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How to support your kids' immune systems this back to school season
Written byLiz Connor
Reviewed byRob Hobson
Want to avoid new-term sniffles and classroom bugs? An expert shares advice on how to bolster little ones’ defences this autumn
Summary
1How to support your kids gut health
Starting the day with a serving of probiotic foods like natural yoghurt or kefir can support the balance of good and bad bacteria in your...
2Focus on nutritious packed lunches
“Rather than trying to force picky eaters to try exotic fruits and vegetables at lunchtime, stick to packing up the varieties you..."
3Put oily fish on the menu
“Children should aim to eat one to two portions of oily fish per week, but if they’re not a fan of oven roasted fillets, you could try...”
September can be a challenging time for kids’ immune systems. After weeks of enjoying the blissful outdoor freedom of the summer holidays, cooler temperatures and a return to classrooms mean they’re suddenly indoors more, making it easier for germs to spread.
While you’ve likely already sorted new school shoes, fresh exercise books and new stationery, there are a few extra steps you can take before the first day back to keep common school bugs at bay.
Here, we asked nutritionist Rob Hobson, author of the book Unprocess Your Family Life, to share ways families can sail through cold season without spending the new term coughing and sneezing.
6 ways to support your child’s immune system
1. Focus on good gut health
According to research, around 70-80% of immune cells1 reside in the gut which also includes the gut microbiome – the trillions of bacteria, fungi and microbes that inhabit their intestines along with the chemicals they produce.
“Starting the day with a serving of probiotic foods like natural yoghurt or kefir can support the balance of good and bad bacteria in your children’s gut,” says Rob. “These breakfast options contain live microorganisms that emerging studies have found may regulate immunity.”
Alongside probiotics, encouraging your children to eat a range of prebiotic foods – the natural plants our gut bacteria2 love to feed off – may further keep defences running strong. Good examples include onions, leeks, peas, apples, bananas, kiwi, lentils, oat bran, garlic, chicory and seaweed.
2. Overhaul packed lunches
When children go back to school, it’s easy to lean on convenient foods and pack lunch boxes with fizzy drinks, crisps and sweets. But while these treats can still be enjoyed in moderation, making sure your child gets the recommended five3 portions of fruit and veg a day is a great way of supporting a strong immune response.
Aim to include plenty of vegetables with red, orange and yellow hues, as this means they’ll be upping their vitamin C, which supports normal immune function. Some in-vitro studies4 (conducted in a lab outside of the human body) show this might be due to its potential ability to increase the production of infection-fighting white blood cells.
“Rather than trying to force picky eaters to try exotic fruits and vegetables at lunchtime, stick to packing up the varieties you know they like, such as sweet peppers in tortilla wraps, fresh orange segments, green apples and chopped carrot batons,” suggests Rob.
“You could also blitz extra hidden veggies like spinach, broccoli and courgette into homemade dips and sandwich spreads,” he adds.
3. Add oily fish into the weeknight mix
Another dish to add to the immune support menu is oily fish – the NHS5 recommends at least one portion per week.
DHA is an essential fatty acid that’s beneficial for the immune system.6 Typically found in oily fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines, it’s dubbed ‘essential’ because the body can’t manufacture it on its own,7 so we need to access it through our diet.
As a general rule of thumb, children should aim to eat one to two portions of oily fish per week, but if they’re not a fan of oven-roasted fillets, you could try serving them up in appealing ways, such as adding sardines to Mexican tacos or stirring salmon into a creamy pasta sauce.
“The amino acids found in quality protein like fish play a key role in the production of antibodies,8 which fight off seasonal infections, so it’s always a good idea to include a nice source with every meal,” Rob recommends.
4. Review their iron intake
It’s not just about prioritising vitamin C-packed fruits in the colder months. “Nearly 50% of teenage girls9 don't get enough iron in their diet to support menstrual blood loss, which is both important for immunity and also can put them at higher risk of infections, tiredness, fatigue and brain fog,” warns Rob.
It’s not just girls that might need extra support with iron, but boys do too. Iron can support development and growth10 – so make sure to keep an eye on any child’s iron intake.
