What to eat in winter? Healthy seasonal winter products
Local and imported fruits – an injection of vitamins in winter
The native Polish fruits available in winter are mainly apples and pears. They are worth eating all year round. To maintain a healthy diet, however, you don’t have to limit yourself to Polish seasonal fruits. Take advantage of winter for foreign citrus fruits (they are widely available and cheap at this time) and eat oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, pomelos, pineapples or kiwis.
While it may be tempting to squeeze citrus juices, it is better to eat these fruits whole, with all the membranes. In this form, they have a lower glycaemic index, provide much more fibre and more antioxidants. If you’re in the mood for a liquid meal, a smoothie (from blended fruits) will be healthier than juice.
Pickles – a winter treasure
Winter is the perfect time to take an interest in pickling. This traditional way of preserving the nutritional value of vegetables is experiencing a renaissance in popularity, but is still underestimated. Particularly in winter, it is worth consuming a portion of fermented products every day to support gut and microbiome health and strengthen immunity. It can include the classic sauerkraut and pickled cucumbers, but to add variety, you can also pickle cauliflower, beetroots, and even carrots, lemons or mushrooms. Oriental kimchi is also an excellent choice.
An interesting fact: although it is widely believed that pickles are a good source of vitamin C, they do not contain any more vitamin C than raw vegetables before pickling. Pickles are definitely worth eating, but not because of the alleged high content of this ingredient.
Read also: “Vitamin C – A Must Have in a Sports Diet. Where Can You Find the Most of It?”.
Winter vegetables – the basis of a healthy winter diet
A balanced, healthy winter diet can also be composed from very simple ingredients. Well known to all, but underestimated Polish vegetables are mainly root vegetables: beetroots, potatoes, celery, parsley, carrots, parsnips. They can be baked, boiled, added to soups or eaten as salads.
In winter, you should also remember to eat cabbage and Brussels sprouts. They are rich in minerals and vitamin C. With cabbage in your diet, you will easily meet the daily recommendations for the amount of vegetables on the menu. Cabbage is worth adding to soups and stir-fry dishes, stewing, or making wraps and casseroles with it. Both white and red cabbage are very healthy, but it is the darker one that is richer in priceless antioxidants.
You can read more about this in the article: “Cabbage...”
An interesting and native, but somewhat forgotten vegetable is also Jerusalem artichoke. It is a specific small tuber with a nutty aftertaste. It can overwinter in the ground, so sometimes it appears on sale even in the middle of winter. Jerusalem artichoke can be eaten raw or roasted for interesting flavour notes. It is an excellent source of iron – it has as much as 3.4 mg of it per 100 g, several times more than beetroots and spinach, for example.
Frozen foods – support for the winter menu
In winter, you don’t have to limit yourself to products that are available fresh on the shelves of vegetable stores and supermarkets. It is worth using frozen foods more often. Both those prepared on your own and those available in stores. Fruits and vegetables retain most of their nutrients when frozen. You don’t have to spend a fortune to eat, for example, healthy berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries) in winter. It is worth reaching for them in frozen form and adding them to oatmeal, yoghurt or smoothies.
Busy people will also appreciate the already chopped and frozen vegetable mixes, which can be used to prepare soups, skillet dishes or, for example, healthy Asian dishes.
Sprouts – greens at hand all year round
A narrow range of fruits and vegetables makes it harder to find quality greens in winter, such as for a sandwich, for a salad, or to sprinkle on the main course. Kale and frozen spinach, for example, are available.
To add variety during this period, it is definitely worthwhile to run home production of sprouts. It’s really simple. Place moistened cotton pads on a flat plate and sprinkle sprout seeds on them, or use a special sprouter. After a few days, you will get a dose of healthy, self-grown sprouts. Take advantage, for example, of watercress, radish sprouts, alfalfa, lentils or sunflower. These just-germinated vegetables provide an invaluable dose of minerals (iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium) and vitamins (B, A, C and K).
Healthy, balanced meals for winter from a dietitian
Omelette with kimchi
Kimchi in Poland is increasingly easy to get in stores, but many people don’t know what to do with this healthy Korean delicacy. In this version you will prepare a balanced and protein-filled breakfast omelette. Kimchi gives it character and improves its health properties.
Ingredients/1 serving:
- 2 eggs,
- a tablespoon of buttermilk,
- 10 ml of olive oil,
- a pinch of pepper,
- 120 g of kimchi or sauerkraut seasoned with chili,
- a handful of leaf parsley or coriander,
- 10 g of sesame (white or black),
- 2 slices of wholemeal rye bread (about 70 g).
Preparation:
- Crack the eggs and mix them with a fork. Add milk and a pinch of pepper, then stir again.
- Heat a dry frying pan, then pour in olive oil and heat it.
- Pour in the egg mixture and fry until the edges of the omelette are browned, then flip it over.
- Chop the kimchi into smaller pieces and layer them on the omelette.
- After 2 minutes, flip the omelette onto a plate. Serve with leaf parsley and sesame and bread.
Macronutrients:
- Energy: 416 kcal.
- Protein: 24 g.
- Fat: 18 g.
- Carbohydrates: 35 g.
Polish-style minestrone soup
Italian minestrone soup is a way to sneak plenty of vegetables into your menu. It satiates well and can provide dinner for several days for the whole family. You can easily adapt the recipe to your own requirements and preferences, but also to the current availability of ingredients. You can throw in extra pumpkin, zucchini, parsley root and even sauerkraut.
