chop the coriander leaves.
When the water is boiling, add the carrots and broccoli to the saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove them from the water with a sieve. Be careful, the vegetables must be cooked but still crispy.
Keep the cooking water from the vegetables to start cooking the noodles. Cook for the time indicated on the package, drain and rinse with cold water to avoid sticking.
Heat a spoonful of sunflower oil in a wok (or a large pot) over high heat.
Pour in the marinated beef and stir well. Fry for 5 minutes until nicely colored. Set aside.
Heat a spoonful of sunflower oil in the wok and fry the onions. Once golden, lower the heat and add the vegetables, beef and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Stir in together.
After 2 minutes, add the noodles, stir in gently, and let the mixture warm up.
Serve in soup plates and sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped coriander.
Winter recipe to boost your immunity: lentil dhal with yogurt sauce
Ingredients (serves 4)
For the dish:
- 300 g of blond lentils
- 0.5 L of tomato coulis
- 2 onions
- 2 carrots
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Spices (cumin, turmeric, paprika, sweet pepper)
- Salt and pepper
For the sauce:
- 200 g of yogurt
- The juice of ½ lemon
- ½ red onion
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- Salt and pepper
Method
Peel and slice the onion and garlic. Peel the carrots and cut them once lengthwise and then into thin slices.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the onions with the spices.
After 3 minutes, add the garlic and carrots, mix and cook for a few more minutes.
Rinse the lentils and add them to the pot with the tomato coulis. Mix well. Top up with water if necessary to submerge the mixture.
Bring to the boil and then simmer, covered, over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Stir regularly and add water as needed.
Once the lentils are cooked, taste and adjust the seasonings (salt, pepper, spices).
While the lentils are cooking, prepare the yogurt sauce.
In a bowl, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, cumin and finely chopped red onion. Season with salt and pepper.
Once the dhal is ready, serve it in a soup plate with rice and the yogurt sauce. Enjoy!
Summer recipe to boost your immunity: tomato and herring tart
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 1 shortcrust pastry
- 200 g of smoked herring
- 4 large tomatoes
- 2 onions
- 4 tablespoons of mustard
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 handful of pine nuts
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Unroll the dough on a baking sheet.
Spread the mustard on the dough and prick the dough with a fork to prevent it from puffing up during baking.
Put the dough in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and slice the onions. Fry them for 10 minutes in a frying pan with a dash of olive oil to caramelize them. Season with salt and pepper.
Wash and dry the tomatoes, remove the stems and slice them into thin rings.
Dice the smoked herring.
Once the dough is pre-cooked, first spread the stewed onion evenly over it, then tomatoes. Place the diced smoked herring on top.
Spread the pine nuts over the pie, add a drizzle of olive oil and pepper.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Serve the pie while still warm with a few salad leaves. Enjoy!
Choosing the right ingredients to boost your immunity
Why choose these ingredients? How will they help you boost your immunity? Let us explain.
Fill up on micronutrients
Several micronutrients are involved in the mechanisms of our immune system and contribute to its normal functioning. These include:
- Zinc: an essential element in the process of division of certain immune cells. It is therefore vitally important to consume it in sufficient quantities. That’s why we’ve included ingredients that are rich in zinc, such as beef and pine nuts, in our recipes.
- Iron: this mineral is essential for the production of white blood cells, key cells in our immune system. To boost your immunity, make sure you eat foods that contain iron, such as beef or lentils.
- Vitamin C: recognized for its role in the functioning of our immune system, vitamin C is present in many plants such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, or broccoli.
- Vitamin D: this vitamin is also essential for our immune system. It is distinct from other vitamins as it enters the body via two different sources. On the one hand, through our food (like other vitamins), and on the other, through our skin. Indeed, our body can produce its own vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight. But in winter, our exposure is too low to meet our vitamin D needs, which is why we need to supplement our intake with ingredients that are rich in it, such as herring for example.
Without forgetting biotics
Let’s not forget that microbiota and immunity are closely linked. Thus, taking care of your microbiota is also a lever to boost your immunity. This is why we have also included in our recipes foods containing:
- Prebiotics (e.g., onion, garlic) to feed the good bacteria of your intestinal microbiota;
- Probiotics (e.g., yogurt) to enrich your microbiota with “friendly” bacteria.
As you can see, your food choices can have a real impact on your immune system. Adopting a healthy and varied diet will allow you to increase your daily intake of essential nutrients and help boost your immunity. In addition to our delicious, nutrient-rich recipes, why not find out more about postbiotics and its role in a healthy, balanced diet?
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