- Whole-grain breads or crackers
- Peanut and almond butters
- Light canned tuna fish
- Raw vegetables that can be cut into slices
- Fruits
- Encourage the kids to make sandwiches with whole-grainbreads or bagels
- Try different sandwich fillings
Immune Health
Our immune system is vital for our health and survival. Its function
is to protect our bodies from disease causing organisms, known as
pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses and fungi as well as cell
changes that can make us sick.1a, 2a
As long as your immune system is working well, you probably won’t
even notice that it is there. But if it is no longer working well because
it is weak or can’t fight particularly aggressive pathogens, then you
will become sick. If you are exposed to pathogens that your body
has never been in contact with before, they are also likely to cause
illness. However some pathogens will only make you ill the first time
you are exposed to them. These include some of the childhood
diseases like chickenpox.1b
The immune system can be divided into the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system. The two systems work together whenever a pathogen or harmful substance triggers an immune response in the body.1c
The innate immune system fights against harmful substances and pathogens that enter the body using immune cells.1d
The adaptive immune system makes antibodies to fight pathogens that the body has previously come into contact with. This explains you only get some diseases once – the body already has the antibody to fight it the next time you come into contact with it.1d, 2c Everyone’s immune system is different but, as a general rule, our immune systems become are stronger as adults, as by this time we have been exposed to more pathogens and developed more immunity. That is why teenagers and adults who have developed more immunity tend to get sick less often than children.2b
Our immune health can be affected when one or more parts of the immune system do not function optimally. This can be caused in various ways including age, obesity, alcoholism, malnutrition and AIDS.2d
According to UNICEF, 2 in 3 children between 6 months and 2 years of age are not eating food that supports their rapidly growing bodies.3a
When our immune systems are compromised, we are more prone to infections, and it is harder to fight these infections.3a, 4b
More on the topic of supporting your immune health!
LUNCH BOX INSPIRATION
Immunity is not seasonal
At the end of summer when that first nip is in the air, it marks the start of cold and flu season. During our lifetime we
experience an average of 200 colds – that’s 5 years of coughs, congestion, headaches and sore throats. 7a Children could
have 3-8 cold infections a year, and adults 2-4 colds annually. 8a These are caused by viral infection of the upper respiratory
tract.