Winter Foods
by Jo delAmor
Don’t let the supermarkets fool you… strawberries and asparagus are not winter foods! As modern Americans in search for health and balance, we are challenged to wade through and make sense of the many available options that do not support our health. In the past 50 years or so our food supply has changed drastically as a result of the development of large scale agribusiness and global trading. We are now able to purchase a wide variety of produce throughout the whole year, most of which travels half way around the globe from farm to table.
There are several reasons why these out of season foods are not healthful choices. The first and most obvious is that they are not fresh. The distance and time spent getting from Argentina to Massachusetts takes a toll on the nutrient content and quality of your produce. The second is a matter of environmental health, on which our health is entirely dependent. Large scale agribusiness and global trading have been major consumers of petroleum fuel and major contributors to global pollution. This food travels in jet planes and trucks all over the world.
The third reason is one most easily overlooked but really the most crucial to our personal physical health. As part of the infinitely intelligent natural cycle, food is designed to be consumed in the ways it naturally occurs. For thousands of years human beings have evolved and adapted to natural eating. In the summer they enjoyed cooling, juicy fruits and vegetables to ease the heat. In the fall they feasted upon the bounty of the earth, probably packing on a few extra pounds to prepare them for winter. In the winter they benefited from the complex carbohydrates and healthy fats of the foods that could be stored. And in the spring the new shoots of life and leafy greens gave them the opportunity to cleanse and clear the heaviness of winter to prepare for the summer again. When eating in this way we become more aligned with our environment and we are supported in dealing with the unique conditions of each season.
In the winter we are in need of warming foods and deep steady nourishment. Foods that take longer to grow are generally more warming than foods that grow quickly. These also tend to be the foods that store easily and would therefore be the natural choices for wintertime consumption. Whole grains, corn, beans, squash, root vegetables, nuts and apples are all slow growing easily stored foods. These plant based winter foods all provide high quality dietary fiber as well as the slowly released and steady energy of complex carbohydrates. Whole grains, beans and nuts offer great sources of the healthful fats that will keep you warm and healthy in cold winter months. In the winter we naturally crave the comfort of sweets and fats. Instead of reaching for the cookies, you can fill your diet with the natural sweetness of root vegetables, squashes and apples. This category also includes animal foods. Winter is the most appropriate time of year to include meats and eggs into your diet. Choose high quality natural meats and eggs and eat them in moderation along with plenty of good plant based winter foods.
You may also choose to include more warming spices in your winter diet. Ginger, garlic, curry, cayenne and cinnamon are some examples of spices that can enhance your winter meals while helping you to stay warm.
For some ideas for winter cooking, please check out this month’s recipe offerings.
| Whole grains | Beans | Squash | Root Veggies | Nuts |
Brown Rice Quinoa Kasha (buckwheat) Millet |
Black Beans Lentils Garbanzo Beans Black Eyed Peas Kidney Beans |
Butternut Spaghetti Acorn Delicata Pumpkin |
Carrots Potatoes Parsnips Turnips Beets Yams Onions Garlic Ginger |
Walnuts Almonds Cashews Sunflower Seeds |