Hey there, viewers! What do you picture when you hear the word “winter”? Low temperatures,
blizzards, dry skin, chapped lips and hot, comforting meals.
In today’s video, we’ll talk about 17 winter foods that are highly nutritious and
easily available. Should you eat beetroots? What about winter squash? Wait... is golden
milk on our list? We'll be discussing all of these AND more…
Pomegranates
We know, taking the seeds out of a pomegranate is quite a task, but it’s worth all the
nutrients it provides. The vibrant red pomegranate is a powerhouse of wonderful health benefits!
To start, pomegranate is loaded with nutrients like vitamin C and K, folate, potassium and
fiber. You’ll be excited to know that pomegranate juice contains a substance called punicalagin
(pew-nuh-kal-uh-jinn), which is a powerful antioxidant. It helps when you’re fighting
free radicals and protects you from chronic diseases like cancer. Surprisingly, pomegranate
juice has three times more antioxidant activity than green tea and red wine. So, drink some
pomegranate juice regularly! Remember to prepare it fresh and avoid packaged juices, as they’re
full of added sugars.
For those with arthritis, especially elderly people, joint pain becomes worse in winter.
Guess what, pomegranate might help relieve this pain as it has anti-inflammatory effects.
Pomegranate is effective in blocking the enzyme that causes damage to joints and as a result
reduces pain.
Additionally, pomegranate helps improve memory and exercise performance, fights bacterial
and fungal infections. It helps to lower blood pressure and decreases the risk of heart disease.
You can eat pomegranate seeds on their own, add them to your smoothies, and sprinkle them
on your salads. You can even add pomegranate juice to cranberry sauce for your turkey!
Do you enjoy eating pomegranates? Sound off in the comment section below, and start a
conversation with our Bestie community...
Apples
Apples are usually available in early winter and offer a bunch of nutrients! They’re
rich in all kinds of nutrients, especially polyphenols which help lower your blood pressure,
blood sugar and weight.
Winter can be a dangerous time for people with asthma. Cold weather is a common trigger.
So, for people with asthma, it’s even more important to eat apples, as they’re loaded
with antioxidants and provide protection to your lungs from oxidative damage. Remember
to eat apples with their skin! Apple skin contains quercetin which helps control your
immune system and decreases inflammation.
Just eat apples as a snack, top them on your oatmeal, or make applesauce. Eating apples
will help keep you out of the doctor's office this winter!
Citrus fruit
Winter brings the cold and flu season with it. Citrus fruits are not only a source of
fresh flavor, but also a weapon against illness. Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit, and
are loaded with3, which boosts your immunity and helps ward off flu.
Consuming whole citrus is even better, as they provide fiber which helps digestion.
You can eat whole oranges as a snack, make fresh juice, add grapefruit to your salad,
make hot lemon tea, or add some lemon juice to your recipes. We know, during the pandemic,
you may be taking vitamin C supplements. Start eating fresh citrus fruit instead!
Avocado
There’s no denying that avocado is extremely healthy! Being packed with omega-3’s, potassium,
magnesium, folate and vitamins, avocados help maintain your heart health and prevent cancer.
Gloomy winter days make you feel low. We tend to get the ‘winter blues’ or even feel
depressed in some cases. Avocados can be beneficial here! They’re rich in folate, which helps
to combat depression and regulates your mood as well as sleep.
Make your go-to avocado toast and guacamole, or try something different like avocado salad,
or spicy avocado egg and three cheese quesadillas.
Carrots
You may have heard carrots are great for your eyesight. This is true! Carrots are rich in
beta-carotene, which your body uses to produce the vitamin A that improves your vision. They
help prevent cancer and promote immunity and bone health. Also, carrots offer fiber, which
supports your digestive health.
You can eat carrots raw, make juice out of them or ferment them in the form of pickles.
You can even try some other interesting recipes like roasted carrots with cumin yogurt, roasted
carrot soup, or pan roasted chicken with carrots and almonds.
Beetroot
Just like carrots, bright red beetroot is also a staple in the winter season. Not only
do they add a pop of color to your plate, but also provide stunning health benefits!
Beetroot is packed with folate, manganese, copper, potassium, magnesium and vitamins.
Being rich in folate, beets play an important role in growth and development. This root
vegetable helps manage your blood pressure and improve your digestive health.
Beetroot also contains nitrates which improve your brain health. If you’re an athlete,
you should definitely try them. As beets contain nitrates, they enhance physical performance
and endurance.
You can eat beetroot raw after removing its skin. Many of you won’t like the strong
aroma of beetroot. You can add beet with your carrot juice, salad or soup. Some other amazing
recipes to try with beetroot are roasted beet pasta with dill and lemon, baked rosemary,
beet chips or beet-strawberry and chia pudding.
