By Riley Kusuma Dietitian
Key takeaways
- No single food can prevent a cold or flu.
- Consistently eating a balanced, varied diet supports immune health.
- Protein, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics all play key roles in immunity.
No one likes getting struck down with a cold or flu. While marketing often promotes ‘superfoods,’ there's no single food that will guarantee you stay well.
Immunity support foods for cold and flu season
Hi, I'm Riley.
No one likes to get sick, so when it comes to cold and flu season, people often look for ways to boost their immunity.
But despite clever marketing, there's no single superfood to help you stay well.
Instead, focusing on a nutritious, balanced diet each day is a simple way to support your health.
There are some nutrients that play a key role in maintaining a healthy immune system.
These include vitamin C and other antioxidants.
These are found in fruits and vegetables like berries, citrus fruits, capsicum, and broccoli.
These nutrients help to fight infections and keep immune cells functioning.
Found in lean meats, eggs, beans and tofu, protein helps to build and repair immune cells.
Zinc is found in meat, fish, poultry, whole grains and nuts, and it's important for immune function.
Probiotics. Found in yoghurt or fermented foods, Probiotics help to support our gut health, which is closely linked to immunity.
Most importantly, having a variety of foods every day will ensure you are getting a range of nutrients.
Try to eat a colourful, balanced diet each day to give your body the tools it needs to maintain a strong immune system.
We all have our strategies to try and ward off winter bugs.
Some people may mega dose on vitamin C, eat a whole bulb of garlic or try turmeric shots.
Sadly, no single food will guarantee you won't get sick, but consistent, healthy eating is an important way to optimise our immune systems.
Along with getting enough sleep, regular exercise and managing our stress levels, here are some easy ways to include a range of nutritious foods every day to help boost your immunity.
Add fruits like berries, oranges or Kiwi fruit to your breakfast cereal or yoghurt.
Include a range of colourful vegetables in every meal and snack on some sliced carrot and capsicum.
Have a handful of unsalted nuts or seeds for an afternoon pick me up and include probiotic rich foods in your diet like yoghurt, kefir or sauerkraut.
Supporting your immune system doesn't have to be complicated.
Focus on having a variety of foods in your diet and remember, no single food is a magic shield.
A healthy, balanced diet is one way to help give your body the best chance to stay strong this cold and flu season.
See you next time.
The best way to support your immune system is through a balanced and varied diet that provides all the nutrients your body needs to function.1
Some key nutrients to focus on include:
- Vitamin C and antioxidants: Found in fruits and vegetables like berries, citrus, capsicum, and broccoli, these nutrients help immune cells function and protect the body from infections.2
- Protein: From lean meats, eggs, beans, and tofu, protein helps build and repair immune cells.3
- Zinc: Found in meat, fish, poultry, wholegrains, and nuts, zinc is essential for immune function.3
- Probiotics: Found in yoghurt or fermented foods like kefir and sauerkraut, probiotics support gut health, which is closely linked to immunity.4
Eating a variety of colourful foods each day ensures you get a broad range of nutrients to support your immune system.
Easy ways to include immunity-supporting foods
- Add fruit to breakfast: berries, oranges, or kiwi can be added to cereal or yoghurt.
- Include colourful vegetables in meals: snack on sliced carrot, capsicum, or other vegetables.
- Have a handful of nuts or seeds: unsalted nuts make a nutritious afternoon snack.
- Include probiotic-rich foods: yoghurt, kefir, or sauerkraut support gut health.
Alongside diet, other lifestyle factors like quality sleep, regular exercise, and managing stress also help optimise immune function.
Supporting your immune system doesn’t have to be complicated. Focus on:
- Eating a balanced, varied diet daily
- Including protein, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics
- Practising good sleep, exercise, and stress management
No single food is a magic shield, but consistent healthy choices give your body the best chance to stay strong this cold and flu season.
Help stop the flu before it starts
A vaccination is your best defence this flu season.
Riley Kusuma Dietitian
Riley is a dietitian with a special interest in chronic disease management. She is passionate about supporting people to make sustainable changes to improve their health and wellbeing.
At Bupa, trust is everything
Our health and wellbeing information is regularly reviewed and maintained by a team of healthcare experts, to ensure its relevancy and accuracy. Everyone's health journey is unique and health outcomes vary from person to person.
This content is not a replacement for personalised and specific medical, healthcare, or other professional advice. If you have concerns about your health, see your doctor or other health professional.
1 Healthdirect Australia. (2024). Immune system.
2 Singh, D.N., et al. (2023). Common foods for boosting human immunity: A review. Food Science and Nutrition.
3 Stephen, J., et al. (2023). Immune boosting functional components of natural foods and its health benefits. Food Production, Processing and Nutrition.
4 Healthdirect Australia. (2024). Probiotics.
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