During this time of year, it’s easy to get side-tracked thinking of all the great meats and sweets that are traditionally served at parties and big dinner celebrations, not to mention office gatherings, cookie swaps, and activities for kids. So, how do you eat healthy?
For one, eat your vegetables. Winter vegetables get a bad rap in comparison to summer’s bounty of tomatoes and zucchini, but prepared correctly, the winter brassicas like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and cabbage can be as sweet or savoury as you want. The key is to take the time and use the best possible ingredients. The Serious Eats guide to roasting winter vegetables is full of great tips on how to make the most of your favourite veggies, like wrapping beets in foil so their skins fall off more easily, or par-boiling sweet potatoes so they roast evenly. With slow, even heat, the sugars in each of these vegetables can caramelize and turn your meal into something magical. Even better, you can roast up a number of vegetables ahead of time and add them to packed lunches or other meals throughout the week.
The other key is to find some great recipes that you actually enjoy, and which you can share with others. The folks at Cooking Light have developed an impressive array of winter vegetable recipes that will wow any picky eater, like Winter Squash Risotto and Napa Cabbage and Snowpea Slaw.
Or, you could do a winter vegetable twist on an old classic, by making this Warming Winter Vegetable Pie, from Titli’s Busy Kitchen:
Winter vegetables are some of the healthiest choices you can make this season. In addition to being low in calories, they’re high in nutrients. Cabbage has a high amount of Vitamin C, and sweet potatoes are loaded with beta carotene. So do yourself a favour, and browse the produce aisle for some gifts to yourself this season.
