Healthy Winter Food: Our Healthy Eating List for Winter

Eating seasonally and regionally - even in winter

Local fruits and vegetables are good for you and for the environment: short transportation distances, fresh produce, and therefore more nutrients. Seasonal and locally grown fruits and vegetables are only harvested when they are fully ripe and have reached their highest flavor intensity. Therefore, they clearly have more to offer, both in terms of taste and nutrient density. There are good reasons to opt for local fruits and vegetables, even in winter. And the selection of winter vegetables is quite impressive.

Winter vegetables: This vegetables are in season in winter

• Chicory

• Lamb's lettuce

• Kale

• Parsnips

• Brussels sprouts

• Beetroot

• Red cabbage

• Black salsify

• Rutabagas

• Jerusalem artichoke

• Savoy cabbage

Seasonal fruit: This fruit is in season in winter

While summer offers a wide variety of fruits, the selection is rather limited in winter. Only domestic fruits available are apples and pears. There are items available for purchase here. If you don't want to eat only apples, you should pay attention to sustainable cultivation areas and short transportation routes when buying tropical fruits. Frozen fruit is also a good choice.

Eating healthily in winter - the possibilities are vast

It doesn't always have to be heavy casseroles or greasy roasts. Our winter foods have a lot to offer and you can create some healthy dishes. Here are some of our favorite recipe ideas:

Cabbage vegetables

Winter time is cabbage time: From kale to red cabbage to Brussels sprouts - cabbage is the number one winter vegetable! However, many people stay away from it because they find it too bitter. But it's all a matter of preparation. With the right recipes and spices, cabbage tastes completely different and you benefit from its numerous health-promoting properties.

Recipe ideas with cabbage vegetables:

• Cabbage: as coleslaw, fermented as sauerkraut, or fried as a side vegetable, cabbage rolls with mushroom couscous filling.

• Red cabbage: bought as classic red cabbage, raw as red cabbage salad (with coconut chips), red cabbage soup, pancakes

• Kale: Kale chips, kale smoothie or juice, kale nut salad, kale and pumpkin quiche, kale soup, kale tabbouleh, kale pesto with hazelnuts.

• Brussels sprouts: from the oven, quiche, soup, ramen bowl, Brussels sprouts pan with cashews, Brussels sprouts mushroom lasagna, salad with apple and walnuts, Brussels sprouts skewers with coconut-mint dip, omelette, Brussels sprouts chicken with almond salsa

• Cauliflower: Cauliflower and parsnip soup, cauliflower and rice salad, cauliflower casserole topped with breadcrumbs, cauliflower and chicken curry, cauliflower fritters, cauliflower cake or quiche, cauliflower pizza.

Nuts

Nuts provide energy and numerous unsaturated fatty acids, which are particularly important for our brain and mental performance. Hazelnuts, chestnuts, and walnuts are also among the seasonal foods and their use in the kitchen is versatile:

Recipe ideas with nuts:

• Enhancing muesli and porridge

• Nuts also taste delicious in cakes and desserts.

• They go great (roasted) in salads and soups

• Nut butter, nut milk, nut oil

Tangerines and Oranges

The citrus fruits are particularly rich in vitamins and provide numerous antioxidants. Good reasons to enjoy these delicious fruits in winter. And they can be used in numerous recipe variations.

Recipe ideas with citrus fruits:

• Classic: enjoy fresh or as freshly squeezed juice

• You can also refine and top your muesli, porridge, or yogurt with them

• It can also be sweet: Coat the peeled fruit segments with dark chocolate

• Citrus fruits also go perfectly in salads: Mixed salad with tangerines or chicory-tangerine salad

• And of course, citrus fruits can also be used for baking, such as tangerine-quark cake.

Beetroot

Beetroot is one of the healthiest vegetables. Packed with iron, potassium, vitamin C, as well as B vitamins, proteins, and fiber. The red color of the tuber comes from the secondary plant substance betanin, which acts as an antioxidant that intercepts free radicals and thus protects the body from cell damage caused by oxidative stress.

Recipe ideas with beetroot:

• Beetroot tastes great in salads, such as in our Beetroot Salad

• Beetroot juice

• You can spread beetroot on a baking sheet and bake it with feta cheese, alternatively also together on a bun or on a tarte flambée.

• Craving a burger? How about burger patties based on beetroot.

• Beetroot also tastes great as a spread and dip.

• The perfect snack: Beetroot chips

• Do you like it sweet? How about a cake based on beetroot?

Spices

Cloves, Cinnamon, Anise, Cardamom - they are all the epitome of Christmas scents and they give every dish a wintery touch. But also Chili, Ginger, and Turmeric are the little superstars of our kitchen. They possess health-promoting properties

Recipe ideas for wintery spices:

• Anise Tea, Chai Tea, Coffee or warm milk with Cinnamon, Turmeric Latte, Punch, Ayurvedic Moon Milk

• Ginger, Chili, Turmeric enhance soups and stews

• For wintery pastries and bread: Cinnamon Stars, Baked Apple, Cinnamon Rolls, Fruit Bread, Gingerbread, Speculoos

Apples and Pears

Everyone knows the saying: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away!". The seasonal fruit is among the most popular fruits and it contains plenty of vitamins, trace elements, dietary fibers, and antioxidants. The ways of preparation are as varied as the numerous different varieties.

Recipe ideas with apples and pears:

• Enjoy fresh or refine muesli, yogurt, porridge with it.

• Apple pieces in salad provide an extra freshness kick

• You can also cover apple slices with dark chocolate

• Or how about processing them into compote and jam?

• Granny's beloved apple fritters are truly a classic.

• Baked pears or apples from the oven

• In the baking kitchen, apples and pears are versatile: cakes, crumbles, pancakes, strudel