The advice of the dietician, prof. Nicola Sorrentino, to face the period he sees us at home during the Coronavirus emergency. A diet for the immune system that allows us to eat at home in a nutritious way but also with an eye to the line. And also saving some money.

DIET FOR THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Food is always an aid to the immune system, but not a cure for a virus.
No to fake news on nutrition to cure Coronavirus: there are no miraculous foods or supplements.

The Mediterranean diet, however, explains the doctor, is the only one according to the scientific community to stimulate the proliferation of T lymphocytes, necessary to fight pathogens.

Here are which foods to focus on.

Whole grains: they are also essential for taking fiber, vitamins and mineral salts.
Cutting down on carbohydrates or eating the wrong ones leads to dangerous fluctuations in blood sugar that also harm the immune system. So yes to wholemeal bread, rice and wholemeal pasta.

For proteins, focus on lean ones: legumes cooked and seasoned with a little raw extra virgin olive oil, combined with whole grains for a complete and balanced first course. Three or four portions of fish a week, preferably fish (sea bream, hake, etc.) also, explains the doctor, frozen.

And five portions a day of fruit and vegetables, which correspond to two large side dishes of vegetables a day, one for lunch and one for dinner, and a large fruit plus a small one. Focus on frozen foods and canned products (natural) if we do not have many fresh vegetables available. For the remaining steps we can rotate skimmed dairy products, eggs and eat meat only once a week, especially if we are in a tight spot.
A dozen almonds are a perfect mid-morning or afternoon snack, or alternatively 15 pistachios or 3 walnuts.

Use the pinzimonio trick. Create a bowl of raw vegetables, already hulled (clean), to be kept at the table always. In order to avoid going often to look for something in the fridge or pantry. We can also use pickled gherkins as a hunger breaker.

The low-calorie snack for those who love sweets. Pour some skimmed white yogurt embellished with stevia and cinnamon into the ice containers and place in the freezer. We will get extra light mini popsicles that we can consume if we are hungry for sweets.

See also: Ten foods that are cheap at the grocery store but great for the diet. 

WHAT TO AVOID AT HOME NOW THAT WE ARE SEDENTARY

Hearty breakfast, average lunch, poor dinner.
This advice is more valid than ever now that we can manage the diet at home.
But watch out for fats. Let’s limit ourselves to one or two teaspoons of raw oil for lunch and dinner, favoring breakfast in quantity.

For example oat flakes or toasted wholemeal bread, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, even with a long shelf life, or a low-fat yogurt, a fruit or juice or two teaspoons of honey or jam. To avoid nighttime snacks that are too high in calories, snacks and biscuits, condiments that are too heavy which, staying at home, favor the tendency to gain weight.

Now that we are home, we can make a cake or a bread or a pizza with wholemeal flour.

DIET FOR THE IMMUNE SYSTEM: EAT AT HOME IN AN ECONOMIC BUT NOURISHING WAY

As mentioned before, you can eat legumes instead of meat and fish, creating first courses with pasta or rice and legumes. We can enrich the dish with bay leaves for cooking legumes, use some tomatoes, spices. We do not fry and we do not use oil in cooking. Better to dose it per dish: one teaspoon per person.

See also: legume soups for weight loss. The versatile recipe to prepare a thousand different dishes. 
How to best cook whole grains and legumes if you have intestinal problems.  
5 recipes of legume salads, single and slimming dish. 

THE DIET MENU ON SUNDAY? BASED ON FROZEN FOOD

Frozen foods, explains Dr. Sorrentino, are nutritionally valid as fresh ones.
Here is a diet but inexpensive Sunday menu based on frozen food.

800 calorie lunch

Aperitif with tomato juice seasoned with pepper and lemon juice.
First course with fusilli (70 grams each) with a vegetarian ragout of peppers and tomato.
Second course with cuttlefish or baby octopus (frozen) stir-fried with white wine, spring peas and tomato sauce, salt and pepper, to be embellished with chilli and parsley.
Dessert based on red fruits (frozen), sautéed in a small pan and served with lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey.
For dinner on Sunday, let’s limit ourselves to a plate of vegetables, a little natural tuna or a soft-boiled egg, a piece of fruit.

See also the dietetic haute cuisine recipes signed by the professor. 
Diet fruit soup. 
False veal fillet with dried tomatoes and aubergines. 
Spaghetti with first fruits from the garden. 
Yogurt and beetroot ice cream (you can replace passion fruit with kiwi or banana)