5 Foods to Boost your Nutrition this Winter
By Jessah Shaw, Adv Dip Nut Med
There’s a reason it’s recommended to buy what’s in season. Not only is it more affordable and tastier, but it also means you’re getting the highest concentration of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Here are the top 5 produce items to get this Winter and why:
1. Pumpkin
Pumpkin’s vibrant orange colour shows its high concentration of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that your body converts into vitamin A. Just one cup of cooked pumpkin supplies over 200% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A. It’s also high in fibre for optimising digestive health, stabilising blood sugar levels and promoting satiety. Roast some pumpkin with olive oil and spices as a tasty side dish, for a soup or in a salad.
2. Apples
Apples are high in polyphenols and pectin. Polyphenols acts as an antioxidant in the body by neutralising free radicals while pectin acts as a prebiotic in the body, which feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome. Ensure to eat the skin as the bulk of an apple’s antioxidants and fibre are in or just under the skin. Apples are delicious by themselves, grated into oats, baked into muffins, added to a raw vegetable juice or paired with a nut butter for a more balanced snack.
3. Sweet potatoes
Unlike white potatoes, sweet potatoes release sugar more slowly into the bloodstream, meaning they are a superior choice for sustained energy and steady blood sugar levels. Their deep orange colour indicates their high levels of antioxidant carotenoids, as well as vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin B6. They are also incredibly versatile and go well in soups, stews, roasted with spices, added to salads or made into a delicious sweet potato mash.
4. Avocado
Avocados are in season and cheap to buy from the supermarket. They are a nutritional powerhouse with benefits for the heart, digestive system, gut, mood and brain. The best way to check for ripeness is gently pressing the top near the stem. If you can push it down slightly, it’s ready to eat. Avocados are incredibly versatile and go well paired with a salad, protein, in a smoothie or spread on a slice of wholemeal bread or sourdough.
5. Beetroot
This purple vegetable is another nutritional powerhouse peaking in Autumn with benefits for the immune system, lowering blood pressure and increasing energy levels. It is best consumed raw as vitamin C is sensitive to heat, so we recommend grating into salads or consuming in a raw vegetable juice.
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