JHB South East - Sep 2020

Fighting off illness and disease is
helped along by a healthy immune
system, which gets the boost it
needs from healthy, mindful eating
and living. Immune-boosting fruit
and vegetables include citrus, bell
peppers (especially red), broccoli,
garlic, ginger, spinach, almonds,
sunflower and pumpkin seeds,
turmeric, papaya and kiwi fruit. While
it’s not always easy to eat healthily,
especially when you are on the
run or at work, there are ways of
making it easier, which is why we
recommend rustling up an immuneboosting
jar.
There’s a reason why jar food is
such a popular thing. Economical,
versatile and easy, you can whip up
something yummy and nutritious
the night before, and by the time
you open it up for lunch the next
day, it will be the perfect pick-me-up.
Delicious and wholesome, it’s the
next best thing to a healthy spread
at home.
What you put into your jar is up to
you, as is your preferred order of
ingredients. There really are no hard
and fast rules when assembling
your items. Either way, the first thing
to remember is that fresh is always
best. Next, concentrate on getting
your prep right by making sure
everything is washed and/or peeled,
and diced or chopped accordingly.
Our jar started off with a layer of
cooked red lentils, then we added
quartered tomato and bell peppers.
Then our greens came into play. We
used torn Swiss chard, but you can
use lettuce, kale or baby spinach,
whatever you fancy. Then we
added sliced red onion and smoked
chicken. You can also use marinated
feta, smoked tofu or cubed gouda/
mozzarella/cheddar, the sky is the
limit. Next up is sliced avocado,
but bear in mind that if you are not
going to be eating your jar soon
after making it, the avo must be
rubbed with a little lime or lemon
juice to prevent it from turning
black.
Last but not least is a delicious
dressing, lightly drizzled over the
top (see our homemade, simple
vinaigrette recipe). You can also
squeeze the juice of half an orange
Scrummy ingredients to go!
over your final ingredients. It’s
delicious. The finishing touches are a
scattering of nuts and seeds of your
choice, such as pumpkin, sesame or
sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts,
peanuts or cashews. Pop the lid on
and into the fridge, and your lunch
for the next day is sorted, if you can
wait that long!
A few other items that you can
put into your goodie jar are diced
cucumbers, carrots, beans, broccoli,
peas, corn and mushrooms. Instead
of lentils you can use pasta, rice,
couscous or quinoa. Planning
nourishing meals around our
immune-boosting guide is easy, and
as appetising as you choose to make
Fresh is best
it. You can make salad, as we have,
or you can make a soup for when
the weather turns. Another firm
favourite is a breakfast jar, with oats
and fresh fruit such as strawberries
and blueberries. The sky is the limit,
so give it a go; we promise you’ll feel
better than ever!
Dressing
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 5 tbs olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried herbs
• Salt and cracked black pepper
to taste
• Chilli flakes (optional).
Text: MELLISSA BUSHBY
September 2020 Get It Joburg South • Alberton • Bedfordview • Greenstone • Modderfontein 25
GIS0904_024_189660283.indd 25 2020/08/19 14:15:41