Winter Diet Essentials: Top Five Nutritious Options to Savor
Winter is here, and with it comes a change in our diets. Registered dietitian Beth Czerwony and psychologist Susan Albers advise winterizing your diet to maintain good health and boost your immune system.
Vitamin D, a nutrient essential during the winter months, can be found in various foods. Root vegetables like beets, carrots, and turnips, which are locally available during winter, are good sources of this vitamin. Sushi rolls lined with tuna or salmon are another surprising alternative, providing you with a dose of vitamin D. Other good sources include salmon, egg yolks, fortified cereals, milk, red meat, and even Shitake mushrooms.
Dr. Albers also recommends adding foods high in vitamin C to boost your immune system. Citrus fruits, oranges, mangoes, lemons, kiwis, broccoli, bell peppers, and strawberries are all rich in this vitamin. Broccoli and cauliflower, in particular, are high in vitamin C and are associated with enhanced immune function. Even frozen broccoli and cauliflower retain their nutritional value.
The winter weather can affect our energy levels, metabolism, and food preferences. To combat this, mindful, healthy eating choices are helpful for a stress-free lifestyle. For instance, pairing soup with a side of 100% whole-grain crackers adds grains to the meal. Oatmeal, rich in nutrients like zinc and soluble fiber, is essential during the winter. Old-fashioned oats are a healthier and more budget-friendly option compared to instant oatmeal.
When it comes to soups, recipes that call for chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water as the base are beneficial. Adding canned or dried beans or lentils to soup provides fat-free protein and fiber. Roasting carrots can boost beta-carotene, while boiling turnips provides vitamins C and A.
Sweet potatoes, beets, walnuts, and spicy roasted chickpeas are recommended as mood-boosting snacks. Psychologists and food experts were interviewed to provide advice on changing behaviour and taste in winter. They emphasised the importance of making small, consistent changes to one's diet to reap the benefits.
In conclusion, winter is a time to focus on nutrient-rich foods like vitamin D-rich and vitamin C-rich foods. By making mindful, healthy eating choices, we can maintain good health, boost our immune system, and even improve our mood during the colder months.
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