Three Easy Ways to Eat Your Veggies in the Winter

Condé Nast Digital Studio
Condé Nast Digital Studio

By Sarah-Jane Bedwell,SELF magazine

In the winter months it seems that it's harder to find fresh produce, so we tend to gravitate more towards warm comfort-food favorites. However, the nutrients like fiber, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants that veggies provide are just as important in the winter as they are any other time of year!

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...I've taken the three most common excuses for avoiding vegetables in the winter and given you easy solutions so that you can have your veggies and eat them too!

Excuse:
"Vegetables are a lot more expensive in the winter than they are in the summer."

Solution: While it is true that the price of many fresh vegetables change with the seasons, there is little difference in the price of frozen vegetables in the winter versus the summer. You can feel good about stocking up on frozen veggies this winter, not just because the price is right, but also because they are easy to make (many brands you can throw straight from the freezer into the microwave in the bag they come in) and because they are equally as nutritious as fresh veggies. Frozen vegetables are flash-frozen at their peak of freshness, which locks in the nutrients. Plus, they have even more of an edge on fresh veggies this time of year because many times fresh veggies have to travel hundreds of miles to get to your supermarket, a process which can potentially cause them to lose nutritional value.

Excuse: "I prefer to only eat vegetables when they are in season, and they obviously aren't in season during the winter."

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Solution:
You may find less in-season veggies in the winter than there are in the summer, but that doesn't mean all vegetables are out of season during the coldest months of the year. Here is a list of some in-season (which also means they'll be tastier, cheaper and more nutrient-rich) veggies you can find this winter:

-Belgian Endive
-Brussels Sprouts
-Winter Squash
-Collard Greens
-Kale
-Leeks
-Sweet Potatoes
-Turnips
-Rutabaga
-Parsnips
-Celery Root
-Carrots
-Fennel

Excuse: "During the winter, I'd just rather eat warm comfort-food dishes like soups and pastas."

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Solution: It's easy to understand why we crave hearty, warm comfort foods when it's freezing outside, but that doesn't mean you have to say goodbye to veggies altogether. In fact, adding them to your favorite comfort-food dishes is a pretty easy way to increase your daily vegetable intake. Try adding steamed or canned veggies (just be sure to rinse and drain them first) to your soups and stews to make them heartier and healthier. When making pasta, add cooked veggies to your sauce and use an immersion blender (or regular blender) to puree them so that the sauce is still smooth. Add you can always try topping a vegetable such as brussel sprouts or winter squash with your favorite comfort food toppings like cheese and bread crumbs.

So don't be fair-weathered when it comes to eating your vegetables! It's really pretty easy to enjoy them any time of the year!


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