Parsnips
This root vegetable is not only delicious, but also offers a bunch of nutrients. Parsnips
are rich in vitamin C, K and E, folate, magnesium, zinc, thiamine, phosphorus and fiber. They
have antioxidants that protect from chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Being rich in vitamin C, parsnips enhance your immune function and protect against infections.
This root vegetable is also high in fiber which promotes digestion and allows for weight
loss.
You can make a parsnip soup, roast them, or add them to your stir fry!
Cabbage
You’ll see a variety of cabbage at your local farmers market this winter. Despite
being loaded with nutrients, it's often overlooked! Most importantly, cabbage is an excellent
source of vitamin K, which plays a role in blood clotting, which decreases bleeding after
an injury. This leafy vegetable is high in vitamin C, folate, magnesium, manganese, calcium
and potassium.
Cabbage helps build immunity, improve digestion, and strengthen the heart. Red cabbage contains
compounds called anthocyanins, which give it a vibrant purple color. Consumption of
anthocyanin-rich foods is linked with reduced risk of heart disease. You need different
colored veggies in your diet as each pigment provides some health benefits.
Cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked. Add them to your salads, soups, noodles or stir-fry.
You can even try korean dishes like kimchi, or spicy korean coleslaw!
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Kale
Another leafy vegetable you need to eat during winter is kale! It’s full of nutrients like
manganese, potassium, magnesium, calcium and vitamins. Hold on, there’s more! Kale is
also high in antioxidants like quercetin and kaempferol (camp-fer-all), which reduces oxidative
damage, blood-pressure and inflammation.
Just like cabbage, kale is also a great source of vitamin K. It offers a range of minerals
like calcium, oxalate, magnesium and potassium. Without a doubt, kale is truly a winter superfood!
Try adding more kale into your diet this winter. Throw some kale leaves into your smoothies,
add them to your stir-fry, place them into your sandwich, or make kale chips.
Broccoli
This green vegetable is loaded with nutrients like folate, potassium, phosphorus, selenium,
and vitamins. Broccoli is a powerhouse of antioxidants, which offer multiple health
benefits like reduced cholesterol, blood sugar and chronic disease. The antioxidants, vitamins
and minerals offered by broccoli help your skin survive harsh winter. The bioactive compounds
in broccoli also protect skin from sun damage.
Broccoli supports your oral health, promotes healthy bones and supports a healthy pregnancy
due to its high folate. There are many ways to add broccoli to your diet. Steam, boil,
saute or blend broccoli into a soup.
Leeks
This cousin of onion and shallots has a mild taste, but is dense in nutrients. Leeks are
particularly high in beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in your body.
Vitamin A is important for vision, immune function and reproduction. Leeks are loaded
with dietary fiber, which improves digestion. It also contains certain compounds such as
pentanol, which decreases the risk of intestinal cancer. Leeks also have liver-protective and
anti-diabetic effects.
Leeks can be eaten raw or roasted. Add them to your salads, tacos, soups or potatoes.
Fennel
Fennel bulbs and seeds not only add flavor to your dishes, but also provide impressive
health benefits. Fennel is packed with calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and vitamin C.
Because of fennel's antibacterial nature, it can protect you from several seasonal infections.
Fennel lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which reduce the risk of heart disease.
Additionally, it also helps to reduce age-related memory decline.
You can add fennel seeds to your stir-frys, vegetable or meat stock. Fennel tea can be
prepared by pouring hot water over crushed fennel seeds and adding honey.
Before we continue, would you like to learn more about fennel water? Check out our video
on what drinking fennel water every day does to your body! Now back to our discussion on
winter foods... Brussel sprouts
The mini, cabbage-like heads of brussel sprouts hold a bunch of nutrients. They provide folate,
manganese and vitamin K. Brussel sprouts help maintain healthy blood sugar levels and prevent
cancer. They contain omega-3 fatty acids that decrease your blood triglyceride levels and
slow down cognitive decline.
Brussel sprouts are often enjoyed as side dishes. Roast, saute, boil or bake them. You
can even add these sprouts to pastas and stir-frys.
Ginger
This aromatic spice can be your best friend this winter season! Ginger helps to keep your
body warm, relieves congestion, and fights cold and flu. Ginger contains a compound called
gingerol which comes with medicinal properties. This compound has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
properties, which decrease oxidative stress in your body. Ginger has antibacterial properties,
which help to keep infections at bay.
