Cold and flu season is here, which means that your family is fending off viruses right and left. But the one thing that your kids do as nearly as often as encounter germs is eat. And, lucky for you, each meal is a new opportunity to build up their defenses with foods that promote a strong, healthy immune system. Here, we've put together a day's worth of easy, delicious meals and snacks packed with cold- and flu-fighting nutrients.

Breakfast: Honey-nut Oatmeal
Stick-to-your-ribs oats are loaded with soluble fiber, which does more than fill you up: A 2010 study from the University of Illinois shows it also assists in turning on immune cells that help the body fight infection. Top that bowl of steel-cut, rolled or instant oatmeal (they all pack roughly the same nutritional value) with raw almonds -- chemicals in their skin prevent viruses from spreading in the body, say Italian scientists. To sweeten the deal for your kids, drizzle it with antibacterial honey and add a dash of antioxidant-packed cinnamon. Serves 1.

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• Water
• 1/4 cup raw almonds
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Cinnamon to taste

Prepare oats with water to desired consistency. Chop almonds and sprinkle on top of oatmeal. Add honey and cinnamon.

Lunch: Sun-sadillas
Instead of a PB&J, try an SB&J using sunflower butter, which contains twice as much of the immune-boosting mineral zinc and more heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Smooshed between whole-wheat tortillas and served with vitamin C-rich fruit salsa, these kid-friendly finger sandwiches take minutes to whip up. (Just remind your kids to wash first, since they'll be eating with their hands.) Serves 1.

• 2 small whole-wheat tortillas
• 1 tablespoon sunflower butter
• 1/2 kiwi
• 1/2 pear
• 2 strawberries

Spread one tortilla with sunflower butter. Top with second tortilla and cut into triangles. Dice kiwi, pear and strawberries and toss together and plate with the sandwiches.

Snack: Berry Healthy Smoothie
Research shows the probiotic bacteria in yogurt can help increase your body's number of white blood cells, which fight infection. For a one-two cold-fighting punch, make your smoothie with nutrient-rich fruit. Serves 2.

• 1 cup low fat plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 banana
• Low fat milk or orange juice

Blend the first three ingredients together. Add milk or orange juice until the desired consistency is reached.

Dinner: Superhero Stromboli
This crowd-pleasing supper turns pizza inside out, leaving lots of room for antioxidant-packed veggies. The cold-busting stars of the show: garlic (rich in the cold-fighting compound allicin) and mushrooms (which help the body fend off invaders, reports a study in the journal BMC Immunology). Serve with vitamin C-rich tomato sauce for dipping. Serves approximately 4.

• Store-bought whole-wheat pizza dough
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 cups button mushrooms
• 3 cups baby spinach
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella
• 2 cups tomato sauce

Crush garlic and dice mushrooms. Sautee both ingredients together in a drizzle of olive oil until browned. Add spinach and toss until wilted; set aside. Roll out pizza dough lengthwise until it forms a thin rectangle. Spread vegetable mixture in middle and sprinkle with cheese. Fold over edges of the dough until veggies and cheese are covered entirely; press down edges to seal. Brush lightly with olive oil and bake at 400 F for 30 minutes, or until dough is golden brown. Slice and serve with warmed tomato sauce for dipping.

Dessert: Superfruit Skewers
Your kids can help make these immunity-boosting kebabs, which are an art project and dessert rolled in one. Challenge your family to see who can get the most colors on their stick -- the more hues, the greater the disease-fighting antioxidant quotient. Serves 4.

• 1 kiwi, sliced
• 1 mango, cubed
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1/2 cup red grapes
• 1 orange, sliced and halved
• 4 wooden skewers

Spear each fruit one by one, alternating until all are used. Start over again. Create a pattern with your favorites. Feel free to add any other fruit your family enjoys; all contain important antioxidants to keep your immune systems running strong!

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Your medicine cabinet is stocked with acetaminophen, throat lozenges and saline spray for your little one’s next cold. While that can help with symptoms, they don’t do much to comfort and soothe -- that’s our job!

To help your child feel comfortable as she recovers, I recommend a few smart parenting strategies. Here are a few of my must-have items to keep your little one content and comfortable through the worst of cold and flu season.

