Healthiest Winter Foods
By

 

Winter brings a basketful of fruits and vegetables. Here are 5 of the healthiest winter foods for you to eat must during winters.

Here are 5 of the Healthiest Winter Foods for you to eat must during winters.

 

1. Pomegranates:

Pomegranates- HEALTHIEST WINTER FOODS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost all of us have tasted pomegranate juice. It’s a good thing to drink from a “heart-health” perspective. It is rich in antioxidants more than any other fruit juices.

As per a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, daily consumption of one cup of pomegranate juice helps to keep free radicals from oxidizing LDL cholesterol. Oxidized LDL adds to plaque growth in the arteries.

Another study on the same reveals that drinking pomegranate juice improves the flow of blood to the heart in people suffering from Myocardial ischemia.

Myocardial ischemia is a medical condition in which the oxygen supply is compromised in the heart due to blockage in the arteries.

 

2. Dark Leafy Greens:

Dark Leafy Green Vegetables- HEALTHIEST WINTER FOODS

 

 

 

 

Kale, chard and collards are the best winter foods to eat. These dark leafy greens thrive in the chill of winter. As a matter of fact, frost can actually take away the bitterness people find in kale.

These leaves are rich in vitamins A, C and K. Mustard greens, escarole and collards are great sources of folate. Folate is important for women of childbearing age.

 

3. Citrus fruits:

Citrus Fruit- HEALTHIEST WINTER FOODS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Citrus fruits, like lemons, oranges, grapefruits and limes are at their juiciest during winter months.

Loaded with vitamin C, these winter foods add sunshine to the dreary skin in wintertime. A medium size orange contributes more than 100 percent vitamin C of your daily dose.

In the January/February issue of Eating Well Magazine published in the year 2012, Karen Ansel, (M.S., and R.D.) had mentioned that citrus fruits are rich sources of flavonoids. The chief flavonoid in these citrus fruits is hesperidin which is credited with boosting HDL cholesterol (considered to be as good cholesterol) and lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides (considered to be as bad cholesterol).

 

4. Potatoes:

Potatoes- HEALTHIEST WINTER FOODS- HEALTHIEST WINTER FOODS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Potatoes are mostly thrown into the similar category as white bread or white rice bad rap for being a white starch. But on the contrary, potatoes are whole food containing multiple beneficial nutrients.

Potatoes are rich in vitamins C and B6, which are the two immunity boosters.

It is an excellent source of folate as well. Purple potatoes are rarely available but are a storehouse of anthocyanins which is a great antioxidant connected to a host of health benefits. It lowers cancer and reduces the risk of heart disease causing quelling inflammation.

5. Winter Squash:

Winter Squash- HEALTHIEST WINTER FOODS

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a wide variety of winter squash like butternut, acorn, spaghetti squash and delicata. This vegetable is an excellent choice in the winter. A single cup of cooked winter squash contains around 80 calories and high content of vitamin A and vitamin C. it is also a good source of vitamin K, vitamin B6, potassium and folate.

Image Credit: Pixabay