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3 tasty recipes to protect you from the flu

Flu season has arrived so it’s time to give the germs a good fight! The best way to arm yourself is to boost your body with flu-fighting foods. Here are three delicious recipes to send colds and flu packing.

Hearty veggie soup

Ah, nothing beats a warm and hearty bowl of vegetable soup in chilly weather. Packed with eight different vegetables, a bowl of soup offers flu-busting friends like vitamins B, C and K, potassium and antioxidants. The best part is that you can use whichever veggies you have on hand! Pack a punch of protein and an extra dose of vitamins with chicken or beef and bone broth.

You will need

  • 1 tbsp olive oil.
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced.
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped.
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped.
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped.
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced.
  • 2 cups green beans, trimmed and chopped.
  • 1 tin of diced tomatoes.
  • 4 cups vegetable stock.
  • 1½ tsp dried oregano.
  • 1 tsp dried basil.
  • ½ tsp dried thyme.
  • 1 tsp sea salt.
  • ½ tsp black pepper.
  • 4 cups of kale, stemmed and chopped.
  • 2 tbsps fresh parsley, chopped.

Method

  1. Heat up a large pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil.
  2. Throw in onion, carrot and celery and cook for 3-5 minutes or until onions are translucent.
  3. Add garlic and bell pepper and cook for a minute.
  4. Add green beans and cook for another minute.
  5. Top with diced tomatoes, vegetable stock and spices and give it a stir.
  6. Bring to a boil and then allow it to simmer, uncovered over medium-low heat for 25 minutes.
  7. Add the kale and cook for 5 more minutes until wilted.
  8. Top with fresh parsley and serve warm.
  9. Store in the fridge for up to a week or freeze to keep for a few weeks.

Chamomile ginger popsicles with lemon and honey

Who said you can’t have treats when you have the flu? Chamomile ginger popsicles offer an icy alternative to throat lozenges and a dessert swap for ice-cream. Ginger, lemon and honey boast flu-combatting vitamins and minerals like antioxidants and Vitamin C. Chamomile is known for its soothing properties, so this treat makes for a great sore throat remedy, too.

Ingredients

  • 1 large lemon, juiced
  • 5cm piece of ginger, thinly sliced.
  • 2 tbsps honey.
  • 2 teabags of chamomile tea.
  • 2½ cups of boiling water.

Method

  1. In a heat-proof bowl, mix together the lemon juice, ginger, honey, and chamomile tea bags.
  2. Pour boiling water over the top of the tea bags and steep for 10 minutes.
  3. Remove tea bags and strain out the ginger slices. Let it sit until the water has slightly cooled.
  4. Pour into popsicle moulds and freeze completely.

Pineapple smoothie

If you’re a fan of tropical flavours, you’re in for a breakfast treat with this smoothie. Not only does it have a refreshing flavour, but as it’s chock-full of pineapple, it offers immune-boosting Vitamin C, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Ingredients

  • 250g frozen or fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks.
  • 1 cup of coconut water.
  • 2oranges, peeled, halved and seeds removed.
  • 10gfresh ginger, peeled and chopped.
  • 4 tsp shredded coconut, unsweetened.
  • 2 tsp chia seeds.
  • 4 tsp honey
  • A handful of ice(optional for a thicker smoothie).
  • Fresh pineapple and toasted desiccated coconut to garnish(optional).

Instructions

  1. Place all the ingredients into a blender and whizz for 1-2 minutes until smooth.
  2. Pour between 2 glasses, top with extra pineapple and toasted coconut and enjoy.

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