The Secret To Keeping Your Family Healthy

A well-stocked pantry works wonders on the immune system. Your cold-fighting food guide starts here.

By Patty Onderko

Ages

3-10

The Secret To Keeping Your Family Healthy

Ibuprofen is fantastic for fevers, and saline sprays are super for stuffy noses, but what can help prevent your child from getting sick in the first place? Turns out, the edibles in your kitchen are way more effective at fighting off illness than anything you might find at the pharmacy, says David Hill, M.D., a pediatrician and author of Dad to Dad: Parenting Like a Pro.

In the articles below, you'll find tons of foods that pack the biggest immune-boosting punch — and the ones that will help the most if a wily germ or two slips through your best defenses. Either way, consider your family covered!

The Superfood Rx

With a flu shot, frequent hand-washing, and these dishes in regular rotation, those little bodies will be in top infection-fighting form.

Sick Day Diet

Despite your best efforts, sometimes germs slip through. But with the warnings against the use of cold medications for kids under 6 (and little research to show that they even work for older kids), it’s hard to know what to do. These foods ease symptoms and get them back to their best.

Fact or Fiction?

Straight talk on 3 common health proverbs.

Health & Nutrition
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Illnesses and Conditions