1. Activities
Rest is key, so it’s helpful to have options on hand to keep them occupied while in bed or on the couch. Have them read, draw, color, make a craft or watch movies. I like to keep some new books and movies tucked away for sick days. To make the day as fun as possible, you can also spread out blankets on the floor or set up a tent in the family room.

2. Popsicles
To ease the ache of a sore throat, whip up a batch of popsicles with your own mold. Let your child pick out their favorite 100 percent fruit juice flavor. Not only will the chilliness soothe the pain, but the treat will also deliver some much-needed vitamins and minerals.

3. Fun foods and utensils
When they’re sick, most kids don’t have much of an appetite or can’t keep much in their bellies. But what kid likes to eat plain, bland food? My parenting strategy: Give them something to smile about by serving them in fun dishes, or using a crazy straw in their smoothie or soup. Consider using food coloring to make a smiley-face in their applesauce; get creative!

4. Touch
Research shows that touch can rev up the immune system, according to a study in The Journal of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine. And that may help speed up your little one’s healing process.

To give your child physical contact and affection -- without exposing yourself to germs -- write on her back. While you spell out letters with your fingers, have her guess the letters or spell the words. When I was a kid, this was my favorite sick-day ritual. Write out special sayings to comfort your child like, “feel better” and “I love you.”

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Sore throat. Stuffy nose. Wheezing cough. When you’re sick with a cold or flu, all you want to do is crawl into bed and sleep for a week or two. But your pesky symptoms make it impossible to rest easy. When bedtime finally rolls around, you actually feel worse than you did during the day.

“When you have a cold or the flu, congestion worsens at night,” says Dr. Neil Schachter, medical director of the respiratory care department of the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, and author of The Good Doctor’s Guide to Cold and Flu. “When you lie down, the airways are more likely to become clogged with mucus.”

Here’s how to stop tossing and turning, and get a restorative night’s sleep.

1. Have a tea party. Before you go to bed, sip a mug of decaffeinated black tea. The antioxidant-rich beverage contains theobromine, which is a natural cough suppressant, and the heat thins mucus. Add lemon to help cut through congestion and honey to soothe the throat.

2. Rinse away congestion. Wash away gunk that’s interfering with your breathing by doing regular nasal rinses. Nasal rinse kits can be found at most drugstores and are easy and painless to use. Essentially, you are rinsing your nasal cavity with a mixture of distilled water and sodium. This helps to clear passages and keep them moist. If you’re uncomfortable with a nose rinse, try a saline nasal spray instead. This also helps to flush out the nose, which makes breathing easier, says Dr. Schachter.

3. Pamper a sore throat. “The throat feels sore during an infection because the mucus that is lining the throat is filled with inflammatory compounds,” says Dr. Schachter. Add half a teaspoon table salt to warm water, gargle for 10 seconds and spit out. Removing the virus-laden mucus relieves both sore throat and coughing.

4. Darken your bedroom. It’s important to create a healthy environment that promotes quality sleep. Since incoming light tells the brain to wake up, try to block morning light from reaching your eyes. You can accomplish this by hanging dark curtains or by wearing a comfortable sleep mask that covers your eyes. Also, if you have a brightly illuminated alarm clock, make sure it’s not facing you during the night.

5. Keep it cool. In your bedroom, set the thermostat low. When your body temperature drops, your brain goes into sleep mode. The National Sleep Foundation recommends between 54°F and 75°F.

6. Take a hot shower. Before bed, muster the strength to take a hot shower. When you get out, the drop in body temperature helps prepare your brain for sleep. Bonus: Steam loosens congestion and hydrates your nasal and throat passages.

7. Slip on socks. Put on a pair of cozy socks before you get into bed. According to a Swiss study, warming your feet helps your body relax and puts you in the snooze zone.

8. Silence symptoms. Some common symptoms, such as a cough and congestion, can make restful sleep a real challenge when you're sick. Over-the-counter medications can help alleviate these uncomfortable obstacles to a good night’s sleep. 