“Whole food breakfast cereals or fortified breakfast cereals are often a great dietary source, as are leafy greens, red meats, beans, pulses and lentils, all of which can be great additions to daily meals,” he notes.
If your teenager seems abnormally tired, it’s always a good idea to have their iron levels checked with their GP to make sure they’re not struggling with an underlying deficiency.
5. Make sure they’re getting the right amount of sleep
Speaking of tiredness, not only is quality sleep important for avoiding a school run with grumpy children in tow, but it’s also key for a strong immune system both in childhood and throughout life.
This is because during sleep, our bodies produce and regulate essential immune cells and molecules, like cytokines, that fight infections and inflammation.
Many parents aim for eight hours of quality kip each night, but children often need much more than adults, depending on their age.
According to experts, the recommended hours of sleep11 for each age group are:
- toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours per day
- preschoolers (3-5 years): 10-13 hours per day
- school-age children (6-12 years): 9-12 hours per night
- teenagers (13-18 years): 8-10 hours per night
6. Get them into the habit of hand washing
Flu viruses can survive for up to 48 hours12 on hard surfaces like desks and lockers, and one of the number one ways to fight their spread is to teach children good hygiene practices.
Make sure kids learn to wash their hands after going to the toilet with warm, soapy water, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds and rinsing thoroughly.
It’s also helpful to teach your children to catch any sneezes in a tissue and to cover their mouth when they cough to avoid passing on bugs to their peers.
The final say
When children go back to school, it can be easy to get wrapped up in the chaos of school runs and pick-ups, and forget about the importance of immunity.
But by doubling down on nutrition, prioritising enough sleep and helping to cover any immunity gaps in their nutrition, ensuring kids stay fighting fit during the worst of cold and flu season – and for extra support, check out our guide to the best vitamins for kids and teenagers.
This article provides informational advice and is not a substitute for medical care. Curated by experts for accuracy, we take great care to ensure the information is up-to-date and relevant. However, you should always consult your GP or healthcare professional before using supplements or alternative products, particularly if you have medical conditions or are under supervision.
1. Wiertsema SP, van Bergenhenegouwen J, Garssen J, Knippels LMJ. The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 9;13(3):886.
2. Yoo S, Jung SC, Kwak K, Kim JS. The Role of Prebiotics in Modulating Gut Microbiota: Implications for Human Health. International journal of molecular sciences. 2024 Apr 29;25(9):4834–4.
3. NHS. Why 5 a Day? [Internet]. nhs.uk. NHS; 2022. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day/why-5-a-day/
4. Carr AC, Maggini S. Vitamin C and immune function. Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1211.
5. NHS. Fish and shellfish [Internet]. nhs.uk. NHS; 2022. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/fish-and-shellfish-nutrition/
6. Gutiérrez S, Svahn SL, Johansson ME. Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Immune Cells. International Journal of Molecular Sciences [Internet]. 2019 Oct 11;20(20):5028. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6834330/
7. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements - Omega-3 Fatty Acids [Internet]. Nih.gov. 2022. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-Consumer/
8. Mohanty B, Mahanty A, Ganguly S, Sankar TV, Chakraborty K, Rangasamy A, et al. Amino Acid Compositions of 27 Food Fishes and Their Importance in Clinical Nutrition. Journal of Amino Acids [Internet]. 2014;2014:1–7. Available from: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jaa/2014/269797/citations/
9. British Nutrition Foundation. Nutrition for teenagers [Internet]. British Nutrition Foundation. 2024. Available from: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutrition-for/teenagers/
10. Weiss G. Does iron let boys grow faster?! Haematologica. 2019 Jul 31;104(8):1503–5.
11. NHS. Sleep [Internet]. cambspborochildrenshealth.nhs.uk. 2024. Available from: https://cambspborochildrenshealth.nhs.uk/sleep/
12. B B, Bm M, B S, Lr P, Dn G, Hh B. Survival of Influenza Viruses on Environmental Surfaces [Internet]. The Journal of infectious diseases. 1982. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6282993/
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