by Karen Alexander, Sunshima guest blog writer
Winter has well and truly arrived and with our change of wardrobe into chunky jumpers and warm coats, also comes a change in diet from salads and barbeques to warming stews and soups. Here is how you can eat healthy during the cold winter months and as this season also brings seasonal coughs and colds, eating heathy will not only strengthen your immune system but will also help you recover quicker.
Healthy Breakfasts
Starting the day with a warm bowl of porridge made with semi skimmed milk and fruit such as sliced bananas and berries instead of sugar will give you energy, make you feel fuller for longer and less likely to hit the biscuits around 10.00am. Or if you aren’t keen on porridge, you can try no added sugar muesli with fresh fruit. I like to add slightly warm semi skimmed milk to mine in the winter. You still get the benefits of oats and the fruit will count towards your 5 a day.
The Joy of Soups
Soups are an easy way to pack loads of vegetables and taste into one convenient meal. You can customise them to your taste, adding spices such as cumin and chilli which will help to warm the body. And of course winter vegetables such as parsnips, swede and turnips can be chopped or mixed in a blender to provide much needed vitamins, minerals and fibre. This is also a great way to try vegetables you would not normally eat. Soups can be prepared beforehand and simply heated when needed.
Warming Stews
There really is nothing better than homemade stew in the Winter. Stews are warming, full of nutrients and delicious. A tasty way to get some of your 5 a day, simply add vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and celery, include pulses such as lentils, add stock, herbs and spices, and then leave to cook on a low heat for a few hours. You can choose the vegetarian route or add meat, and slow cooking is ideal for cheaper tougher cuts. And if you have a slow cooker, you can place everything in the cooker in the morning and leave to cook all day, ready for dinner in the evening. Why not make enough for 2 meals and freeze the extra for another day, this will save time and energy.
Other tips
Stay hydrated – It is still important to stay hydrated in the winter months and drinking something hot such as herbal teas warms the body and just like water is calorie free.
Try not to comfort eat – Instead of a sweet treat, eat fruit. Fruit can be eaten fresh or stewed. Frozen fruit can be added to a low fat milk smoothie. Have mixed nuts instead of crisps, they are filling and portable should hunger strike while you are out and about.
Drink more milk – NHS UK recommends milk and diary products such as cheese, yogurt and fromage frais as great sources of protein, vitamins A, B12 and calcium to help your immune system. Opt for semi-skimmed, 1% or skimmed milk and low-fat plain yoghurts. Also calcium-fortified unsweetened dairy alternatives like soya milks, soya yoghurts and soya cheeses count as part of this food group.
With some preparation, eating healthy in the winter can be achieved, and with soups and stews being easy to freeze, you have more time to be with family, go for a brisk winter walk or catch up on that box set.