9. Elevate your head. When you’re sick, sleep with your head elevated. Prop yourself up with a few extra pillows or the plump cushions from your sofa. Sleeping elevated helps ease sinus pressure and makes breathing less difficult.

10. Quiet your mind. Even when you’re exhausted and not feeling well, sometimes you can have a mental block that prevents you from falling asleep. To get into the right frame of mind, try one of these calming pursuits: meditate, jot your thoughts into a journal, listen to soothing music or read your favorite book. 

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No mom enjoys hearing her child cough, even though pediatricians often remind parents that coughing is actually a good thing: It's the body's way of keeping the lungs clear and preventing pneumonia. But that doesn't make the problem any easier for you or your child, especially when your little one can't get a good night's sleep because of a nagging cough.

Figuring out the cause of your child's cough can be tricky, says Dr. Roy Benaroch, assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at Emory University in Atlanta.

"The description of the cough is really just a starting point because different people hear slightly different things," says Benaroch."You really need to look at the cough in context of the other symptoms.”

The first question you need to ask yourself is, "How sick is my child?" says Benaroch. For instance, if your child is sucking in her ribs with every breath, breathing fast or having trouble speaking in complete sentences, these are all signs of breathing difficulties that require prompt medical attention either in the physician's office or in the emergency room, he says.

Below is a guide to deciphering and treating the most common types of cough symptoms in young children.

Cough symptom: Wet and productive, or dry and hacking

What it probably means: It's likely a cold or another upper respiratory infection, which are the most common causes of coughs in children, according to Benaroch. He adds that while the child's cough may sound productive, it usually isn't; young children generally don't cough up phlegm.

How to treat it: Plenty of fluids and a vaporizer, which adds moisture to dry air, effectively ease coughs due to colds. Parents can also administer appropriate over-the-counter cough and cold medicine based on the age of their children. If the cough is accompanied by a high fever (more than 103 F), take your child to a pediatrician to rule out pneumonia. "If the fever comes on in the middle of the night, you don't need to rush to the ER right then," says Benaroch."In this case, it's usually OK to wait until the next morning.”

Cough symptom: Wheezy

What it probably means: This is the classic chronic cough that often accompanies asthma symptoms. Oftentimes, the cough is triggered by cold air or exercise.

How to treat it: If you notice that your child is wheezing, call your doctor right away, as it might be a sign of a first asthma attack. If the wheezing is severe and your child has difficulty breathing (struggles for each breath, makes grunting noises with each breath, or cannot speak or cry due to difficulty breathing), call 911 immediately. Depending on the severity and frequency of asthma symptoms, your child may need to take asthma drugs to control the disease, treat the symptoms or do both. 

Cough symptom: Dry and tickling

What it probably means: A cough that's caused by environmental allergies, such as mold or ragweed, often originates in the upper airways, says Benaroch. "By the time kids are about 6 or so, I'll often ask them to show me where the cough is coming from. With allergy-related coughs, they'll usually point to the upper chest," he says. Other symptoms that accompany the cough include an itchy nose and frequent sneezing.

How to treat it: The best solution for managing allergies is to try to minimize exposure to known allergens. However, over-the-counter allergy medicines, such as those that contain the antihistamine loratadine, can also be helpful.

Cough symptom: Bark-like

What it probably means: If your child wakes up in the middle of the night and her cough sounds like a seal or a small dog barking, the likely culprit is croup. This common childhood infection causes swelling of the larynx and trachea, which is why children also often have a hoarse voice and make a high-pitched, squeaky sound as they inhale. The cough usually lasts three or four days; it often improves during the day and then gets worse again at night.

How to treat it: "I tell parents it's important to remain calm so that the child remains calm. As children become more anxious, they tighten their throats and that just makes the cough worse," says Benaroch. The best remedy for croup is to take your child outside if it's cold or into a steamy bathroom if the weather's warm. The cold or steamy air will help reduce swelling and ease the cough. Severe cases may require oral steroid medications. Children under the age of 2 are at a higher risk of developing breathing problems with croup, so be on the lookout for the signs of breathing difficulty listed above.

