Take advantage of Existing Substances in Winter Vegetables
During winter nobody feels much like eating the 400g of fruit and veggies recommended by the World Health Organisation. But whether it be a warming bowl of vegetable soup, a bowl of creamy cauliflower cheese or perhaps a delicious carrot mash, cooking with winter veggies is easier than you think. And for those looking to stay slim and healthy, there’s nothing much better than a pile of steam winter veggies to match the bill.
Leafy green veggies for minerals and oligo-elements
While all veggies provide minerals and oligo-elements, many of them are more advanced than the others in this regard. Chicory for example , has plenty of potassium and magnesium and Swiss chard is endowed with calcium. Both of these veggies are easy to braise and go effectively with chicken.
Plus they both contain magnesium, famous for its “anti-tiredness” properties, so a bowl of vegetable soup accompanied by a chicory salad will boost you against winter infections and help you avoid any mineral deficiencies. And if you add some pulses to the vegetable mix, then you’ll be obtaining a blast of group B vitamins to improve your winter energy.
Recipe idea: Braised chicory with thyme
Carrots and pumpkin for protection over winter
To fight cell ageing and help your skin layer through the winter, don’t forget to get your dose of anti-oxidants such as provitamin A, and vitamins C and E. It’s as soon as to consume carrots and pumpkin, both especially abundant with beta-carotene.
Get an instantaneous boost of beta-carotene with a bowl of grated carrots, sprinkled with orange or lemon juice to optimise nutritional value. And did you know pumpkin has very few calories – 26 Cal for 100g – and is chockers with anti-oxidants, fiber, minerals and vitamins, especially Vitamin A. Just 100g will provide you with an impressive 246% of one's recommended daily intake of Vitamin A, great to look after your skin layer and mucous membranes.
Recipe idea: Carrot and parsnip puree with tarragon, Feta and pumpkin pastries
Cruciferous veggies for cancer protection
Cruciferous veggies are a powerful bunch of friends to possess around over winter. Broccoli, spinach and turnips are gorged with lutein, useful to help prevent age-related macular degeneration. And as well as cabbage, they are super foods to fight cancers of the digestive tract. Broccoli and cabbage contain sulpharate elements which have a preventive influence on colorectal cancer… and they are filled with vitamin B9 and calcium too. What a stunning combination in the humble cabbage!
And there's another good vegetable friend, garlic. More than 200 scientific tests have attested to the great things about eating garlic, in particular for the heart. A daily clove of garlic can help reduce "bad LDL cholesterol", thanks to the blood thinning qualities the allicin within that garlic.
Recipe idea: Stir-fried broccoli with sesame seeds, Chicken in garlic sauce
Fiber and digestion over winter
We all need 25-30g of fiber a day, a third of this should result from veggies. This fiber helps digestive transit, makes us feel full and also fights against certain illnesses, such as coronary disease. People that have digestive problems should eat their veggies cooked, especially those of the crucifer family – not always well tolerated raw. Cooking the veggies softens their fibres and makes them more easily digestible.
Those veggies abundant with potassium help your body naturally eliminate toxins in addition to helping reduce water retention in the body. Celery and leeks are also filled with oligo-elements (selenium, chrome…) and especially good to help the body’s natural drainage, making you feel broadly speaking lighter.
Recipe idea: Leek and cheese flamiche
And don’t forget about fresh parsley, an excellent source of vitamin C and available throughout the year.
