Lentil and Green Bean Nicoise Salad

It’s that time of year again – cold & flu season. How are you protecting your family from getting sick this year? According to a recent Shoppers Drug Mart Flu Poll, 51% of Canadians believe the best way to protect yourself from the flu is by eating well. I know it’s a busy time of year & we often choose convenience over healthy home cooked meals but the benefits of healthy eating are so worth it! There are several foods that help you maintain good immune function and overall health – how many can you name?

Foods To Help Maintain Good Immune Function:

This is just a short list of foods that help you maintain good health:

Garlic – Garlic contains the active ingredient allicin, which fights infection and bacteria.

Lentils – The fiber present in lentils acts as a prebiotic that helps improve gut health and maintains a healthy microflora environment.

Omega-3 Enhanced Eggs – Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids help support a healthy immune system. Eggs provide 14 important nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin B12 and selenium, which are all key to keeping the immune system healthy.

Walnuts – One-quarter cup of walnuts provides more than 100 percent of the daily recommended value of plant-based omega-3 fats.

This Lentil and Green Bean Nicoise Salad is high in fibre, omega-3 & several vitamins plus it contains all of the foods listed above!

On the Loblaws website, you’ll find several recipes to help you maintain good health such as:

• Roasted Beets with Garlic Chive Tarragon Spread – high in vitamin C
• Spicy Honeyed Nuts – high in fibre
• Citrus and Beet Salad – high in vitamin C
• Pan Trout with Garlicky Rapini and Brown Rice – high in omega-3

What steps will you be taking today to help protect your family this cold & flu season?

*Disclosure: I was compensated for this post; however, all opinions expressed here are my own.