Eating Healthy At Home

Whether you’re still confined at home or not, here’s how you can adjust your diet to stay healthy and boost your immunity during this uncertain time.

- Amy Greenburg

Of course, knowing how to make smart food choices is always important. But, now more than ever, eating nutritiously is key to improving our response to infections, says DR ANDREA RAJNAKOVA.

“While we don’t have a specific answer targeted for COVID-19 quite yet, recent studies have shown that we can build up and strengthen our immunity with certain foods,” says Dr Andrea.

A deficiency in vitamin C, for example, can result in impaired immunity and higher susceptibility to infections. Fruit and vegetables like guava, papaya, kiwifruit, strawberries, oranges, broccoli, kale, peppers, spinach and tomatoes can provide vitamin C, plus a range of other vitamins and antioxidants.

Zinc has also been shown to have significant impacts on the immune system and can be found in meat, shellfish, dairy, bread and cereals, and nuts and seeds. The same goes for vitamin D, which can be found in oily fish.

Additionally, Dr Andrea says probiotics play a beneficial role in regulating intestinal functions. Probiotic sources include yoghurt, dairy products, sourdough bread and fermented foods like miso, tempeh, kimchi and natto.

Top Tips to Try Now

Here are six ways to get your at-home diet on track.

#1 Plan your day

Even though it doesn’t seem flexible at all, planning meals in advance is actually crucial while following a healthy lifestyle. Without planning, it’s very easy to run out of ideas of what to prepare, turn to unhealthy foods and increase waste.