Eating for the Season—Winter

There is a definite shift this time of year. We want to curl up in our favorite fuzzy things, read more, finally watch films that we tagged a while ago, and just slow down a bit. All good fillers for the soul.

What we choose to eat during the cooler months also reflects—and influences—how we feel. When it's darker longer, we want comfort and connection. Maybe we're gathering with family and friends surrounding a table of traditional fare. And, depending on where you live, cold weather prompts a need to warm up, and certain foods certainly raise our body temperature easier than others.

Eating more healthfully now is important, too. We benefit from all the immune-boosting, vitamin-packed meals that we can—and some of them really do satisfy our need to be snug and sheltered. It's also essential to edge away from the high-sugar celebratory goodies and into a more stable, whole-foods routine to reap the full advantages of healthy eating.

Since I live in the Midwest, I'm a big fan of the Crock Pot, Instant Pot, and Dutch oven! I love to have a simmering something waiting for me when I come home in the evening or filling the house with delightful aromas on a Sunday afternoon. But as much as I love to cook, I also like to keep things simple—just spend a few minutes chopping, add all the ingredients to the pot and let alchemy do the rest of the work. A few hours later, perfection! When you're trying to stay true to what's healthy this time of year, the Seasonal Food Guide offers this nifty tool that lets you search by state, month, and produce to learn about what's fresh in your area at different times of the year. I've mentioned this in other food posts, and am always delighted by what I learn. I've included some recipes below you might enjoy. Let me know what some of your favorites are, too!

• Tomato Soup (if straight-up tomato flavor doesn't interest you, this recipe from Love and Lemons also has carrots in it, making it a vitamin-rich powerhouse)

• Sweet Potato Chicken Chili

  (I usually leave out the corn in this because I feel I get enough starchy carbs from the sweet potato and I don't want too much, but you might feel differently)

• Italian Penicillin Soup (with the classic mirepoix of onion, celery, and carrot, this comes close to resembling a homey chicken noodle soup but with a few twists that still deliver warming comfort)

• Roasted Winter Vegetables

  (make 'em once and nosh on them for a few days in various ways—even  purée them for soup if you want to. I also sometimes add a splash of balsamic vinegar to liven them up a bit)

• Kale and Cannellini Bean Stew (kale isn't the star in this but it's certainly a major supporting player for all the other veggies. You could also substitute Swiss chard or spinach if need be)

• Every Citrus Salad With Almonds and Manchego

  (without a doubt, if you're not a fan of one of the types of citrus in this recipe you could certainly use another. This is a great lunch salad or a yummy side to any protein you prefer)

Photo by shibani Mishra on Unsplash