Ginger, garlic and herbs. From Pixabay.

With most of us worldwide now staying at home amid the covid-19 pandemic, we are stocked up with canned goods and frozen meals with, hopefully, some fresh ingredients as well. In order to boost your immunity, here are some tips to make a healthier meal in this extraordinary time. For exact recipes, you can find them by searching online.

Ginger 
According to Healthline.com, ginger has specific compounds, such as gingerols and zingerone, that have been found to inhibit viral replication and prevent viruses from entering host cells. Thus, that's why we need to ginger up and make ginger water as the new normal. If you're wondering how to get ginger water without spending a boatload of money on pressed ginger juice, it is as simple as boiling a pot of water and adding pieces of sliced, peeled ginger. The level of spiciness dictates how much ginger you should put in. About 2 thumb-sized ginger in one cup of water will give you a mild level of ginger zing, while 5-6 pieces of thumb-sized ginger in a cup of water will amp up the level of spiciness.

Use ginger water as your drinking water, tea with or without honey, or let it cool down and make it into ice cubes for cold drinks. You can also use it as well when cooking, for instance, soups, sauces or curries. You can strain the ginger pieces and turn them into candied ginger, which is more palatable for kids.

Storage: To store the extra ginger, cut it up into smaller pieces and put it in a bottle with water. Seal and refrigerate. To freeze it, you can put grated ginger in a ziplock or air tight container.

Garlic 
Garlic has been known to possess anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. To easily increase your intake, roast an entire bulb of garlic by cutting a small portion at the top of the bulb, drizzling with extra virgin olive oil on the top opening, wrapping it in foil, and then roasting it in the oven for 40-50 minutes in 450 degrees Fahrenheit. You can roast as many bulbs at one time as long as it fits the pan.

Once roasted, peel off the skin. Because roasted garlic is very versatile, you can mix as many roasted cloves as you want in your rice, salads, casseroles, meats, and, don't forget, in your frozen and canned meals as well.

Storage: Leftover roasted garlic can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.

Moringa
The superfood moringa has 7x the vitamin C than oranges per gram, among other health benefits. In the US, it is usually sold in powder form, so it is easier to store and has a longer shelf life. Moringa is also no stranger on this blog as I've used the powder in smoothies/parfaits and baked goods, and it can also be mixed in savory dishes, such as in fried rice and soups.

Storage: Store powder in a dry, cool place in a sealed container.

Dried Honeysuckle 
Known to help with upper respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia, dried honeysuckle is used in tea concoctions with, for example, ginger, turmeric and honey. The best way to procure dried honeysuckle is through Amazon or at an herbal shop.

Storage: Store it in a dry, cool place in a sealed container.

Stay healthy and safe! You're welcome.