June 18, 2021
By Palak Chaturvedi, Nutritionist & Lifestyle Consultant
Building and boosting the immune system is as easy as eating healthy. One good way to choose and include these power foods is by diving deeper into their making and swapping it with the regulars that are not building our immunity.
Let us look at some of the healthy foods and beverages that are a good source of nutrients and boost our immunity.
1) Falafel wrap v/s Burger
For those who love their burgers and still want to enjoy a nutritious bite of healthy and delicious food, the Falafel wrap is the better alternative. It is a purely satisfying food that is high in protein and iron content. It has benefits such as maintaining a good heart rate, muscle repair and development, weight management, digestive health benefits, and more.
Since these wraps are a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin B, and vitamin C, it makes an ideal and healthy choice when compared to a burger.
The wrap made of whole wheat roti with hummus and hung curd made the wrap super tasty. Sauteed veggies like onions, bell peppers, cabbage, cucumber, carrots, capsicum and corn add that extra bit of delight and bring this tasty treat the fullness of a good healthy snack. The falafel wrap can become more exciting when it is infused with select spices and herbs of your choice.
2) Sattu Drink v/s Fruit juice
Fruit juices are synonymous with health and it even gets better when the juice aids in digestion and is also a source of protein. Sattu drink is one such option that fitness enthusiasts can relish and enjoy as it takes care of their protein requirements and appetizing needs as well. Sattu drink is rich in protein as it is made with roasted chana and is known to improve immunity.
Sattu powder can be made at home by crushing dry roasted Bengal gram (chana without salt and turmeric) along with its skin in a mixer. 2 teaspoons of Sattu powder in a glass of chilled water with some drops of lemon juice or a slice of lemon can be mixed with mint leaves. A pinch of Jeera powder and rock salt as per taste can be added to the mixture for a fresh homemade Sattu drink. While the mint leaves provide soothing to the body, the jeera power adds the benefits of digestion to this protein drink.
The health benefits of this drink are enhanced when had over an empty stomach. It flushes out toxins and provides cooling from scorching summers while keeping your body well hydrated. Being a protein drink, it promotes the growth of healthy red blood cells that in turn help in meeting the body’s oxygen requirement and energizes you throughout the day.
3) Quinoa Pulao vs Rice Pulao
A healthy lifestyle is dominated by healthy choices without compromise on taste and flavour. Quinoa comes as a pretty good option for those wanting to switch to a better alternative or experiment with a replacement for regular rice preparations.
Quinoa Pulao is made from quinoa seeds that belong to the plant family of beets and spinach. It is one of the few foods that are rich in protein and has all the 9 essential amino acids required by the body. Quinoa is high in fibre and helps control and regular blood sugar levels, making it a great replacement for rice among the diabetic population.
It’s one of those foods that will make you feel fuller for longer and reduce the chances of binge eating between meals due to its lower GI index (glycaemic index). This slower release of energy aids in weight management for the fitness conscious by reducing hunger craving triggers. Quinoa is a good source of minerals such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and zinc among others which makes it a perfect alternative for switching to immunity-boosting grains.
4) Roasted Makhana v/s Baked Chips
Hunger cravings that are triggered in between meals have the potential to put us off our diet plans by indulging in cholesterol-rich chips that would do more harm than good. Instead of going for the baked chips, one can look at other healthy alternatives in improving the immune system.
Makhanas or lotus seeds is one such healthy alternative that is low in cholesterol, sodium and saturated fats. Roasted makhanas in ghee reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the body and improve the overall health of your heart. It’s a good source of micronutrients such as magnesium, potassium, manganese, phosphorous, and iron.
Anti-oxidants rich makhanas make a perfect and healthy snack as it provides a good amount of protein and fibre that are necessary for weight loss and fat loss of the body.
5) Oats porridge v/s Ready Cereals
Breakfast is known to be the most important meal of the day. A complete breakfast makes for a good start and also keeps the metabolism active throughout the day. Oats porridge is a much healthy alternative to cereals which contain high sugar and sodium.
Oats in themselves are one of the healthiest gluten-free whole grains that also help reduce blood sugar levels and lowers cholesterol in the body. Oats are loaded with high content of vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein, good fats, and powerful antioxidants.
Rolled oats with crushed nuts and seeds and banana or mango slices in cow’s milk are considered one of the healthier ways to enjoy a power-packed breakfast to start the day on a strong note.
Eating healthy is all about the choices we make with foods and beverages that are high on nutritional value. Immunity-boosting foods have a lot of advantages that bring out their efficiency as we include them in our daily diet and replace the foods that do us more harm than good. Simple alternatives have huge potential to benefit our health and combat sickness and diseases by boosting our immunity.