Foods high in antioxidants and a variety of nutrients are essential for a healthy immune system.Add pomegranate, escarole, blood oranges, canned tomatoes and prunes to your cart in February.Stocking up on a variety of fresh, frozen, canned and dried produce in winter months provides options.<\/p>\n
February is the peak of cold and flu season, and what you eat can support your immune system. In an attempt to arm you with intel on how to stock your kitchen with foods that provide nutrients to help keep you well, we\u2019ve enlisted the help of registered dietitians to offer a sneak peak at their must-have kitchen essentials to pick up this February. From fresh, in-season produce to shelf-stable picks, there is something for everyone in this list. Here\u2019s what you need to toss into your cart this month.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
1. Pomegranate\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Rounding out the tail end of their seasonal shine, you can still catch pomegranates<\/a> on produce shelves this month. Their ruby red hue is gorgeous, and they offer quite the nutritional punch, too. A half-cup of pomegranate arils (seeds) contain 3.5 grams of filling fiber. In addition, pomegranates also pack antioxidants known as polyphenols<\/a>, which help counteract free radicals that cause damage to cells.\n<\/p>\n \u201cPomegranates are amazing fresh, frozen or juiced,\u201d says Lauren Harris-Pincus, M.S., RDN<\/a>. \u201cAdd them to sweet or savory meals and snacks such as salads, roasted veggies, grain bowls, whole-grain cereal and Greek yogurt or cottage cheese parfaits. They are also fabulous on top of oatmeal or smoothie bowls for added sweetness and crunch.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Try them for yourself with other seasonal produce in our Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Goat Cheese & Pomegranate<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n 2. Escarole\u00a0 <\/p>\n Pronounced \u201ceh-skeh-rohl,\u201d escarole<\/a> is a leafy green that belongs to the chicory family (alongside cousins endive and radicchio). \u201cIf you have savored Italian wedding soup, you\u2019ve likely encountered escarole, the green leafy bits dancing with the pasta,\u201d says Lorena Drago, M.S., RDN, CDCE<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n A 1-cup cooked serving of escarole provides 4 grams of filling fiber. It’s also a good source of vitamin A<\/a>, an important fat-soluble vitamin that plays a role in immune health, reproductive health and vision.\n<\/p>\n Drago suggests pairing escarole with canned beans, eating it raw in salads or roasting or grilling it. Try our recipe for Italian Wedding Soup with White Beans<\/a>. It’s loaded with antioxidant-rich, inflammation-calming ingredients to boost your immunity.\n<\/p>\n 3. Blood Oranges\u00a0 <\/p>\n While we aren\u2019t knocking your everyday naval orange\u2014it\u2019s one of our January go-to items<\/a>\u2014we want to encourage you to step outside your comfort zone with the blood orange. And though blood oranges are typically a little higher in price than their traditional orange counterparts, they offer up unique color, flavor\u2014and nutrients.\n<\/p>\n \u201cFebruary is the perfect time to throw a bag of blood oranges into your shopping cart,” says Nicole Rodriguez<\/a>,. “Just as rich in vitamin C as other orange varieties, blood oranges boast high anthocyanin content, an antioxidant that lends this orange its deep red color. And there\u2019s more to the blood orange than meets the eye. Its subtle raspberry flavor also makes it a treat to eat.\u201d\n<\/p>\n For an extra-special treat, try our Blood Orange Upside-Down Cake<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n 4. Canned Tomatoes\u00a0 <\/p>\n We highly encourage keeping a well-stocked \u201ccantry\u201d<\/a>\u2014canned beans, canned fruits packed in 100% juice and canned vegetables. One of our favorite must-haves is canned tomatoes<\/a>. Tomatoes are a nutrient powerhouse, but they are in-season in the summer months. Thanks to the canning process, tomatoes are harvested and canned at their peak of freshness so you can enjoy them year-round.\n<\/p>\n And there’s a bonus with canned tomatoes compared to their fresh counterparts, as canned tomatoes pack more lycopene\u2014a type of powerful antioxidant\u2014and vitamin E. A potential downside is that other ingredients, like salt, may also be added during canning that may not fit your particular dietary needs. This is why dietitians recommend swapping between canned tomatoes and fresh when available. If added sodium<\/a> is a concern for you, opt for canned tomatoes labeled as no-salt-added or unsalted.\n<\/p>\n Canned tomatoes also rank high in convenience. \u201cCanned tomatoes rescue my mealtime when I am in a pinch and I need a meal on the table fast. Not only are they inexpensive, but they\u2019re also nutritious and sustainable,\u201d says Sylvia Klinger, M.S., RDN<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n You\u2019re likely already using them in your chili, but just in case you need more inspiration, try our 10 Comforting Soups that Start with Canned Tomatoes<\/a>\u2014perfect for cold-weather months.\n<\/p>\n 5. Dried Plums <\/p>\n Plums and other stone fruits may be in season in the late summer and early fall months, but that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t enjoy them year-round. Dried plums\u2014aka prunes<\/a>\u2014may not be “sexy,” but they\u2019re certainly good for you. \u201cPrunes are a great source of vitamins and minerals to support not only immunity but also bone, heart and gut health,” says Toby Amidor, M.S., RD<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n Not only are prunes low in sodium, fat and cholesterol, they also pack roughly 3 grams of filling fiber in about five pieces\u2014hence, why they’re one of the recommended dried fruits to help relieve constipation<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n While prunes are often said to be high in sugar, keep in mind that this sugar is naturally occurring, and they are considered a low-glycemic-index food. This means that prunes don\u2019t have as strong of an impact on blood sugar levels as a high-glycemic food. Pair them with healthy fat and protein sources, like nuts<\/a>, to further mitigate the impact on blood sugar levels.\n<\/p>\n Our Expert Take <\/p>\n Stocking up on fresh, frozen, canned and dried produce in February provides an array of nutrients that can help support your immune system and keep your body functioning at its prime. Consider checking out pomegranates, blood oranges and escarole in your store\u2019s produce section and stocking your pantry with canned tomatoes and dried plums. It’s important to also round these foods out with a variety of produce<\/a>, healthy fats and proteins to fully support your immune system during these final winter months.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Foods high in antioxidants and a variety of nutrients are essential for a healthy immune system.Add pomegranate, escarole,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":275764,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[103,61,60,446],"class_list":{"0":"post-275763","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-ie","10":"tag-ireland","11":"tag-nutrition"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=275763"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275763\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/275764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=275763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=275763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=275763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}