Ten Tips To Healthier Eating This Winter

1. Make use of Australia’s lovely seasonal winter fruits and vegetables such as rhubarb, avocado, parsnips, turnips, cabbage and cauliflower! All fruit and vegetables have a particular time of year when they are at their peak (though you wouldn’t necessarily know it because our supermarkets source from all over the world sometimes compromising on freshness). Eating according to the seasons is an important part of a healthy and sustainable diet: it has a host of benefits for your health, your hip pocket, the environment, and local business.

2. Take a cooking class! Choose a class that includes healthier options. New food ideas fuel healthy eating habits and inspire variety in your diet. What’s more, it’s a great way to spend a winter’s evening. Look up classes in your local area through local community TAFEs, colleges or the CAE. Found a good class? We’d love to hear about it! Email us!

3. Winter is not an excuse to hold down the couch! Find a personally satisfying way of exercising! Swim at your local indoor pool or take that class you’ve always wanted to take at an indoor fitness centre. To stay motivated, buy one excellent piece of fitness equipment (this doesn’t have to be expensive) such as a skipping rope, weights or fit ball and learn how to use it to maximize workouts indoors.

4. There’s a tendency to indulge in richer foods in winter so make small, healthy substitutions in typical winter recipes. For example, cauliflower and cheese is fine but use less cheese and butter and perhaps add some spices such as paprika to create more flavour to top your next cauliflower and cheese bake. Switch the sugar in your hot drinks to natural, low calorie sweeteners such as Natvia which is derived from the stevia plant.

5. You can still enjoy hearty meals in winter though make them a little healthier by using only lean meats in casseroles and packing your soups with vegetables and pulses such as lentils. Eat more broth-based soups like minestrone rather than cream laden soups.

6. Enjoy healthy winter deserts such as poached pears and apples, apple and berry crumbles (frozen berries are still packed with antioxidants!). Enjoy these with organic, natural yoghurt and add almonds or walnuts for added taste and texture. Why not use WBC as the CRUMBLE!?

7. Keep a good supply of chopped up fresh winter root vegetables in your fridge for snacking. Try carrots, radishes or snow peas with your favourite vegetable or a yoghurt-based dip (like Tzatziki or Hommous) next time you feel like a snack. Having the vegetables already cut and ready to eat in the fridge will make you more inclined to snack on these healthy delights.

8. Switch from sweetened hot chocolates to high quality herbal or green teas. These teas are healthy, flavoursome and satisfying. With the multitude of different varieties of teas now available, you’ll never get bored!

9. Don’t hibernate this winter and avoid the winter blues! Keep up with your social circle and stay motivated by exercising in groups. Organise a ski trip with your friends, entertain in front of a fire or meet your friends for a brisk walk and reward yourself with a warming herbal tea in your favourite café afterwards.

10. It’s easy to get de-hydrated in winter as we often don’t feel like drinking as much water as our body needs. Remember to drink 8 glasses of water a day. Keep a jug beside your desk at work. Try a glass of warm water in the morning if the thought of drinking a cold glass right from the tap doesn’t appeal in the winter months.