If the colder weather has you thinking non-stop about food, why not focus on the seasonal foods that are actually good for you, instead of reaching for unhealthy choices?
Below, Jean Hailes naturopath Sandra Villella talks about her tips and winter-food winners, explaining how they can help you through the colder months.
Change up to warm up
When winter hits and the outside temperature drops, it’s a good idea to change your food choices to suit the season.
Move away from the summery health foods of cold salads and smoothies, and warm up from the inside by eating more cooked and warm foods. Many of us do this automatically and start to crave winter-warming meals such as soups and stews in the colder months.
You can also increase the warming power of food by adding certain herbs and spices. Ginger, cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg and allspice can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes for an added kick of warmth. Add a pinch or two of your favourites as you cook your porridge, soup or roasted vegies.
Herbal teas to help you through
Instead of warming up with another tea or coffee, have your favourite herbal teas close at hand, either at work or home. Ginger tea has been traditionally used to boost circulation, it’s anti-inflammatory and wonderfully calming to the digestive system. Real chai tea (not powdered) is another good option, it can be bought as a tea blend and is made with a combination of warming herbs and spices.
An added bonus of drinking herbal teas in winter is that they help you to stay hydrated if you don’t feel like drinking water in the colder weather.
Pumpkin, sweet potato and carrots
To satisfy the ‘carb’ cravings that often come with winter, include these orange-coloured options.
Pumpkin, sweet potato and carrots are excellent sources of beta-carotene, a nutrient that the body can convert to vitamin A and use to aid our immune system. It helps to form our body’s first line of defence against colds, viruses and other infections that are common in the colder months.
Sweet potatoes can be used wherever you would use regular potatoes – mashed, roasted or steamed – and contain more beneficial nutrients than their paler cousins. Roasted carrots add a naturally sweet element to other vegetables or a roast.
These roasted pumpkin and tofu curry, aduki bean salad and Mediterranean style zucchini slice all boast the benefits of these wonderful vegies.
Start your dinner with soup
Having a small bowl of vegie soup before your main meal is a great way to boost your daily vegetable intake. It can also help to manage potential winter weight gain, by reducing the amount of food you eat in the meal overall.
Here is a basic recipe to follow: sauté some garlic and onion or leek, add all your favourite soup vegetables and a good stock, simmer until done. Serve with an optional dollop of pesto.
Soups can also form the whole meal and make excellent leftovers for lunch. This cauliflower and cannellini bean soup is a delicious and extremely quick meal to prepare, especially suited for the winter months when cauliflower is in season. Some other favourite combinations are lentil, barley and vegetable, chicken and vegetable, and lamb shanks and vegetable.
For soups that take a little longer to make, cook a big batch and freeze in easy-portioned sizes for the weeks ahead.
Don’t skip the protein
A key nutrient to pay attention to during winter is zinc. This mineral helps our immune system to recognise and destroy invading bacteria and viruses, so being low in zinc can make you more likely to pick up winter bugs.
Protein foods are the best sources of zinc.
Always include a fist-sized portion of protein at every meal. Animal sources of protein are meats, eggs, fish and dairy. Lower amounts are found in vegetable sources such as pulses/legumes; for example beans, chickpeas and lentils, as well as seeds and nuts.
The zinc in these vegetable sources is more available if they are sprouted, so soaking overnight in water starts this sprouting process.
Find out more about healthy eating and access more recipes and quick tips by visiting the Jean Hailes Kitchen.
Published with the permission of Jean Hailes for Women’s Health
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