2 Recipes For Amazing Immunity

Ensuring year-round health becomes imperative, particularly as temperatures drop, leading to increased indoor time and heightened germ exposure. Prioritizing immune-boosting food recipes and adopting a healthy lifestyle form the cornerstone of wellness.

Wholesome meals abundant in fruits, vegetables, protein, and whole grains offer essential nutrients vital for bolstering the body’s immune defenses. Alongside dietary choices, maintaining adequate sleep, regular physical activity, proper hydration, and stress reduction are pivotal for optimal immune function.

Grapes, available in red, green, and black varieties, emerge as a nutritious addition to your grocery list, boasting over 1,600 natural plant compounds, including antioxidants and polyphenols that fortify cell health and immunity. With their high water content, grapes also contribute to hydration, a key factor in supporting a robust immune system.

Incorporate grapes into your diet with delightful recipes like Chicken, Spinach, and Grape Pita sandwiches and Grape and Salmon Power Salad. These dishes blend immune-boosting nutrients such as zinc, vitamins A and C, and polyphenols, ensuring a nourishing meal that promotes overall health.

Table of Contents

Recipes:

Chicken, Spinach, and Grape Pita Recipes

Servings: 4

2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced shallot
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground sumac
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 package (5-6 ounces) fresh baby spinach, washed and dried
1 1/2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (about 8 ounces)
1 cup red California grapes, sliced
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
4 whole-wheat pita bread (6 1/2 inches each), warmed and halved

Instructions:

1. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast pine nuts until golden brown, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

2. In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, shallot, olive oil, red pepper flakes, sumac, salt, and pepper. Add spinach, chicken, grapes, feta, and pine nuts; toss to combine. Stuff into pita breads and serve.

Grape and Salmon Power Salad Recipes

Servings: 6

3/4 cup pearled barley
3 cups firmly packed kale leaves, torn and sliced into ribbons
1 cup halved red or black seedless California grapes
8 ounces cold, cooked salmon, skin and bones removed
1/2 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped

Dressing:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, mashed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Cook barley according to package directions. Drain and cool.
2. Tenderize kale by blanching in boiling water for 2-3 seconds or microwaving for 1 minute. Rinse in cold water to stop cooking and squeeze dry. Fluff and uncrimp kale pieces with fingers.
3. In a medium bowl, mix barley, kale, grapes, salmon, and walnuts.
4. To make dressing, whisk lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. Gradually mix in olive oil. Pour onto salad and fold gently to combine.

With these recipes, we can help our body regain strength since one of the greatest sources of natural medicine is our diet.