The Immune-Boosting Grocery List

Canned Chick Peas and Black Beans

Heat with garlic and turmeric and serve with brown rice and salsa for a fast, fibre-filled, nutrient-dense meal.

Marinara Sauce

Heat and mix with sauteed onions and garlic for added antioxidants.

Frozen Vegetables

Use as side dishes or to add quick color, flavor, and nutrients to soups, pilafs, stir-fries, and pasta dishes.

Frozen Fruits

Snack on unsweetened blueberries by the handful. Use anything that appeals in smoothies and on yogurt or cereal.

Canned Soups

Stock up on fibre-filled lentil, vegetable, minestrone, split pea, and black bean varieties. Research shows that eating soup before meals can reduce calorie intake by one-third.

Frozen Veggie Burgers

They are low in fat and perfect topped with a dollop of ketchup for its flavonoids and lycopene (and, of course, its taste!).

Canned Seafood

Use albacore tuna, salmon, clams, sardines, and oysters in salads, soups, casseroles, and omelets for a dose of omega-3s and minerals.

Whole-Wheat Pita Pockets

Keep in the freezer, then thaw, toast, and stuff for sandwiches. Or cut into triangles to replace high-fat crackers.

Quinoa

Although classified as a grain, this yummy nutty-flavored food is really the dried, protein-filled seed of a leafy plant. Use in place of rice.

Canned Nonfat Chicken Broth

It’s perfect for whipping up nourishing vegetable soups (add frozen veggies), or as a flavouring base for pilafs.

Jerusalem Artichoke Pasta

Sold in many supermarkets, this “pasta” is made from flour ground from Jerusalem artichokes (tubers that taste like artichokes). It’s a source of inulin, a carbohydrate thought to stimulate the immune system. 

Bottled Condiments

Use liberal amounts of salsa, capers, olives, anchovies, crushed garlic, and roasted red peppers—they’re inherently nutrient-rich.