During winter, we usually eat heavy meals and enjoy creamy soups. All this can take
a toll on our digestive system. Well don’t worry! Ginger helps boost your digestion and
soothes the walls of your gastrointestinal tract.
To reap the benefits of ginger, grate some into your stir-fry, add it to your pastas
or enjoy some lemon-ginger tea.
Winter squash
Winter squash is full of nutrients like calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and vitamins.
It offers a wide range of health benefits. Being rich in vitamin C, it helps boost your
immunity. Winter squash can help maintain healthy hair and skin. Thanks to its vitamin
A content, it also helps to prevent asthma, boost digestion and lower blood pressure.
Winter squash is easy to add to your diet. Add it to a vegetable soup or serve them mashed
as a substitute for potatoes. You can even prepare winter squash lasagna or risotto.
Dry fruits
Dry fruits are available all year round, but with less mercury, it becomes even more important
to eat them in winter. They help to warm you up. Dates and nuts like almonds, walnuts and
peanuts raise the heat in your body. Dried fruits like figs, peaches and pears supply
vitamin C, which strengthens your immune system, and fights off cold and flu.
Dry fruits also provide antioxidants. They help you get glowing, supple skin through
natural oils which prevent dryness. Apricots help your body retain moisture, and raisins
help flush out toxins from your body. Walnuts contain vitamin B, which prevents wrinkling
and omega-3 fatty acids.
Hold on, there’s more! Dry fruit also boosts your energy levels and improve your brain
health. So always remember to eat dry fruits regularly this winter!
Golden milk
You may have heard a lot about golden milk recently. It’s all thanks to the pandemic!
Golden milk, or turmeric milk, is a staple winter drink in India. It doesn’t just keep
your body warm, but also provides a plethora of benefits. Most importantly, it protects
you from flu and even speeds up the recovery process. Thanks to the compound curcumin,
it’s anti-inflammatory in nature, and shields you from the common cold.
Golden milk is great for your digestive health as it treats bloating and indigestion. This
drink is beneficial for diabetics as it decreases the inflammatory cytokines and regulates blood
glucose levels.
You should drink golden milk particularly before bed time. Drinking a cup of warm golden
milk helps you get a good night’s sleep, and heals your body. To prepare golden milk
you need a cup of milk, ¼ tsp of turmeric powder, ¼ tsp of black pepper powder, 1 tablespoon
jaggery powder and 1 serving of cinnamon. Add milk to a pot along with cinnamon and
jaggery powder. Mix and boil. Add turmeric and black pepper powder, mix and simmer for
2 minutes on low flame. Strain and enjoy your hot, comforting golden milk!
Winter usually brings the flu season. Would you like to learn about foods you can eat
when you’re ill? Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple more videos, shall we?
Check out 9 foods you need to eat when you’re sick. Or how about 8 foods that help your
body heal?
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about the foods that
help with healing! Did you know about these winter superfoods? Let us know in the comments
below!
you'll see a variety of cabbage at your local farmer's market this winter despite being
loaded with nutrients it's often overcooked most importantly cabbage is an excellent source
of vitamin k which plays a role in blood clotting which decreases bleeding after an injury this
leafy vegetable is high in vitamin c folate magnesium manganese calcium and potassium
cabbage helps build immunity improve digestion and strengthen the heart red cabbage contains
compounds called anthocyanins which give it a vibrant purple color consumption of anthocyanin-rich
foods is linked with reduced risk of heart disease you need different colored veggies
in your diet as each pigment provides some health benefits cabbage can be eaten raw or
cooked add them to your salad soups noodles or stir-fry you can even try korean dishes
like kimchi or spicy korean coleslaw number nine kale another leafy vegetable you need
to eat during winter is kale it's full of nutrients like manganese potassium magnesium
calcium and vitamins hold on there's more kale is also high in antioxidants like quercetin
and camphor all which reduces oxidative damage blood pressure and inflammation just like
cabbage kale is also a great source of vitamin k it offers a range of minerals like calcium
oxalate magnesium and potassium without a doubt kale is truly a winter superfood try
adding more kale into your diet this winter throw some kale leaves into your smoothie
add them to your stir fry place them into your sandwich or make kale chips number 10
broccoli this green vegetable is loaded with nutrients like folate potassium phosphorus
selenium and vitamins broccoli is a powerhouse of antioxidants which offer multiple health
benefits like reduced cholesterol blood sugar and chronic disease the antioxidants vitamins
and minerals offered by broccoli help your skin survive harsh winter the bioactive compounds
in broccoli also protect skin from sun damage broccoli supports your oral health promotes
healthy bones and supports a healthy pregnancy due to its high folate there are many ways
to add broccoli to your diet steam boil saute or blend broccoli into a soup number 11 leeks
