Winter doesn’t need to be an unhealthy time for you and your family or treated as an excuse to eat fatty, stodgy foods that more often than not make you feel tired and bloated. Take inspiration from these 4 winter foods that will heat everyone up and fill your family with the nutrients they tend to lack in these dark and cold winter days.
Hearty Soup
Soups aren’t just a good way to heat up on a cold winter day (albeit, that’s one good reason for eating it), they are also great for helping to control you and your family’s weight throughout the winters and boost immune systems in these harsh months.
Be careful of which type of soup you go for as canned soups might be cheap and easy but can be high in salt and low in vitamins. Instead, think about introducing your family’s five a day in a hearty, winter soup filled with vegetables like carrots to fight off infections or perhaps a homemade tomato soup, which acts as a great anti-oxidant and is a much loved family favourite throughout the UK.
Hearty winter soups are great to take to work (and they can help you stay healthy during cold and flu season at the office). They’re also very convenient to have simply as a light dinner in the evening.
Oatmeal
Start your family’s day right with a simple and well-balanced breakfast like a warm bowl of oatmeal in the morning...
...Ok so it might look a little uninspiring to begin with but consider blending it together with fresh fruit for a nutritious smoothie or cooked with warm, low-fat milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon to spice it up.
Oatmeal is a cheap and easy way to make sure your family stays healthy, lowering cholesterol and weight and ensuring that everyone gets a source of iron, magnesium and B vitamins in their first meal of the day.
Potatoes
Potatoes often get a bad reputation for falling under that unhealthy white starch category alongside tummy filling foods such as white rice. In fact they are a whole food that contains several beneficial nutrients.
Something you might not know about potatoes is that they’re great for your immune system – warning off those nasty winter colds and flu. Potatoes contain high levels of vitamin C, giving you 25% of your daily intake.
They also count as a good source of folate – perfect for women who are pregnant as this essential nutrient is said to play an important part in the development of the spinal cord and brain.
Winter squash
Winter squash such as butternut and pumpkin are often foods that you might not consider including in your weekly shopping list but they are fantastic winter foods and can be a tasty ingredient to use for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
You often find that in winter, people are more inclined to eating fatty foods as a source of comfort from the gusty winds outside but have you ever considered making your favourite winter warmers with something like a winter squash?
The great thing about a winter squash is that it’s low in fat, delivers an ample dose of your dietary fibre and provides significant amounts of potassium, perfect for growing bones and maintaining old bones too!
Why not try a butternut squash stew, replacing fatty red meats such as beef for a delicious and sweet alternative?
These easy-to-make and delicious winter foods are great to keep your family healthy and give them warm, comforting meals to look forward to after a long day facing the infamous British weather.
What is your favourite family food for Winter?
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