Ingredients/4 servings:
- 20 ml of olive oil,
- onion,
- 2 carrots,
- half a celery,
- 200 g of white cabbage,
- 2 stalks of celery,
- 3 cloves of garlic,
- a tin of tomatoes,
- 240 g of white cooked (or canned) beans,
- 150 g of frozen green beans,
- 1 l of vegetable stock,
- 180 g of barley groats,
- a handful of leaf parsley,
- spices: salt, pepper, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, chili flakes,
- 40 g of Parmesan cheese or yeast flakes.
Preparation:
- Cut vegetables (onions, carrots, cabbage, celeriac and celery) into regular cubes.
- Heat the olive oil in a pot. Add onions, carrots, celery and cabbage and sauté. Add salt and black pepper. Stew for about 5-10 more minutes until the vegetables soften.
- Add crushed garlic, tomatoes, cooked and frozen beans. Pour the stock over it.
- Add bay leaves, oregano and thyme. Boil for approx. 20 minutes.
- Add the groats and cook covered until softened (about 15 minutes).
- Alternatively, season the soup with salt and chili flakes.
- Serve with grated Parmesan cheese (or yeast flakes) and chopped leaf parsley.
Macronutrients:
- Energy: 392 kcal.
- Protein: 17 g.
- Fat: 9 g.
- Carbohydrates: 52 g.
Salmon with citrus and walnut sprinkle
This meal is a breath of fresh air on the winter menu, full of healthy fat and protein. It will be perfect for people with insulin resistance, for example.
Ingredients/2 servings:
- 300 g of salmon,
- 150 g of wild rice,
- 30 ml of olive oil,
- chili pepper,
- approx. 5 cm of ginger,
- 20 g of peanuts,
- 20 g of hazelnuts,
- 500 g of citrus (e.g. orange, 2 tangerines, grapefruit),
- 20 ml of balsamic vinegar,
- salt,
- a handful of leaf parsley or coriander.
Preparation:
- Brush the salmon with a tablespoon of olive oil and fry it on a grill pan.
- Cook the loose wild rice as stated on the package.
- Peel the citrus, clean off the white membranes and slice crosswise.
- In a dry frying pan, roast the nuts. Chop them into smaller pieces.
- Cut the chili into strips, cut the ginger into small cubes.
- In a saucepan, heat olive oil, add chili, ginger and nuts.
- Roast over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Season the nutty sprinkle with a few pinches of salt.
- Arrange citrus slices on plates, drizzle them with balsamic vinegar, and top them with grilled salmon. Add walnut sprinkle and serve with wild rice and leaf parsley or coriander.
Macronutrients:
- Energy: 877 kcal.
- Protein: 47 g.
- Fat: 35 g.
- Carbohydrates: 87 g.
Root vegetable fries, roasted chickpeas with spices and fit coleslaw
Ingredients/2 servings:
- celery root,
- 3 beetroots,
- 2 carrots,
- 2 parsley roots,
- 240 g of drained canned chickpeas,
- 30 ml of olive oil,
- spices: sweet paprika, salt, pepper, chili, turmeric, oregano, ginger, smoked paprika,
- 200 g of red cabbage,
- 100 g of grated carrots,
- 100 g of 0% fat Greek yoghurt,
- 50 g of vegan mayonnaise (it has fewer kcal than regular mayonnaise),
- a teaspoon of lemon juice,
- a teaspoon of Dijon mustard,
- a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup,
- seasonings for coleslaw: freshly ground pepper, salt.
Preparation:
- Peel the beetroots and celery. Cut root vegetables (celery, beetroots, carrots, parsley) into strips.
- Season olive oil with spices in any proportion. Coat the chickpeas in the seasoned olive oil and brush the rest on the vegetable strips.
- Lay the vegetable strips on a baking sheet lined with baking paper so that they do not touch one another. Spread the chickpeas, too.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 220 degrees for about 25 minutes, until the vegetables are browned and tender.
- Chop the cabbage and mix it with grated carrots.
- Mix yoghurt with mayonnaise, lemon juice, honey and mustard. Season with salt and pepper and pour the dressing over the coleslaw.
- Serve roasted vegetables and chickpeas with coleslaw.
Macronutrients:
- Energy: 643 kcal.
- Protein: 22 g.
- Fat: 30 g.
- Carbohydrates: 62 g.
Cocktails for a winter immunity boost
If, despite your efforts in winter, you have trouble consuming the recommended 400 (and preferred 800) grams of fruits and vegetables, opt for fruit and vegetable smoothies. Here are some compositions available in the winter that will provide minerals, vitamins and fibre, while tasting good. Perfect as a second breakfast to take away.
- 100 g of cooked beetroots + a handful of leaf parsley + a pear + 200 ml of soy beverage – 278 kcal, 14 g of protein.
- Orange + 50 g of spinach + 10 g of chia seeds + 200 ml of water – 153 kcal, 5 g of protein.
- Banana + 200 ml of milk + 10 g of cocoa + 50 g of kale – 253 kcal, 11 g of protein.
- Apple + 200 ml of almond drink + 50 g of spinach + 40 g of white canned beans + 5 g of cinnamon – 178 kcal, 6 g of protein.
- 200 g of pumpkin puree + a pinch of cloves + half a teaspoon of cinnamon + 200 ml of soy beverage + a handful of kale – 185 kcal, 14 g of protein.
Enjoy!