Sweet, refreshing, and good for you, watermelon serves up these nutrients to support your immune system and overall health.
Vitamin A
Lycopene
Water
No wonder this seasonal favorite finds its way to the picnic table in the summer heat! Try it frozen, in a drink, in fruit salad or in one of our favorite watermelon recipes.
As you break out the grill this summer, make seafood a regular part of your rotation. Having seafood twice a week has been shown to promote overall health, including supporting immune function. There are so many varieties of seafood to enjoy, and each kind offers a different mix of nutrients!
Mushrooms are nutritious, delicious, and deliver selenium—a mineral essential to immune function.
Known for their meaty texture and savory flavor, mushrooms produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight (much like when the sun’s rays hit our skin). Mushrooms are also one of the leading produce sources of the mineral selenium, which plays several roles in the body, including helping our immune system. Selenium has an antioxidant effect by protecting our immune cells from damage. It also has a hand in managing inflammation and supporting immune cell function.
To enjoy all of these great benefits, make mushrooms part of the variety of fruits and veggies you eat every day—the nutrients and plant compounds work together to help support your immune system.
Our Simple Sautéed Mushrooms recipe is a delicious 5-star customer favorite. Try it for an easy way to work more mushrooms into your meals.
It’s no surprise that hydration is on our mind now that summer is here. Hydration is important year-round—for our immune health, delivering oxygen to our cells, and preventing fatigue and headaches—but it’s especially important during the warm summer months. As temperatures rise, so do our hydration needs which play a key role in regulating our body temperature.
Warm weather also means heading outdoors for more physical activity. You’ve heard that physical activity is good for overall health, but did you know:
Stay hydrated as you get moving with some of our favorite drinks like sparkling water, Wonder Water and Just Tea!
One of the most beloved stone fruits, cherries are not only delicious, but a seasonal way to support your immune system.
Here’s the deal: your immune system works best when you eat well, stay hydrated, move around, keep stress low, and get a good night’s sleep. Basically, everything works in combination to build your immune strength.
So, let’s go straight for the good stuff—cherries! They’re sweet, fun to eat, and have a little secret: melatonin.
Melatonin has long been associated with promoting sleep, one of the keys to a strong immune system. As we enter adulthood our bodies produce less melatonin, so it can be helpful to get a boost from food sources. Sleep quality depends on a lot of different things, but eating a handful (or two, or three…) of scrumptious cherries doesn’t seem like a bad way to help things along, does it?
It just so happens that cherries are ripe for the picking in June. So enjoy this early summer fruit for a sweet, easy way to support your immune system.
Cherries are a food source of melatonin, a hormone that plays a role in promoting sleep.
A fun way to turn your favorite indulgence into an immune supporting opportunity.
Looking for a way to make food choices you feel good about, while still enjoying your favorite indulgences? This summer, you can have your ice cream while getting a nutritional boost, too—just flip your dish! Instead of a spoonful of fruit on top of a mountain of ice cream, try topping a big bowl of fresh fruit with mini scoops of the ice cream of your choice. It’ll save on calories and saturated fat and still give you the satisfying flavor of your favorite treat. Eating plenty of fruits and veggies is also one of the keys to a strong immune system!
Berries of any kind are a perfect pairing for your ice cream.
Not only do they have fewer than 100 calories per cup, but most berries are good sources of fiber, which supports gut and heart health, too.
Strawberries are loaded with vitamin C, an antioxidant that supports healthy skin.
Blueberries have plant compounds that provide antioxidant benefits and support brain and heart health.
Try topping peaches with vanilla pudding or ice cream or flip your shortcake. Simply top a pile of strawberries with a few bites of shortcake and a dollop of whipped cream!
Since there’s more than one nutrient or food responsible for helping our immune systems, it’s best to strive for 5 cups of fruits and veggies per day. What’s the easiest way to achieve it? Shoot for a rainbow. A rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables provides a variety of nutrients and plant compounds that work together to help support your immune system.
Easy Ways to Add More Fruits & Veggies:
Go Beyond Fruits & Veggies
An overall healthy pattern of eating is also essential for supporting your immune system. Check out our Healthy Eating Guidelines for a look at how to include other foods, like whole grains, nuts, beans, and seafood to support your immune system and overall health.
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