You might be craving for that warm soup during this freezing season but you can't add extra pounds because Spring will soon be coming and you can't hide under those big coats forever.
Due to this top nutritionists and healthy eating experts have given out tips regarding what to do when the temperature drops.
First, you have to give in to your comfort food craving but be sure you do it in a healthy way. Keri Gans, an RD from New York, a nutritionist and the author for "The Small Change Diet", says that she craves mashed potatoes during the winter and noted that this is a good source of fiber, vitamins such as B6 and C, potassium, niacin and phosphorus.
However, she said that she has to keep it healthy by swapping the whole milk or cream with nonfat milk and butter for olive oil. She also adds a little Parmesan cheese and leaves the potato skin on in order to not lose the nutrients it contains.
Vegetables are also great for winter as Elle Penner, MPH, RD, and the food and nutrition editor at MyFitnessPal says that she adds seasonal vegies to her favorite comfort foods.
She shares, "For example, I add pureed butternut squash to mac and cheese to cut back on fat and calories and turn a head of kale into a delicious pesto for a quick and easy weeknight pasta dish or healthy spread for crackers."
Another tip for the winter is to start the mornings in a warm, healthy way. According to Gans, she starts her day with a warm bowl of oatmeal with natural almond butter and chia seeds.
The third tip for your cravings this winter is loving broth. According to Dr. Frank Lipman, an MD, an integrative and functional medicine physician, and founder of Eleven Wellness Center in New York City, broth is both warming and nourishing as it provides a rich array of nutrients.
He adds, "It also contains gelatin and collagen, which soothe the intestinal tract and help heal leaky gut. You can sip bone broth, incorporate it into soups and stews and use it when cooking lentils and legumes."
And for the last tip, you should embrace vegetables. You have to eat the vegetables that are available for this season.
