5 Easy Ways To Eat Healthier In Winter

Colder temperatures, less time outside, fewer daylight hours and layers of clothing, can make winter more nutritionally testing than other seasons. The temptation to hunker down indoors in front of the heater with a bowl of hearty comfort food and a glass of red is all too real.

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For some reason when winter rolls around we’re less inclined to eat healthy and more inclined to gravitate to higher-calorie foods (and bigger servings…). However, with some planning, you can still enjoy delicious meals with nutritional value containing foods that help boost the immune system too!

If you want to eat healthier this winter, read on for five easy tips and tricks…

Breakfast is a dish best served warm

Mornings are made more bearable when they’re warmer and what better way to kick the day off than with a heated breakfast? Start your day with a healthy slow-release breakfast, which will keep you full of energy until lunch. Oatmeal is a great nutrient-rich way to start your morning, try topping with nuts or seeds and some seasonal winter fruit like apples, pears cranberries or dates.

Porridge is a great breakfast choice as it keeps you fuller for longer / Freepik

Eat iron-rich foods – or take a supplement

Foods rich in iron not only boost the immune system but will keep you fuller for longer. Up your intake of red meats, lentils and green leafy vegetables or supplement with a natural iron supplement.

Indulge in fish, eggs and cheese

Fish such as salmon, as well as eggs and cheese, are a great source of vitamin B12. B vitamins have a direct impact on your energy levels, brain function and cell metabolism. Often the reason we crave comfort foods and bigger portion sizes in winter is because we’re tired. Vitamin B complex not only fights fatigue but also helps prevent infections and support cell health.

Look for root vegetables

The likes of carrots, turnips and beetroot are ideal winter veggies and they’re the perfect way to get your intake of beta-carotene; turnips are also great to boost your intake of vitamins A and C which are essential to fighting off the cold.

Root vegetables will help to keep you cold & flu-free in winter / Freepik

Stock up on soups

If you struggle with ways to incorporate vegetables into your everyday eating patterns, soup is a great way to get in your intake of veggies as they blend nicely into your meal and often you won’t notice that they’re there. Soup is a hearty and healthy dinner or reheated lunch on the go that requires little to no effort to make. They’re super filling, so you get the comfort and warmth factor, without over-eating.

Main image: Free People