Looking to live a healthier lifestyle? It’s no secret that what we eat plays a major factor in keeping our body healthy. If we know what we’re looking for, there are tons of healthy ingredients that will help boost our immune system available at the market here in the Philippines.
Eating the right foods and having a balanced diet will help us boost our immune systems and keep us from getting sick. This is especially important because of the current pandemic that we find ourselves in. And even if we do get sick, having a top-notch immune system can help us recover quickly and with little to no long-lasting side-effect.
With the addition of having regular exercise and regular sleep, eating the right food that will help strengthen the immune system will contribute to living a healthy lifestyle. Luckily for Filipinos, Filipino recipes, outside of predominantly meat-based recipes, does a good job turning healthy ingredients into delicious flavorful dishes.
For this article, we’re going to explore the delicious fruits and vegetables that will help boost the immune system available in the Philippines. We’ve opted to choose common ingredients that are readily available in the market for anyone to buy or plant in their backyard for the majority of these entries. We also included recommendations of Filipino recipes that feature these immune-boosting fruits and vegetables.
To get your immune system going, make sure to eat healthy and include the following ingredients in your which you can read more about below:
Fruits:
1. Calamansi
Citrus fruits are great sources of Vitamin C which directly helps in fighting off infections in our body. There are tons here in the Philippines but none are more popular and abundant than calamansi. It’s used in a lot of Filipino recipes be it for condiments or entire meals. Plus, calamansi is always available in the market. A lot of Filipinos also have calamansi plants in their backyard for convenient pickings.
Read further: Top 7 Benefits Of Calamansi (And Why You Should Opt For Having A Stock!)
Try these recipes:
2. Grapefruit
Another citrus fruit on this list, grapefruit contains a lot of Vitamin C in its nutritional value much needed to fight off infections in the body. Vitamin C in the body leads to the increase of the production of white blood cells which is needed to strengthen the immune system. Grapefruit came from central America on the other side of the world but has become extremely popular in the Philippines because of its tart, sour, and bitter flavor.
3. Papaya
Papaya is another healthy and delicious fruit that came from central America. This healthy oblong-shaped fruit is also very popular in the Philippines because of its sweet flavor and cream-like texture. Papaya contains loads of Vitamin C. A medium-sized one contains double the recommended amount in a day of Vitamin C. Filipinos often eat the fruit as is or as part of a chilled salad for an afternoon snack.
Try these recipes:
4. Pineapple
Indigenous to South America, the pineapple was named as such by European explorers because of its resemblance to the pine nut. But this bright yellow fruit has far more nutritional value. Pineapples are loaded with nutrients that the body needs to fight off diseases and infection. One cup of pineapples meets the recommended amount of Vitamin C in a day.
The Philippines is the second-largest exporter of pineapples in the world and it’s readily available at the market and at roadside stalls.
Read further: Health Benefits of Pineapple
Try these recipes:
- Pineapple Beef Stir-Fry
- Pineapple Lechon Paksiw Recipe
- Pineapple Fried Rice
- Pineapple, Melon and Apple Juice
5. Chili Peppers
Chili peppers are more known for their hot flavor rather than their surprisingly high nutritional value. The Philippines has its own developed variety of chili peppers called siling labuyo which is readily available in local markets. Filipino recipes as a whole don’t use that much spice other than recipes from certain regions. But adding siling labuyo to the diet increases the amount of Vitamin C intake.
Suggested Recipes:
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Read further: 16 Best Spicy Filipino Food Recipes
6. Bell Pepper
Did you know that bell peppers, like chili peppers, have more Vitamin C than any citrus fruits? Red bell peppers, in particular, contain more Vitamin C than its green or yellow counterparts. Ounce per ounce, bell peppers have more Vitamin C than any available citrus fruits so it’s a great alternative if you’re looking for sugar-free alternatives Vitamin C sources.
Filipino dishes often use bell peppers to add a tinge of sweet or bitter flavor to the dish, depending on the bell pepper’s color.
Try these recipes:
7. Grapes
Grapes are often dubbed as a superfood because of their high nutritional value, especially dark-colored ones. Other than immune-boosting Vitamin C, grapes also contain phytochemicals and antioxidants that may contribute to the body’s defense against cancer and heart disease.
