Try These 7 Winter Plate Essentials

The cold weather brings with it a lot of hearty, filling foods that shouldn’t be overlooked when planning your meals as not only are they full of vitamins and minerals, they’re also great at keeping you fuller for longer and adding some new variety to your diet.

So don’t overlook these delicious, versatile foods any longer and start thinking of creative ways to have them added to your next meal.

1. Courgette

Courgettes are extremely versatile and are a trusty, low-calorie carb alternative. Some of their great benefits also include their high water content that helps to boost satiety, and they’re packed with muscle-soothing potassium to defeat DOMS. You should try using them to create courgetti; a low calorie alternative to spaghetti.

2. Butternut Squash

A hefty butternut squash might not look too appealing at first, but once you’ve cut it open, cleared out the seeds and popped it in the oven, it becomes a nutrient dense delicious addition to your meals. You can also cut it into slices or chunk for variety. One serving boasts nearly half your RDA of vitamin C, feeding your immune system after a tough session.

3. Pumpkin

Pumpkins may be popular as Halloween decorations, but they are also extremely versatile and popular in lots of types of recipes too. Pumpkin rival carrots when it comes to helping you see in the dark. They are rich in carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, both associated with keeping your eyes healthy as you age.

4. Pattypan

Yellow squash is another useful food for your fat-loss goals. Not only is it low in carbs, fat and cholesterol, but it’s also packed with beta-carotene, which makes it a veritable antioxidant powerhouse, protecting your health-health in the long-term.

5. Venison

As the animals are usually wild and grass-fed, venison is much leaner than a lot of other red meats and are as rich in protein and iron as it is in flavour.

6. Turnips

The humble turnip is very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. They are a good source of vitamin B6, folate, calcium, potassium, and copper. A very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, and manganese. The turnip greens are a super food and packed with nutrients.

7. Apples

Apples are a classic and taste great however you choose to consume them. It might be easy to overlook the British seasonal stalwart, but apples contain dietary fibre needed to support a healthy digestive system, as well as vitamins A and C that support the immune system.