Healthy Eating Tips for the Cold months ahead

 

The winter months can prove a nutritional challenge for some of us. Huddling in front of the fire and television on a wet, windy night is the perfect opportunity for planning healthy nutritious meals that not only satisfy but provide nutritional benefits. With some planning, you can help boost the immune system through good food and exercise, and better your chances of avoiding winter bugs.

 

Here are eight top tips for winter:

 

1.    Eat plenty of fruit & vegetables. Top up your immune system by eating antioxidant-containing fruit and vegetables. Choose fruits and vegetables that are in season such as mandarin, apples, grapefruit, broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, cauliflower and potatoes. Make the most of frozen and canned fruits, which are readily available, and cheaper, at this time of year. Get your 5+a day by making at least one fruit or vegetable a part of every meal and snack.

 

2.    Make a casserole. With a casserole you are able to use economical cuts of meat (like chuck steak or chops) with slow cooking methods. Red meat is high in zinc and iron, two minerals which boost the immune system. Legumes (chickpeas, kidney beans and soy beans) are an excellent protein source, low fat, high fibre, low GI and economical. A casserole with meat, vegetables and a can of beans is a great way to boost your ability to fight disease, as well as being real comfort food.

 

3.    Enjoy soup. Soup doesn’t have to be complicated as there are many good soup mixes available to use as a base.  With lots of vegetables, some beans or lentils and maybe some meat, soup is the perfect food to build your immune system.  If you do succumb to winter bugs there may be some truth to the reputation of chicken soup’s restorative powers.

 

4.    Watch your portion sizes. It is very tempting to snack on unhealthy food, eat a large amount of treats, when you are indoors all evening. To avoid eating too much try to eat your meals at the table with the family, turn off the TV, use smaller plates, and reserve half your dinner plate for vegetables.

 

5.    Drink plenty. Even though the temperature outside is chilly, you still need to drink 8-10 glasses of fluid each day. This includes tea, coffee and water.

 

6.    Include garlic. Garlic is a great disease fighter as well as adding flavour to meals and food. Garlic will give the most benefit to your immune system when chopped and then left to stand for 10-15 minutes before adding to the pan. If garlic is cooked straight after it’s chopped you are not getting the full health benefit.

 

7.    Choose foods containing Vitamin D. Sometimes called the sunshine vitamin, it has been shown to help support the immune system. In winter when the weather is often bad and the angle of the sun is low it is possible many Northern Europeans are not getting enough Vitamin D from exposure to the sun. In this case food becomes the most important source of Vitamin D. Oily fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines are good sources of Vitamin D and there are also Vitamin D fortified milks and yoghurt available.

 

8.    Keep moving. Find an indoor sport or exercise class, rug up and brave the elements for a walk and arrange to meet a friend so that you have to turn up. Try increasing the amount of incidental exercise you do by taking the stairs instead of the lift or walk and talk instead of emailing a nearby colleague.

 

 

•  

Dark Chocolate

If you are struggling with your New Year resolutions why not try a little dark chocolate to ease the sweet cravings. Evidence is mounting that small quantities may be good for us, so try these ideas to enjoy chocolate without munching a whole bar…

 

•     Make a choccy chilli

It might seem odd to put chocolate in chilli con carne, but adding a few squares once the sauce is simmering will add depth to the spicy flavour.

 

•     Serve a fruity fondue

Finely chop a bar of dark chocolate into small chunks and put them in a pan with a carton of low-fat custard. Gently heat until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from the heat, allow it to cool slightly, then serve with a plate of chopped bananas, chunks of pineapple, mango and melon for everyone to dip into.

 

•     Satisfy sweet cereal cravings

You know chocolate-coated cereal is all wrong, but if you find it hard to resist, sprinkle a little grated chocolate over unsweetened muesli or wholegrain cereal – you’ll have the great taste for a fraction of the sugar.

 

•     Sip a dreamy hot choc

Add a splash of cold milk to good quality cocoa powder to make a paste, then stir into a mug of hot milk. This comforting concoction is full of goodness, as it combines antioxidant-rich cocoa with milk, which is a great source of protein, bone-building calcium and a variety of other vitamins and minerals.

 

•     Grate it over dessert

Create the impression of a chocolate-rich dessert by filling a meringue nest with low-fat Greek yogurt, fresh fruit and a grating of dark chocolate. Your taste buds won’t believe this dessert doesn’t have heaps of chocolate running all the way through it.

 

•     Jazz up your oats

For a subtle chocolate fix, add 1tsp good quality cocoa powder to your bowl of porridge in the morning. Top with sliced banana to get the first helping of your five-a-day.

 

•     Splash over a salad

Melt 25g dark chocolate with 100ml balsamic vinegar. Cool at room temperature, then drizzle over a spinach, walnut and goat’s cheese salad.

 

•     Chocolate-coated raisins

Melt a little dark chocolate, then stir in some raisins. Spread on to a piece of greaseproof paper and chill until the chocolate has set.