When one of my kids seems like they have a cold coming on I try to pump up their diet with some super cold busters!   It’s that time of year where when one person gets “it” whatever “it” is, then it’s only a matter of time before it spreads through the house.  And sick mommy is not so zen, so I like to pull out some of my cold busting tips and recipes to stop the cycle!

1. Ginger Lemon Honey Tea

Who needs to buy a tea bag, when you can make this at home in minutes. Basic and simple, but has some great cold busting properties (Ginger-anti-inflammatory, Lemon-Vitamin C,  Honey-soothes sore throats) and makes you feel warm inside. My kids love it too, but make sure you cool it down for them.

(serves 2) Just boil a a few cups of water with a few slices of ginger for 5-10 minutes, then squeeze in juice from 1/2 a lemon and few teaspoons of honey to taste.(The kids may want more sweetness-when they are sick I don’t mind adding in more if it’s good for their throats).

*If you really want to boost it up- you can add in some minced garlic and dash of cayenne!

2. Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin is full of Vitamin A which helps keep the respiratory system healthy and it’s easy to add to foods for some cold busting power.   I like to add canned organic pumpkin to my recipes.    You can add it to your pasta sauce, muffin recipe, but I like to add it to my pancake batter with some cinnamon.  Kids don’t love to eat vegetables, especially when they are sick so this gives them some good vitamins in the morning without a fight!

3.  Spinach Blueberry Smoothie

  I usually don’t like my kids to have icy drinks when they are sick, but if you are already making fruit smoothies a good way to add some cold busting power is to add spinach.  Blueberry smoothies hide the green color, if your kids don’t mind the green you can use mangos for the vitamin C.

4. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Its much better than from the carton, especially if you want the Vitamin C boost.  You can also add a squeeze of lemon or ginger for an extra boost.

5. Chicken Soup

 This is a classic remedy, but it’s great.  If you don’t have time to make your own.  Just buy a carton of organic chicken broth, add a few pieces of ginger and garlic and boil.  Then just drink it warm for a soothing savory treat!

Here’s to staying healthy!