4 Must Eat Foods For Healthy Winter

During the winter months, it can be hard to maintain healthy eating and exercise habits. However, for those of you that are really serious about finding ways to stay healthy during the winter months, with a little creative thinking, you will be able to stay on track more easily. Below I have listed some foods that are very healthy for the human body, and can be incorporated into popular winter dishes that will make the dish more nutritious, and enhancing the flavor of the dish at the same time.

1. Cabbage

One way to enjoy cabbage is to add it as an ingredient to various types of soups and salads. Potato-Cabbage soup, a hearty soup that combines two favorites–potatoes and cabbage. A popular Irish dish, it is easy to make and sure to please everyone at the table.

For all you burger lovers, the Buffalo Burger with Red Cabbage Slaw is going to knock your socks off! These delicious burgers really add on the flavor with pickled okra, Russian dressing, Dijon mustard, and a sweet red cabbage slaw. Topped off with Gruyere cheese, this burger will want you coming back for more and more!

Those who are looking to get even more creative and who enjoy seafood, there is the Baja Fish Taco. Very quick to make, its flavor comes from mahi mahi, lime juice, cilantro, and green cabbage. It is a healthier alternative to beef tacos, because fish and chicken tacos are lower in saturated fat, making these tacos healthier for your heart.

2. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a wonderful spice and adds delicious flavors to so many foods and drinks, including many winter beverages and foods. Here are a few delicious and healthy ways to enjoy cinnamon during the winter months:

A delicious topping for warm vanilla pudding. A dish that I personally love, it is added to sliced bananas that are placed on top of the pudding. Made with low- or non-fat vanilla pudding, it will be enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, and be low-calorie and healthy at the same time.

If you like apple cider, cinnamon is a great flavor additive to apple cider, especially when the apple cider is hot. Simply heat some apple cider in a mug or water pot, add some cinnamon sticks, let the sticks simmer for awhile (to get more flavor), and your guests will be very impressed.

3. Green leafy vegetables

I know there are many folks out there who dislike vegetables, and fortunately for them there are many dishes that will get them to include vegetables in their diet, but while enjoying them at the same time.

Sauteed Garlic & Greens. Made with a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 16 c Swiss chard (about 5 large bunches), red pepper flakes, salt, and 6 cloves of garlic, this is one excellent way to get your daily serving requirements of veggies, at the same time taking your taste buds for a little bit of fun.

Vegetable lasagna Oh, lasagna. One of my favorite Italian dishes. This lasagna, however, swaps the meat used in most lasagnas, with vegetables, making it healthier for you. This recipe I found for vegetable lasagna calls for 1 pound of kale, and also includes tomatoes and onions, so you are sure to get a healthy dose of veggies with this crowd pleaser.

4 Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is attractive in many ways; it is sweet, and it is healthy for us, too! It is packed with antioxidants that help free our bodies of harmful toxins. Many folks don’t like dark chocolate, however, because sugar content is reduced, making it not as sweet as some other types of chocolate. So to get the benefits of the chocolate without gagging, let’s get creative and come up with a few ideas that will make dark chocolate more appealing:

Make it into a chocolate spread. Melt some dark chocolate in a frying pan, or microwave the chocolate in a chocolate safe bowl, add honey or another natural sweetener for enhanced flavor, and melt it until it is about the same thickness as peanut butter. Then spread it over an English muffin or toast, and it will create a delicious and unique way to enjoy your breakfast.

Chocolate pancakes or waffles. If you like pancakes and waffles, why not add some chocolate? Simply add the melted chocolate to the batter, and cook the pancakes or waffles as you normally would. This is popular with kids also, so if you have a picky eater on your hands, this is a great way to get your child to eat a nutritious breakfast.