A healthy immune system is something we all strive for but doing all we can to keep ourselves and our families as healthy as possible has never been more important. With so many unknowns, it’s difficult to know how to adjust to make sure you’re giving yourself the best chance of staying fighting fit.
So how can you give your motivation a lift, support your immunity and keep yourself as healthy and energised as possible throughout the rest of the year?
Fuelling your body with all essential vitamins and minerals is crucial in helping to maintain a healthy immune system and keeping energy levels up, as well as ensuring your lifestyle habits are helping, not hindering your health and wellbeing. Spatone® has collaborated with Natasha Corrett to give you two delicious recipes to help keep you well and support your body’s natural defences throughout the year.
Hidden Veg Chocolate Smoothie
We all want our kids to be healthy, but it can sometimes be tricky to get them on board with the idea of a green smoothie. This recipe’s addition of blackberries and cacao powder, combined with creamy banana and avocado, will have everyone convinced they’re drinking chocolatey goodness and will be a winner with kids. Raw cacao is an excellent source of several minerals including iron, selenium, magnesium, chromium and manganese, and contains a rich source of flavanols, which have antioxidant properties, making it a great alternative to processed chocolate powder.
Ingredients (serves 1-2)
- 1 handful spinach
- ½ avocado
- ½ banana
- 1 heaped tbsp cashew butter
- 1 heaped tbsp cacao powder
- 1 handful blackberries
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 ½ cup milk
Method:
- Put all ingredients into a blender. Blend until velvety smooth and serve into one or two glasses.
Hearty Mixed Bean Soup
As the temperature is beginning to drop and the leaves are changing colour, soup season is here again. Soups are a great and easy way to add a variety of vitamins and minerals that support your immune system to your diet during the harsher winter months, plus they’re warming, filling and generally economical too. While a mixed bean soup might seem like a delicious option for adults, children can sometimes be a little more reluctant to try chunky soups. Great news is, this soup can easily be blended up and used as a pasta sauce for pickier eaters, who are none the wiser, while keeping all of its nutritional benefits. Beans provide an excellent source of protein, fibre, iron, folate and antioxidants, helping support your immune system.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp bouillon
- 1 red onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 carrots, diced
- ½ courgette, diced
- 100g green beans,
- 100g chestnut mushrooms, diced
- 2 sticks of celery, sliced
- 600ml tinned tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 1 tin mixed beans (260g drained weight)
Method:
- On a high heat put the olive oil into the pan with grated garlic, ginger and cinnamon and cook for a minute or so.
- Add the tinned tomatoes and stir the spices in well then add the water.
- Add the onion, carrots, mushrooms, and celery into the pan with the bouillon powder and stir.
- Put the lid on and leave for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
- Add the courgette, green beans and mixed beans. Put the lid back on and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Once the veggies are cooked take off the heat season and serve with a lovely slice of bread.
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