7-Day No-Sugar Meal Plan for Healthy Immunity
How well your immune system functions depends on several factors, some of which you can influence, and others are based on luck of the draw. While there’s no single food or nutrient that can prevent you from getting sick, eating a varied and nutritious diet with a special focus on foods that support a healthy immune system certainly won’t hurt. In this plan, we focus on foods high in nutrients that help our immune system function properly, like protein, zinc and vitamins A, C, D and E. What you won’t find? Added sugars. On average, the American adult eats 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day, per the CDC; significantly above the American Heart Association’s recommended daily max of 9 teaspoons of added sugar for men and 6 for women.
Because added sugars are a growing source of calories in many people’s diets—without the nutritional benefits—we opted to skip them for this plan and focus on healthy immune-supporting foods. Because excess body weight could negatively impact your immune system, we set this plan at 1,500 calories per day, which is a level where most people will lose weight. For those with other calorie needs, we also included modifications for 1,200 and 2,000 calories a day.
Strategies for a Healthy Immune System:
- Hydrate: Drinking plenty of fluids has many benefits, including lubricating your nasal passages, which helps fend off viruses better than a dry nose.
- Rest: Quality and sufficient sleep at night is important for many areas of our body to function properly, including a healthy immune system
- Eat a Nutritious Diet: Eating a balanced and healthy diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and nutrient-dense foods helps support a healthy immune system
- Socialize: There’s some evidence that laughing and socializing with others reduces stress, which helps support a healthy immune response.
Immune-Supporting Foods to Focus On:
While there’s no evidence that any one specific food or nutrient can support your immune system, certain nutrients are needed for your immune system to function. Focusing on foods high in these nutrients, in addition to a healthy and varied diet, play a role in supporting our health.
- Vitamin A: sweet potato, carrots, liver, spinach, milk, egg, cantaloupe, mango, dark leafy greens.
- Vitamin C: broccoli, oranges, bell peppers, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, tomato, cantaloupe
- Vitamin D: salmon, tuna, sardines, and other fatty fish, fortified milk and yogurt, eggs
- Vitamin E: sunflower seeds, nuts, peanuts, nut and peanut butter, avocado, dark leafy greens, wheat germ
- Protein: meat and poultry, Greek yogurt, cheese, nuts and seeds, legumes, eggs, quinoa, tofu
- Zinc: oysters, crab, beef, lobster, pork, turkey, pumpkin seeds, legumes, yogurt, cashews and fortified cereals
How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:
- Prepare Muffin-Tin Omelets with Feta & Peppers to have for breakfast on days 2 through 4.
- Make Vegan Lentil Stew to have for lunch on days 2 through 5.
Day 1
Breakfast (403 calories)
A.M. Snack (125 calories)
- 5-oz. container low-fat plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup blueberries
Lunch (387 calories)
P.M. Snack (200 calories)
- 1 medium apple
- 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
Dinner (405 calories)
Daily Totals: 1,518 calories, 64g fat, 81g protein, 166g carbohydrate, 35g fiber, 1,100mg sodium
To make it 1,200 calories: Omit almonds at breakfast and change P.M. snack to 1 plum.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add 3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts to A.M. snack, increase to 3 Tbsp. peanut butter at P.M. snack plus add 1 serving Basic Green Salad with Vinaigrette.
Day 2
Breakfast (341 calories)
A.M. Snack (231 calories)
- 30 dry-roasted unsalted almonds
Lunch (374 calories)
P.M. Snack (171 calories)
- 1 cup low-fat plain kefir
- 1 medium orange
Dinner (433 calories)
Daily Totals: 1,489 calories, 61g fat, 77g protein, 169g carbohydrate, 30g fiber, 1,640mg sodium
To make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to 1 clementine and omit kefir at P.M. snack.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 serving Raspberry-Kefir Power Smoothie to breakfast and 1 serving Guacamole Chopped Salad to dinner.
Day 3
Breakfast (341 calories)
A.M. Snack (125 calories)
- 5-oz. container low-fat plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup blueberries
Lunch (374 calories)
P.M. Snack (200 calories)
- 1 medium apple
- 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
Dinner (511 calories)
Daily Totals: 1,488 calories, 62g fat, 75g protein, 163g carbohydrate, 30g fiber, 1,748mg sodium
To make it 1,200 calories: Omit yogurt at A.M. snack and change P.M. snack to 1 plum.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 serving Raspberry-Kefir Power Smoothie to breakfast, increase to 2 1/2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter at P.M. snack, plus add a 1-oz. slice whole-wheat baguette to dinner.
Day 4
Breakfast (341 calories)
A.M. Snack (193 calories)
- 25 dry-roasted unsalted almonds
Lunch (374 calories)
P.M. Snack (171 calories)
- 1 cup low-fat plain kefir
- 1 medium orange
Dinner (507 calories)
Daily Totals: 1,525 calories, 66g fat, 67g protein, 180g carbohydrate, 36g fiber, 1,710mg sodium
To make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to 1 clementine and change P.M. snack to 1/4 cup sliced cucumber.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 serving Raspberry-Kefir Power Smoothie to breakfast and 1 serving Guacamole Chopped Salad to dinner.
Day 5
Breakfast (341 calories)
- 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup raspberries
- 3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
A.M. Snack (230 calories)
- 1 cup edamame, in pods
- 1 plum
Lunch (374 calories)
P.M. Snack (115 calories)
- 1 medium bell pepper, sliced
- 3 Tbsp. hummus
Dinner (421 calories)
Daily Totals: 1,480 calories, 61g fat, 82g protein, 164g carbohydrate, 41g fiber, 1,692mg sodium
To make it 1,200 calories: Reduce to 1 Tbsp. chopped walnuts at breakfast and omit edamame at A.M. snack.
To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 slice sprouted wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to breakfast and 1 serving No-Cook Black Bean Salad to dinner.
Day 6
Breakfast (403 calories)
A.M. Snack (95 calories)
Lunch (377 calories)
P.M. Snack (171 calories)
- 1 cup low-fat plain kefir
- 1 medium orange
Dinner (432 calories)
Daily Totals: 1,478 calories, 51g fat, 78g protein, 186g carbohydrate, 38g fiber, 1,165mg sodium
Tomake it 1,200 calories: Omit almonds at breakfast and kefir at P.M. snack.
To make it 2,000 calories: add 1 slice sprouted wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter at breakfast, 1 1/4 cup edamame in pods to A.M. snack and a 1-oz. slice whole-wheat baguette to dinner.
Day 7
Breakfast (341 calories)
- 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup raspberries
- 3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
A.M. Snack (154 calories)
- 20 dry-roasted unsalted almonds
Lunch (377 calories)
P.M. Snack (200 calories)
Dinner (408 calories)
Daily Totals: 1,480 calories, 66g fat, 97g protein, 128g carbohydrate, 34g fiber, 962mg sodium
To make it 1,200 calories: Reduce to 1 Tbsp. chopped walnuts at breakfast and change P.M. snack to 1 plum
To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 large apple to A.M. snack, 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to the banana at lunch and 1 serving Traditional Greek Salad to dinner.