this cousin of onion and shallots has a mild taste but is dense in nutrients leeks are
particularly high in beta-carotene which is converted into vitamin a in your body vitamin
a is important for vision immune function and reproduction leaks are loaded with dietary
fiber which improves digestion it also contains certain compounds such as pentanol which decreases
the risk of intestinal cancer leaks also have liver protective and anti-diabetic effects
leeks can be eaten raw roasted add them to your salads tacos soups or potatoes
number 12 fennel fennel bulbs and seeds not only add flavor to your dishes but also provide
impressive health benefits fennel is packed with calcium magnesium potassium iron and
vitamin c because of fennel's antibacterial nature it can protect you from several seasonal
infections fennel lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels which reduce the risk of
heart disease additionally it also helps to reduce age-related memory decline you can
add fennel seeds to your stir fries vegetable or meat stock fennel tea can be prepared by
pouring hot water over crushed fennel seeds and adding honey before we continue would
you like to learn more about fennel water check out our video on what drinking fennel
water every day does to your body now back to our discussion on winter foods number 13
brussels sprouts the mini cabbage-like heads of brussels sprouts hold a bunch of nutrients
they provide folate manganese and vitamin k brussels sprouts help maintain healthy blood
sugar levels and prevent cancer they contain omega-3 fatty acids that decrease your blood
triglyceride levels and slow down cognitive decline brussels sprouts are often enjoyed
as side dishes roast saute boil or bake them you can even add these sprouts to pastas and
stir fries
number 14 ginger this aromatic spice can be your best friend this winter season ginger
helps to keep your body warm relieves congestion and fights cold and flu ginger contains a
compound called gingerol which comes with medicinal properties this compound has anti-inflammatory
and antioxidant properties which decrease oxidative stress in your body ginger has antibacterial
properties which help keep infections at bay during winter we usually eat heavy meals and
enjoy creamy soups all of this can take a toll on our digestive system well don't worry
ginger helps boost your digestion and soothes the walls of your gastrointestinal tract to
reap the benefits of ginger grate some into your stir fry add it to your pastas and enjoy
some lemon ginger tea number 15 winter squash winter squash is full of nutrients like calcium
magnesium potassium phosphorus and vitamins it offers a wide range of health benefits
being rich in vitamin c it helps boost your immunity winter squash can help maintain healthy
hair and skin thanks to its vitamin a content it also helps to prevent asthma boost digestion
and lower blood pressure winter squash is easy to add to your diet add it to a vegetable
soup or serve them mashed as a substitute for potatoes you can even prepare winter squash
lasagna or risotto number 16 dry fruits dry fruits are available all year round but with
less mercury it becomes even more important to eat them in winter they help to warm you
up dates and nuts like almonds walnuts and peanuts raise the heat in your body dried
fruits like figs peaches and pears supply vitamin c which strengthens your immune system
and fights off cold and flu dry fruits also provide antioxidants they help you get glowing
supple skin through natural oils which prevent dryness apricots help your body retain moisture
and raisins help flush out toxins from your body walnuts contain vitamin b which prevents
wrinkling and omega-3 fatty acids hold on there's more dry fruit also boosts your energy
levels and improves your brain health so always remember to eat dry fruits regularly this
winter number 17 golden milk you may have heard a lot about golden milk recently it's
all thanks to the pandemic golden milk or tumeric milk is a staple winter drink in india
doesn't just keep your body warm it also provides a plethora of benefits most importantly it
protects you from flu and even speeds up the recovery process thanks to a compound called
curcumin it's anti-inflammatory in nature and shields you from the common cold golden
milk is great for your digestive health as it treats bloating and indigestion this drink
is beneficial for diabetes as it decreases the inflammatory cytokines and regulates blood
glucose levels you should drink golden milk particularly before bedtime drinking a cup
of warm golden milk helps you get a good night's sleep and heals your body to prepare golden
milk you need a cup of milk 1 4 teaspoon of turmeric powder 1 4 teaspoon of black pepper
powder 1 teaspoon jaggery powder and 1 serving of cinnamon add the milk to a pot along with
cinnamon and jaggery powder mix and boil add turmeric and black pepper powder mix and simmer
for 2 minutes on low flame strain and enjoy your hot comforting golden milk winter usually
brings the flu season would you like to learn about foods you can eat when you're ill let's
keep the conversation going with a couple more videos shall we check out 9 foods you
need to eat when you're sick or how about 8 foods that help your body heal go ahead
click one everybody out watch both and learn more about the foods that help with healing
did you know about these winter superfoods let us know in the comments below