BY SANDRA GUY

Now that we’ve tip-toed back into the kitchen to try to cook – gasp! – it’s a perfect time to eat foods packed with nutrition.

Experts point out that part of our responsibility to stay healthy amid the coronovirus pandemic is to eat right: Eat fresh foods. Avoid junk food that comes in jars, boxes and packages filled with refined corn, sugar and starches. Stay away from heavy carbohydrate and processed foods that can lead to high inflammation, cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar — problems that suppress your immune system.

One perfect ingredient to make sure you get started on a healthier lifestyle is zinc – a mineral that our bodies are unable to store, but one that’s important to boost the immune system and to maintain your sense of taste and smell.

How do you make sure you’re getting enough each day, especially when the coronavirus pandemic has heightened our immunity-boosting awareness?

Nutritionists say it’s simple enough to turn into a kitchen family affair.

But they caution that people who follow a meatless diet that relies solelyon plant-based foods means you’ll have to pay closer attention to get enough zinc, since plant sources of zinc contain certain compounds that inhibit zinc absorption.

The best defense is a good offense – and that can start with stocking your pantry with sources of zinc such as cans of lentils and chickpeas, as well as garlic, flaxseed, whole grains and baked beans.

Other foods high in zinc include chicken, crab, oysters and red meat.

“It doesn’t have to be super complicated,” said Doug Cook, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Toronto. “Just be consistent and you can get servings throughout the day.”

Let’s start with breakfast.

“Tea and a muffin won’t do it,” Cook said.

Instead, opt for a cheese omelet or a poached egg on toast (search online videos on how to poach an egg or make an omelet), or eat granola with fruit or beans in a tortilla.

For lunch, make a tuna-salad sandwich, tofu stir-fry or eat some left-over chicken or vegetables.

Dinner could be a great time to get out the crock pot and make soup, chili or stew. Or shred a couple ounces of shredded cheese over a salad.

And you could wash it down with real cow’s milk.

If you’re looking for more, there’s no shame in taking a zinc supplement, Cook said.

“No one is suggesting that supplements make up for a poor diet,” he said.

Just make sure to get a daily supplement that provides at least 8 mg of zinc.