Grapes are abundant in the Philippines. You’ll see grapes everywhere if you go for a quick stroll at the fruits section in the local market. Filipinos would often snack on grapes or put them in a salad.
8. Guava
Guava is the last entry of this fruit section and is also the last fruit to have come from Central America. The guava fruit, also known as bayabas in the Philippines, can survive in a tropical climate which highly contributes to its popularity in the Philippines along with its unique sweet flavor. Many Filipinos often have guava trees in their backyard, especially in rural areas. One guava contains double the amount of recommended daily intake of Vitamin C.
Vegetables:
1. Kangkong
Vegetables seem to have slightly to contain a lot more nutritional value compared to fruits. Kangkong is the first entry on this vegetable of immune-boosting foods. Better known as water spinach outside the Philippines, kangkong is a dark semi-aquatic leafy green vegetable that originates from Malaysia. It’s now abundant in the entirety of Southeast Asia and is featured in plenty of Filipino recipes.
In terms of its nutritional value, kangkong has plenty of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and antioxidants that helps the body fight off diseases and infections.
Try these recipes:
2. Garlic
Garlic is a staple ingredient in Filipino recipes and is probably the most used ingredient in Filipino cuisine (other than rice, of course). Every household has a stock of garlic in their pantry which is good thing in terms of boosting their immune system. There’s a compound found in garlic called allicin that’s believed to help fight off colds and infections as well as boost the immune system.
Read further: 17 Good Health Benefits of Garlic on your Body
Try these recipes:
3. Ginger
Another staple in Filipino recipes, ginger, known as luya in Tagalog, is a go-to ingredient whenever someone’s sick, just like garlic. Ginger has plenty of nutritional value that is said to fight off inflammatory illnesses and sore throats. In Filipino households, there is always a supply of ginger at the table. It’s not really a vegetable, rather ginger is a root, but it would be a missed opportunity not to include it here as it’s such a common ingredient in Filipino cuisine.
Read further: 11 Proven Health Benefits of Ginger
Try these recipes:
4. Carrots
It’s already common knowledge that eating carrots can bring health benefits to the eyes and skin. This is because of its high vitamin A content which also helps in boosting the immune system. Carrots contain high amounts of beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant, which gives it its orange color as well as boost immune function and reduce inflammation.
In Filipino recipes, carrots are often used in meat dishes to round up the textures and flavors.
Read further: Why Carrots Are Good for Your Health-Top Health Benefits Explained!
Try these recipes:
5. Potatoes
Just like carrots, potatoes, or kamote in Filipino, are often used in Filipino recipes to round up the flavors and texture of the dish. And just like carrots, potatoes contain great amounts of beta carotene that helps boost the immune system and reduce inflammation in the body. Of course, this all depends on how potatoes are prepared and how long they’re fresh.
Try these recipes:
6. Broccoli
Last but not least is the superfood broccoli. Broccoli in the Philippines isn’t really a common ingredient in Filipino recipes and is one of the most expensive vegetables in the market, it’s still readily available for those who can afford it for their meal. Plus, we can’t overlook its great nutritional value. Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables as it’s packed with antioxidants, Vitamin C, E, and A.
Read further: 4 Amazing Health Benefits of Broccoli
Try these recipes:
References:
Foods to boost the immune system. (2020, March 13). Retrieved from: https://www.pcrm.org/news/blog/foods-boost-immune-system
Mackenzie, M., (n.d). 12 Foods to boost your immune system. Retrieved from: https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/12-foods-boost-your-immune-system-flu-season
Sambatyon, E. (2020, March 18). Look: food to help boost our immune system. Retrieved from: https://www.goodnewspilipinas.com/look-food-to-help-boost-our-immune-system/
Schend, J. (2020, April 30). 15 Foods that boost the immune system. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/foods-that-boost-the-immune-system#broccoli
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Panlasang Pinoy Recipes™ is a food blog that compiles delicious and easy to prepare recipes from various sources around the web. We claim no credit for any images, recipes and videos featured on this blog unless otherwise noted. Read More
Many Koreans love to drink CALAMANSI juice for their health. I love it too.
Great Information!! In this pandemic period, it is very important to gain immunity power. After reading your I’m following some kind diet and tips to boost my & my family immunity power. Thank you for sharing such informative content.