6 Tips for Healthy Eating This Winter
Some of us find it so much easier to experiment with foods in warmer weather. The days feel longer, so we think we have more time to prepare, cook and enjoy our meals. In addition, smoothies are refreshing, and salads are hydrating. But in the winter, we naturally opt for comfort foods and sometimes, they perhaps don’t contain as many healthful foods as they should.
We’re here to share why winter can also be a season where we experiment with our food and hit our daily nutrition goals. Here are our top 6 tips for eating well this winter.
Boost your Mash
We can’t be the only ones who loves mash in the winter. Pop some root roots like carrot and swede in with your mash and you’ve got an extra few veggies in your dish. You can even add some kale in the last couple of minutes of boiling too. As it’s abundant in the colder months you may find kale is your new secret weapon in getting the kids to eat their greens.
If you’re a fan of gravy, then add in some mushrooms and onions when you’re cooking to fill up on those prebiotic compounds too.
Prepare for The Worst
Cold and flu season is in full swing and some of us lose our appetites when we’re feeling under the weather. But, more often than not, if someone brings us over some food, we’ll savour every last mouthful. This can be more to do with the effort required to cook as opposed to appetite in its full sense, so remove the effort of cooking whilst feeling under the weather. Over a couple of weeks, make up some additional portions when you’re cooking your existing meals and freeze them. Then, if you’re unlucky enough to get hit with the lurgy, you’ve got some hearty meals ready and waiting.
Avoid Comfort Eating
There’s a difference between comforting foods and comfort eating. Longer nights can mean we’re more likely to snack but be prepared and consider some better snacking options – a mug of warm soup, some toasted nuts and seeds or even some homemade popcorn.
Shop Online
If we’ve gotten home after work to sort the kids and dogs out, it can feel a chore heading back out to do the supermarket shop, so consider online shopping in the colder weather. You can plan meals and search for exactly what you want. This way you avoid unnecessary spending and grabbing easy-to-cook convenience foods because let’s face it, a supermarket isn’t the venue everyone wants to spend their cold winter evening.
Fill your Freezer
Instead of having convenience foods in the freezer, fill it with frozen fruit and veg. You can add bags of veg to stock for a hearty soup, or a quick stir fry if you’re short on time! Frozen berries are a great addition to your morning porridge too!
Batch Cook
Whilst we may spend our weekends in the summer tidying the garden, come winter, some of us naturally spend more time indoors. Fire up your slow cooker on a Sunday morning and batch cook a curry or chilli. Fill it with veggies and warming spices. Portion it out once cooked, and freeze. You’ve got some lunches ready to go, or a quick and easy dinner if you’re running late from work.
You can do the same with your breakfasts too! Check out our breakfast muffin recipe – batch cook for the week and you’ve got breakfast in the bag!
Some of us worry that we’ll fall off track with our goals during the winter, but perhaps we’ve just not yet learned habits that will set us up to succeed?
How are you keeping well this winter? Let us know!