Check out this valuable advice for healthy eating during the Coronavirus pandemic. It’s provided by Priscilla Barr MS RDN CSP CLC CDN, who is a registered dietitian at Langone Medical Center here in New York City. Thank you, Priscilla!!

“To support your immune system, I would suggest a shift to eating as healthy as you can. If you are working from home, people may find they are less active than usual so eating healthier is even more important. Eat lots of brightly colored vegetables and fruits, beans, nuts/seeds and avocados. Also limit sugar and alcohol, which can weaken your immune responses.  

Antioxidants, prebiotics and probiotics can help support your immune system. Here’s a list of those foods:

Antioxidants

• Vitamin A (beta-Carotene): found in carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, butternut squash and tomatoes.
• Vitamin C: found in lots of fruits and vegetables. My favorites are broccoli, bell peppers, leafy greens, berries, mango and various citrus.
• Vitamin E: found in avocados, bell peppers nuts and nut butters (such as almonds).
• Zinc: found in legumes/beans (black, kidney, red, chickpea) red meat and shellfish.

Prebiotics: this includes onions, garlic, bananas, apples, flax, asparagus and oats.

Probiotics: this includes yogurt, which is a great source of probiotic healthy bacteria. They can be milk based or non-dairy (coconut is a great non-dairy option). Fermented foods with live active cultures such as kimchi and sauerkraut are also great options.”

-Priscilla Barr, MS RDN CSP CLC CDN