Nourish your body this winter

As winter rolls around, so do those coughs and colds. It’s important to eat healthy meals to help your body fight of common illnesses and feel good before the festive season.   

Get your 5-a-day 

This might seem obvious, but we often forget to eat enough fruit and vegetables when we crave warm, comforting food. In the UK, we have great seasonal vegetables full of vitamins and antioxidants.  Antioxidants are man-made or natural substances that may prevent or delay some types of cell damage.  

One of my favourite ways to enjoy greens throughout the winter is by adding vegetables like spinach, kale or leeks to a creamy pasta sauce. I find the Friendly Food Club recipe page super helpful because you can filter by cooking methods and diets.  

Don’t worry about using frozen fruit and vegetables. They can be more nutritious and are easy and affordable. 

Eat immune-boosting foods 

You can easily add ingredients that boost your health to your meals. Did you know that garlic, yes garlic, contains antioxidants with antibacterial properties?!  

Here are some other health foods: 

• ginger – reduces inflammation and has antioxidants 

• mushrooms – help strengthen your immune system  

• broccoli – has vitamins A, C & E, plus antioxidants, magnesium, zinc and iron 

• spinach – contains zinc and other nutrients  

• citrus fruits – are rich in vitamin C, which boosts your immune system 

• sweet potato – has beta-carotene (the stuff in carrots that’s good for your eyes) and vitamin C 

• green tea – has antioxidants that protect your body from harmful germs  

Try a healthy noodle dish that includes garlic, ginger, broccoli and mushrooms. Then wash it all down with a lovely cup of green tea.  

While food provides most vitamins, consider taking a vitamin D supplement in winter as we get less sunshine. Still, you should try and get outside as much as possible!  

The spice of life 

Spices add flavour to healthy food and have many health benefits. 

Turmeric, for example has lots of benefits and is proven to help prevent illnesses like heart disease. Cumin can help with weight management by increasing your metabolism (the way your body changes food into energy) and managing cholesterol levels. Research also suggests that cardamom powder ma

y help lower your resting blood pressure.  

Fermented food for gut health  

Your immune system is closely linked to your gut health. Fermented foods are high in probiotics, which keep your gut healthy by increasing good bacteria and fighting harmful cells.  

Fermented foods include: 

• live yogurt  

• kefir (fermented milk drink) 

• pickled vegetables like sauerkraut (raw cabbage that has been fermented) or kimchi (Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables) 

• miso soup (Japanese soup made by mixing miso paste into a broth) 

• Include these foods in your diet as much as possible.  

Try to eat snacks that have healthy fats 

To keep our bodies warm we might need more food than usual. It’s fine to treat yourself to your favourite foods, but it can be easy to get into the habit of overeating.  

Try to eat snacks that are high in healthy fats, like nuts, boiled eggs, Greek yogurt and a couple of squares of dark chocolate! This way you’ll stay fuller for longer and avoid those unhealthy snacks. 

Keep hydrated   

In winter, it’s easy to forget to drink enough water.  

Use this time to enjoy hot drinks and keep warm. Try herbal teas or putting lemon juice into freshly boiled water.  

If you like coffee, add spices like cinnamon, which reduces inflammation and improves memory, or nutmeg, which boosts mood. 

The NHS suggest drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day, so having a few healthy hot drinks each day can help you achieve this.  

I wish you all a healthy and happy winter, hopefully avoiding those pesky colds and flus by using these tips.  

Useful links:  

Eat well with LiveWell 

NHS eat well - information and guidance about eating a healthy, balanced diet 

NHS healthier families - ways to eat well and move more, for the whole family  

BBC healthy meals on a budget 

BBC Good Food cheap and healthy recipes 

Jamie Oliver’s healthy, budget friendly recipe ideas 

Tesco healthy on a budget recipes 

Riverford recipes – search by ingredient, season and dietary requirements   

British Heart Foundation 5 ways to stay healthy in winter 

Age UK how to keep warm and well in winter 

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