The Best Recipes to Fight Off a Cold

Photo via iStockphoto.com/mphillips007

Your coworker is sniffling, a random stranger sneezes next to you on the T, and you start to feel that scratchy feeling in your throat—it must mean cold and flu season is officially upon us. Besides washing your hands and getting eight hours of sleep, one of the best ways to fight off a cold or flu is to make sure your diet is healthy and full of nourishing ingredients.

Warm foods, like soup, and plenty of liquids can help soothe symptoms and calm congestion. As for specific ingredients, ginger, garlic, lemon, pineapple, turmeric, and leafy greens all contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that may help boost your immune system.

The next time you’re feeling under the weather and in need of a new recipe, look no further than this list of the best recipes to fight off a cold.

1. Flu Busting Gummy Bears
Via Wellness Mama

Elderberry syrup, which may help boost the immune system, is used as a natural sweetener in this treat. Combine the syrup with coconut oil and gelatin and in no time you’ll have a flu fighting gummy.

2. Detox Immune-Boosting Soup
Via Eat Yourself Skinny

This take on your grandma’s classic recipe has plenty of vegetables for extra nutrients, including kale, carrots, and mushrooms. A rotisserie chicken is also used to simplify the cooking process.

3. Turmeric Ginger Tea
Via Wendy Polisi

Honey, turmeric, ginger, and lemon are the only ingredients required for this simple tea. If you want to add an extra kick, try adding a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.

4. Bok Choy Chicken Garlic (Flu-Fighter) Soup
Via Canadian Cooking Adventures

Garlic is believed to be a natural immune booster, while baby bok choy and kale add extra antioxidants. If desired, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, or quinoa can be added to the soup.

5. Nature’s Flu Shot
Via The Whole Journey

This recipe recommends consuming 1/2 cup of this shot every day in order to prevent getting sick. The turmeric in this shot helps to reduce inflammation, while the ginger helps support digestion and reduce nausea.

6. Fire Cider
Via Mommypotamus

Fire Cider, an apple cider vinegar infusion, is famous with herbalists for its ability to shorten the duration of cold and flu symptoms. If you can’t stomach the idea of taking this spicy tonic as a shot, you can also use it as a salad dressing or mix it into soups.

7. Immune Boosting Smoothie
Via Happiness is Homemade

If you prefer cold recipes while sick, this fruity smoothie is for you. To reduce the sugar content, try using plain Greek yogurt instead of peach, and look for a low-sugar, all-natural orange juice.

8. Detox Vegetable Soup
Via The Healthy Maven

For all of the vegetarians and vegans out there, this soup will help soothe your cold or flu symptoms without chicken. Try making a big batch ahead of time and freezing it to have at-the-ready all winter.

9. Throat Soothing Popsicles
Via Port and Fin

Chamomile, honey, ginger, and lemon ease your sore throat symptoms in this frozen version of hot tea. Try picking up some raw honey from a farmers market instead of using the processed kind at the grocery store.

10. DIY Pineapple Cough Syrup
Via The View from Great Island 

All you need is a blender to make this natural cough syrup. Be sure to use fresh pineapple, not frozen or canned, to get the most benefits.