Healthy Eating

Immunity-boosting foods for winter

Dark leafy greens are a good source for vitamin A, which boost your immune system during winter months.

As winter continues in Chicago and cold and flu bugs remain rampant, it’s especially important that we keep our immune systems as strong as possible.

Ironically, foods that are most rich in immunity-boosting vitamins and minerals — specifically Vitamins A, E and C and the mineral Zinc — are less abundant in winter.

We asked Kate Kinne, RD, LDN, nutrition supervisor for Galter LifeCenter, for tips on ways to integrate these vitamins and minerals into a healthy, delicious diet in winter. Here are her suggestions:

• Vitamin A: Look for dark red and orange fruits and vegetables, like peppers, oranges, carrots, tomatoes; and dark leafy greens, like spinach and kale
• Vitamin C: Citrus fruits are a great source, as are kiwi, berries, broccoli and tomatoes
• Vitamin E: Nuts — especially hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts and sunflower seeds — are chockfull of vitamin E, as is peanut butter and wheat germ
• Zinc: You’ll have to look outside the produce aisle, as zinc is mostly found in seafood and beef, but vegetarians can also look for it in grain products, which are usually fortified with the mineral

Kinne says in addition to these power foods, she recommends trying out a few other basics that are in season now, including sweet potatoes, turnips, pears, grapefruits, clementines and tangerines. And year-round, she says, keep an eye out for basics like cabbage, bell peppers, avocado, apples and bananas, which are all nutritional powerhouses and easily integrated into meals.

She also says keeping canned and frozen produce at home is a great idea. “Canned produce with no salt added can still give you nutrition in a season when it’s otherwise hard to get,” she says.

Making meals
Integrating some of the produce mentioned here may feel challenging. Kale, you say? Turnips? Kinne has a few suggestions for turning intimidating veggies into tasty treats (or at least disguising them):

• puree leafy greens like spinach into fruit smoothees; the taste disappears
• chop kale and add it to stir fry, soups, or veggie sautees—use it the same way you would spinach
• puree winter squash into mac’n’cheese; the colors match and it tastes great
• chop bell peppers, carrots, spinach, kale and other vegetables to add to spaghetti sauces; you can even puree them to add and disguise them
• chop or slice turnips to use as garnishes or salad ingredients, or dice with purple cabbage and carrots to make a winter slaw

Kinne says adding new vegetables doesn’t mean revamping your entire diet at once. She suggests adding one new ingredient at a time, trying it in a recipe you already like. The key, she says, is to experiment in a way that’s fun and pleasurable so you enjoy your food and get great health.

How much do I need?
The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements offers recommendations on all the nutrients mentioned in this article, plus many others. Here are just a few:
Vitamin A: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA/
Vitamin E: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE/
Vitamin C: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC/
Zinc: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc/
Vitamin D: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind/

Great produce is just around the corner…

Harvestime at 2632 W. Lawrence Avenue is a neighborhood favorite, featuring hard-to-beat deals on in-season produce in addition to a well-stocked deli counter and ethnic foods section—just blocks away from Swedish Covenant Hospital. Call (773) 989.4400 for more information.

Happy Foods at 6415 N. Central Avenue has a substantial produce section and offers delivery service Monday through Saturday. Call (773) 631.6953 for more information.

Cermak Produce at 4234 N. Kedzie Avenue has a large produce section and offers a wide variety of ethnic foods. Call (773847.1100 for more information.
 
Whole Foods at the intersection of Peterson and Cicero offers a wide variety of produce and lots of cooking classes. Call (773) 205.1100 for more information.

Chicago’s Downtown Farmstand 

Even if you’re downtown, you can still get delicious local produce on your lunch break at this city-supported shop in the heart of the loop at 66 E. Randolph Street. Throughout the winter—in addition to baked goods, seasonings, dairy products and desserts—the shop offers root vegetables like onions, potatoes, garlic and shallots. Hydroponically grown greens, kale, arugula, bok choy and lettuce are also for sale, as well as micro greens and lettuce mixes.

And if you like a little adventure, try a CSA, short for Community Supported Agriculture. These food co-ops are a great way to buy a share of a locally produced crop and have it delivered right to your door each week. For a comprehensive list of Chicago-area CSAs (there are even a few that operate year-round!) check out The Local Beet.  

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