Paige Harris The winter season brings cold weather and carby comfort foods, but that doesn’t mean that you should leave out all of your veggies until spring! Read on to discover 3 ways to keep vegetables in your diet during these cold months.
Eat for the Season
Everyone loves eating seasonal fruits and vegetables in the summer, but it can be a challenge to continue that habit as the weather gets colder. Luckily, not every vegetable gets scared away by the frost!
Kale is a cruciferous vegetable that actually prefers cold weather. Believe it or not, a lot of people believe that the flavor of it improves when it’s kissed by the frost! It’s packed full of fiber, antioxidants, and iron, as well as vitamins A, C, and K.
Brussels sprouts are another cruciferous veggie that likes it cold. These little cabbages grow on stalks that can withstand the windchill and keep on thriving. They’re especially delicious if you fry them up in some grass-fed butter and toss some bacon bits in for good measure!
Carrots harvested in cold conditions convert their stored starches into sugars to keep the water in their cells from freezing. This makes the root vegetable taste even more delicious, so much so that they get the nickname “candy carrots!” I especially love them because they pair so well with both savory (think soups) and sweet (think cake) flavor profiles!
Parsnips are another root vegetable that took me a long time to discover, but now I’m hooked! They’re especially high in soluble fiber, which is great for keeping your blood sugar steady between meals. If you’re looking for a way to try them out, I highly recommend you whip up a batch of my Maple Dijon Roasted Root Veggies.
Cook Them Up
While I love a good mixing bowl-size salad, something about the cold weather really puts me off of them. I mean really, who wants a giant bowl of cold vegetables while watching the snow fall outside?
At the same time, I can only eat so many soups or stews before I just get tired of burning the roof of my mouth every time I go to eat.
The solution? Roast those babies! I’ve found through a lot of trial (and not a lot of error) that most vegetables can taste great when roasted. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
- Fill up a pan with sliced peppers and onions and roast with avocado oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Use them as your own simple fajita veggies in tacos or mixed in with some shredded chicken.
- Roast chopped onions, carrots, and celery with some ghee, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Trader Joe’s Umami seasoning. They’re a great side to have with a deliciously seared pork chop.
- Make Christina Rice’s famous celery fries. I recommend covering them in smoked paprika. Strangely addicting, very delicious!
- Make a veggie-packed casserole, like my Supreme Pizza Casserole, and you won’t even realize half of the veggies you’re getting in!
Head to the Frozen Section
A lot of the time people assume that fresh vegetables are “better” for you, but that’s just not true. Frozen veggies are usually picked at their peak ripeness, when the nutritional content is at its highest!
Want to know the trick to making steamable ones taste delicious? Don’t overcook them! If the package recommends microwaving for 5 minutes, start with 3 and work your way up from there. Nobody likes veggies when they’re mushy and gross. This way you can have them crisp and delicious!
I always try to keep a few varieties in my freezer for last-minute throw together meals. My favorites are definitely green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, and a stir-fry medley that has green beans, sugar snap peas, broccoli, water chestnuts, carrots, celery, onions, and red peppers.
Use any or all of these strategies to keep your vegetable intake high this winter!
