When it’s sub-zero outside, for some reason all I want to do is cuddle up and eat all the junk food. I blame it on human nature to hoard calories and hibernate when it’s cold and food is, theoretically, hard to come by. If I make it through the winter without putting on any weight, it’s a damned winter wonder. But, I’ve gotten better recently. Healthy eating in the summer is easy enough because of all the fresh fruit and produce, but it’s tough during the winter. Having some healthy winter recipes and some healthy winter eating tips on hand will come in handy!
Healthy Winter Eating Tip – Comfort Constraint
Winter coincides with some many opportunities to binge on comfort food. Big sporting events, holidays with family, and just the lazy Sunday where you don’t leave the house. It’s easy to put on a few extra LBs before you know it.
Try to limit your comfort food snacking to 1-2 days a week, and try to plan ahead for those days.
The goal is to avoid mindless comfort food snacking, but still not forego those special events that you enjoy. After all, you better believe I’m eating all the queso for the Super Bowl, but maybe I can say no to it on a random Wednesday night.
Healthy Winter Eating Tip – Flu Prep
Besides getting a flu shot (get your flu shot!) it’s a good idea to prep for the flu in your pantry as well.
Store an assortment of teas, stocks, noodles, vitamins, and maybe even ginger ale so you don’t have to run out to the store if someone in your house comes down with something.
Also, check out my Flu Fighter tea which isn’t FDA approved, but I swear by it!
Healthy Winter Eating Tip – Don’t Forget Frozen
Frozen veggies and fruit get a bad reputation, but frozen vegetables can actually have more nutrients than out-of-season veggies in some cases.
They should absolutely be a part of your meal plans and recipes in the cold months. You can make smoothies with frozen fruit and add frozen veggies to soups and stir-fries with very little quality downgrade.
Healthy Winter Eating Tip – Meal Variety!
It can be easy to get into a slog of recipes in the winter. How many cheese quesadillas have you eaten in one week? (I refuse to answer!)
Instead of overwhelming yourself with an influx of recipes, think about meal categories. Try to eat one salad meal, one soup meal, one grain bowl, etc. each week. That will keep your meals interesting and you’ll be forced to integrate a variety of ingredients.
I completely crave this salad some days. Kale is generally available even in the winter and when you mix it with crispy chickpeas and a homemade dressing, it’s pretty special! I can make a meal out of this salad.
This is one of those magical soups that tastes like it simmered away for hours, but it’s actually really fast to make. Soba noodles makes it a full meal in a bowl!
Okay, chowder is, like, super healthy. But salmon is great for you and has lots of nutrients in it. There are definitely worse meals you could eat on a chilly winter night!
Tempeh is probably my favorite soy-based food. It’s very easy to prepare and has more flavor and texture than tofu. This bowl is just an easy and delicious recipe. Must try!
This wouldn’t be one of my recipe round ups without a Tex-Mex recipe in it! Instead of the normal heavy tacos, make this salad! It has loads of crunchy veggies, marinated chicken, and homemade corn strips for extra crunch.
Creamy Kabocha Squash Noodles
These noodles have the texture of a super rich carbonara or macaroni and cheese, but it’s mostly pureed squash. Your secret is safe with me!
Easy Pesto Pasta with Sausage
I love this pasta dish so much in the winter. Browned sausage mixed with cherry tomatoes, arugula, and a light pesto pasta. A complete dinner!
What are your Healthy Winter Tips?
Have any special tricks or healthy winter recipes that you use in the cold months to keep the healthy eating going? Leave a comment!
A lot of delicious looking recipes. Would love to try one of them.