Winter FRESH
Stay healthy with plenty of produce
With winter well and truly here, it’s more important than ever to get our five-plus servings of fruit and vegetables each day.
Ensuring we have enough vitamins and minerals in our diet is vital in boosting our immunity, reducing inflammation, lowering the risk of heart disease and cancer, as well as helping to
maintain a healthy weight.
Fruit and veges also contain fibre, which is great for gut health. While it might feel like the produce selection is a little dull at this time of year, there are plenty of ways to eat well with what’s in season. Opt for tasty choices like mandarins, apples, grapefruit, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower and kumara.
SOUP-ER HEROES
There’s nothing like a hearty bowl of soup to warm us up on a cold day and the good news is that we can load it with vegetables for a major boost of goodness. Kumara, carrots, parsnips, broccoli and cauliflower lend themselves perfectly to creating hot, creamy and nutritious soups packed with dietary fibre and vitamins.
GET YOUR DOSE
Vitamin C is essential for our immune systems, and broccoli, spinach, capsicum and kiwifruit are all bursting with it!
ORANGES & LEMONS
Citrus is at its best this time of year, so slice an orange for a snack, pop a mandarin in your child’s lunchbox and drink hot water with a slice of lemon for a healthier alternative to coffee.
’TIS THE SEASON
Try to familiarise yourself with what’s in season and choose accordingly. Not only is this good for our wallets – it’s also good for the environment when we opt for fresh, locally grown produce.
ROAST WITH THE MOST
Plan ahead by roasting a big tray of root vegetables that can be used in different ways over the following few days. A winter salad makes a wonderful packed lunch – add chopped herbs, feta and seeds to your roast veges, plus a handful of baby spinach or rocket. Or reheat your roasties in the evening for a quick dinner alongside some grilled meat or halloumi cheese.
BEAT THE BUGS
At this time of year we can come into contact with viruses that cause colds or even the dreaded flu. So it’s important that our immune systems function well and zinc contributes to this. Spinach and legumes such as lentils, chickpeas and kidney beans are good sources of zinc.