Cough symptom: Severe, violent and rapid

What it probably means: It could be whooping cough, a persistent bacterial infection of the lungs that has been increasingly prevalent across the U.S. "In school-age children, the infection can cause very severe bouts of coughing," says Benaroch. "A child may not be coughing constantly throughout the day, but he'll periodically have violent spells where he coughs so rapidly that he really doesn't get a chance to catch his breath."

The name comes from the "whoop" sound that kids make at the end of the cough as they take a big breath to try to get air into the lungs. Although babies generally don't cough, they're at the greatest risk of dying if infected with the bacteria. Until the pertussis vaccine became available in the 1950s, whooping cough was a common cause of mortality in newborns, says Benaroch, "and unfortunately it seems to be making a bit of a comeback."

A big cause for the resurgence in cases, he says, is that the pertussis vaccine given to babies doesn't offer lifelong immunity, and many preteens aren't getting the recommended pertussis booster recommended at age 11 or 12. A booster is also suggested for adults.

How to treat it: Antibiotics are essential to stop the spread of the bacteria. However, antibiotics generally don't ease symptoms or shorten the duration of the illness. If you or a family member has a persistent or severe cough, it's a good idea to avoid close contact with infants until a doctor has ruled out whooping cough.   

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You've been stuck at home with the flu for what seems like an eternity. The worst is over, but you still have some lingering sniffles, coughs and aches. Are you still contagious? Consult our guide.

The Common Cold
You’re still contagious: From one day before your first symptom to about three days after it.
You can catch the common cold from over 200 different viruses that lurk in the air and on common surfaces. You can be contagious before such telltale symptoms as sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, sore throat and coughing even begin. That means stellar hygiene is key 24/7, not just when you feel under the weather. And remember that a cold must run its course -- there is no cure for this common respiratory infection.

Seasonal Flu
You're still contagious: From one day before your first symptom to up to seven days after it.
The flu hitches rides on sneeze and cough droplets. "You're most infectious during the first three days that you're sick with the flu, because that's when you experience the most nasal secretions," says Dr. Linda Meloy, a pediatrician and professor in the division of general pediatrics at Virginia Commonwealth University Children's Medical Center in Richmond, Va. This period also usually corresponds to when your fever is highest. An antiviral medication may shorten the stretch that you're contagious, so see your doctor at the first sign of symptoms: fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, runny nose or sore throat.

Strep Throat
You're still contagious: From the first day of symptoms to 24 hours after you start taking antibiotics.
The streptococcal bacteria is the culprit behind the classic symptoms: sudden sore throat, pain when you swallow, fever over 101 F, swollen tonsils, swollen lymph nodes, and white or yellow spots on the back of the throat. Unlike when you have a cold or the flu, you need an antibiotic to get well, so it's crucial to visit your doctor for a strep test and a treatment plan that includes prescription antibiotics. Although you're typically not contagious after a full day on the medication, it's important to complete the entire course of treatment to eradicate the infection completely.

Bronchitis
You're still contagious: From the first day of your first symptom to up to 7 days after it.
A virus is usually to blame for this inflammation of the bronchial tubes, and the infection takes about a week to leave your system. Key symptoms include a cough that produces mucus, wheezing, low fever and chest tightness. Once in a while, bronchitis is caused by bacteria (your doctor can check), and you'll need an antibiotic to kick it.

Pneumonia
You're still contagious: From the first day of your first symptom to 24 hours after you start taking antibiotics.
This infection of the lungs is most often caused by bacteria called pneumococcus, so you won't recover until you treat it with antibiotics. The most common symptoms are cough, fever, chills, wheezing and shortness of breath. That said, in rare cases, pneumonia is caused by a virus, so medications won't wipe out the infection (and it will take about a week to stop being contagious).

Allergies
You're still contagious: Never.
Many hay fever symptoms -- sneezing, stuffy nose, headache, wheezing -- copycat the symptoms of the common cold. However, you can't spread or catch allergies, because they're not infectious illnesses, says Dr. Charles Ericsson, head of clinical infectious disease at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. So why do you and your spouse get hay fever at the same time? Probably because you've been exposed to the same environmental triggers, such as pollen, mold and dust.

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