Many of us usually aren’t very keen on eating when we’re lying in bed sick with a cold or the flu even though this is the time when our bodies need vitamins and minerals most. Soup and liquids like tea and juice are often prescribed as the cure-all foods and drinks. While it is very important to up your liquid intake while you’re ill, these types of foods aren’t necessarily giving you the nutrients you truly need to get better. What your body requires are healthy foods packed with vitamins and minerals that fight colds and Support your immune system.

Say bye, bye to boring soup and tea for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What follows is a scrumptious custom menu that is chock-full of delicious easy-to-make recipes with colorful foods that are aimed at helping you bounce back to normal sooner.

Breakfast

Dandelion Green Smoothie

Waking up in the morning with a sore throat or a fever might leave you feeling less than willing to eat. Instead of opting for something heavy or nothing at all, whip up this dandelion green smoothie instead. It’s won’t weigh you down and it’s rich with nutrients your body needs to get better.

Cold-fighting health boost: Dandelions are surprisingly high in essential vitamins and minerals like vitamins A, C, E, K, B1, B2, and B6 in addition to calcium, iron, fiber, manganese and copper.

Lunch

Raw Cream of Broccoli Mushroom Soup

This soup is not your ordinarily sick-day fare. It’s far richer than a plain, boring broth and is full of simple, yet satisfying ingredients like broccoli, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, onion, garlic, avocado, basil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Plus all of these ingredients work together to give your body a great hit of essential nutrients.

Cold-fighting health boost: This soup’s two main ingredients, broccoli and mushrooms, provide most of its health benefits. Broccoli is high in immunity-supporting vitamin C and fiber while the mushrooms contain vitamin D.

Snack

Baked Kale Chips

Greasy chips and sugar-filled snacks aren’t particularly helpful to your body when you’re healthy and they are definitely not ideal when you’re ill. Do your body a favor and grab a healthy snack instead. Try these baked kale chips on for size. They’re just the snack to boot your midday cravings and give your body a little healthy kick.

Cold-fighting health boost: Kale is very rich in vitamins C and K in addition to housing a good amount of both calcium and vitamin A.

Dinner

Red Lentil Burgers with Kale Pesto

A burger is not a typical cold-fighting food but we think this red lentil burger topped with healthy kale pesto may just start a new sick day trend. Packed inside this burger are health benefits galore and delicious ingredients like sunflower seeds, almonds, potatoes, chia seeds, paprika, cumin, coriander and others. It’s hard to find something not to love about this recipe.

Cold-fighting health boost: The red lentils used in this burger are loaded with protein and fiber while the sunflower seeds offer your body vitamins E and B1.

Dessert

Banana Watermelon Seed Muffins

Now dessert is definitely not something mentioned very often when sickness is on the horizon. But we think you shouldn’t have to deny yourself a sweet treat even if you’re ill. Of course it’s all a matter of finding the right recipe that’s both delicious and healthy. And guess what? We’ve got one just for you. These banana watermelon seed muffins are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth with their healthy ingredient list that includes watermelon seeds, mashed bananas and almond milk.

Cold-fighting health boost: Bananas provide your body with good amounts of potassium and vitamins B6 and C. Watermelon seeds are also surprisingly nutritious and house a fair amount of B vitamins like thiamin, niacin and folate along with essential minerals like magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, iron, potassium and copper.