Keeping your immune system strong is important for fighting off illness. Here are some tips for eating your way to a healthy immune system.

“If you’re eating your fruits and vegetables, you’re already doing a wonderful job for your body,” said Rebecca Reed, a registered dietitian and certified nutrition support clinician with Lehigh Valley Health Network - Poconos.

But some people say eating healthy is expensive or boring. It doesn’t have to be.

Reed recommends that everyone in a family picks out one fruit and one vegetable from the grocery store circular, and that is what the family eats that week with meals and for snacks.

“Usually there is more than one veggie on sale, so you don’t have to eat the same vegetable every day,” she said.

Especially for children, when they get involved in the process of making their own food choices, then they get excited about fruits and vegetables and are more likely to eat them.

As far as portions, Reed said a portion for fruits and vegetables should be from the base of the hand to the fingertips. It can also be half the plate, but don’t be afraid to get seconds if that isn’t enough.

“For the most part, I say unlimited,” she said. “Absolutely have more vegetables. You can never go wrong with more vegetables.”

The exception is for people who are diabetic. They may need to limit their intake of fruit to the serving size of a carbohydrate ratio, but don’t eliminate fruit from their diet.

Then there is the debate: raw versus cooked.

Raw vegetables are great, but some vegetables like carrots are more nutritious cooked.

“Cooking carrots is actually a better source of the vitamins, because it is a little bit easier for your body to absorb it,” she said.

Just don’t boil vegetables, she said. All of the nutrients will go down the drain when the water is strained out.

“But then again, I say if the only way you’re going to eat your vegetable is a boiled vegetable, then that’s better than no vegetable at all,” she said.

Reed recommends steaming or roasting the vegetables to maintain the nutrients instead of boiling. There are frozen vegetables that come in steamable bags for the microwave. They can be a little more expensive, but the convenience may be worth it.

“If it’s going to be the difference between making a vegetable for dinner or not making one, then buy the steamer bags,” she said.

The store brand ones are often just as good as name brand bags, and frozen fruits and vegetables are just as healthy as raw, she said.

So what about this whole organic thing?

Reed said it really comes down to a person’s opinion on farming techniques. Organic foods are grown without pesticides, and the seeds are not genetically modified. Seeds that are modified are done so to be resistant to drought or insects, etc.

If a person is concerned about pesticides, then Reed recommends the organic fruits and vegetables that have a skin on them that is eaten, such as grapes. If the skin is going to be peeled off, like with a banana, then the peel protects the fruit.

“When it comes to the nutrition of the food, there’s no difference in the vitamins, the minerals, the calories and what it contains. It’s all the same,” she said.

Reed isn’t a fan of dried fruit, unless it is part of a trail mix and taken on a hike, for instance. It is high in sugar and sticks to teeth.

Regular fruit is healthier and lower in calories, because fruit contains water and fiber and is filling. Dried fruit isn’t filling, so there is a potential to eat too much of it and consume too many calories and too much sugar.

Nuts are a good source of protein, but limit the salt, she said. Instead, try them with a little coating of cinnamon or cocoa, but not chocolate-covered. In general, a quarter cup of nuts is a serving size and makes a good snack.

For a twist, there are vinegar-based foods.

“There is a lot of research saying that those acid-based foods are good for you,” she said. “There is actually a lot of vitamin C in sauerkraut.”

And lastly, hydration is critical to staying healthy.

People should drink 6 to 8 cups (48 to 64 ounces) of water a day, Reed said. The body is made up of more than 70% water, so it needs enough water to replenish it and cleanse it. Water helps to keep skin hydrated.

“You can drink anything you want, but please have at least six cups of water a day,” she said.

In order to drink enough water, Reed suggested placing a glass on a bedside table and taking three sips before getting up in the morning, then another three sips after brushing teeth. Alternate tasks with sipping on water and a glass can be finished before breakfast.

Throughout the day, carry a water bottle around to keep it available. To make the water tasty, add lemon juice, cucumber, mint or fruit.