Eating Well This Winter

All the good intentions we had when we ate fresh salads and went for daily walks may go out the window in the winter. But eating well isn't a seasonal activity. It is just as important now as at any other time of the year. In the winter you may be less active and prone to putting on the pounds. Overeating or eating unhealthy foods isn't going to help. So what to do?

Solange Lamont a registered dietitian who works out of the Group Health Centre in Sault Ste-Marie says stick to Canada's Food Guide throughout the year choosing sensibly from all four food groups:

Grain: From bread to pasta choose whole grain and high fiber. Try hot cereal on cold mornings with a touch of maple syrup or a bit of brown sugar. Bake apple-oatmeal cookies for an after-school snack. Make vegetable soup with potatoes and pasta and use it as a lunch meal. Don't be afraid to try a new recipe!

Fruit and Vegetable: Try applesauce for breakfast with your English muffin. Eat vegetable soup. Make stir-fry as much as you can. Grab an apple on your way out to work.

There are fewer fresh vegetables available in the supermarkets in the winter and often it is expensive.

"I often recommend buying only what people absolutely need to have fresh as long as they can afford it lettuce and tomatoes for example" says Lamont. "Everything else you can get frozen."

Vegetable soup is a good alternative
Use tomato sauce or vegetable sauce on meat instead of gravy
Use frozen vegetables in casseroles
Canned fruit is available but not always cheaper

Milk products: Café au lait at -10C sounds pretty good. Make cooked puddings out of low fat milk and add cocoa or vanilla to flavor it. Add milk to your cream of wheat in the morning. And don't forget yogurt with your lunch.

Meat and alternatives: Use a low fat cooking method such as grilling stir frying broiling and roasting. Make a casserole for a hot dinner. Add kidney beans to your favorite recipe to get more fiber and more nutrients in your diet. Be creative.

Try to use low fat when possible and have lots of variety in your diet. As in everything moderation is the key. Be careful not to eat too much. When the holidays come and the shortbread is passed around help yourself to one. That's one not one dozen!

"The main thing to remember is that there is no perfect food and no forbidden food" adds Lamonte. "Just keep variety and moderation in mind and you should be in for a nutritious winter."

Resources:

Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating

What Canadians Do About Nutrition

Eating Safely Over the Holidays

Dietitians of Canada