‘Eat local and seasonal’ is a way of eating many nutritionists and fitness influencers have been promoting recently. But what is the reason behind this? Eating local ensures you undoubtedly eat fresh and seasonal. Since the food has been grown in similar environmental conditions as your body, the digestion and assimilation will be much easier and efficient. As coconut water, watermelons, leafy greens are summer must-haves, there are certain warming foods for winter that naturally provide warmth and must be consumed during the colder months.
In this curated list by Mishry, you’ll find the essential ingredients and a few interesting recipe recommendations you can try.
Table of Contents
Warming Foods For Winters
1. Millets
Millets/ pseudocereals have a higher fiber content as they are classified as complex carbohydrates. With more starch and fiber, millets take longer to digest and provide sustained levels of energy.
Rajgira, ragi, bajra are some winter specials due to the potency of heat. Millets are powerhouses of minerals and vitamins which is why consuming a variety is essential.
Recipe Suggestions:
- Lunch- replace your bowl of rice with one of these millets
- Dinner- instead of whole wheat roti, you can have a millet bakhra
- Dessert- savor a bowl of millet halwa flavored with elaichi and topped with nuts
As part of our Curated by Mishry series, we tried a variety of millet-based noodles, poha and rava by Kamaleya Organics. We promise you won’t miss your regular flour.
2. Ginger (Fresh and dried)
Ginger has a strong spicy warmth that makes it one of the kitchen staples during winters. From a sore throat to digestive ailments, ginger is a pungent root that helps keep your body warm from within.
Ginger contains gingerol which is a natural oil found in the root. Rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, gingerol offers several medicinal benefits.
Recipe Suggestions:
In addition to sipping on a ginger-infused tea, the following are some more ways you can add the goodness of this root to your diet.
- Ginger chicken or soya where you stir fry the protein source and season it with a tomato-based gravy and ginger.
- Process freshly chopped coconut in a grinder, add green chilies, ginger, seasoning, and a lip-smacking dip is ready.
- Love nibbling on something with tea? We found just the right accompaniment in McVities Ginger cookies.
- If you’re looking for a quick but authentic-tasting fix, may we suggest this ginger-imbued honey by Sprig.
3. Ghee
Lately popularized as a superfood, ghee or clarified butter is one of the most easily digestible fat sources. It is considered as a naturally warming ingredient and has multiple culinary and skin care uses.
A generous dollop over piping hot parathas, suji sheera prepared in ghee, a teaspoon in your bedtime haldi doodh, even Panjiri ladoos are a delectable way of sneaking in some ghee to your diet.
Definitely not the traditional way but Epigamia’s Ghee spreads are flavored with chocolate and make for a great post-meal treat.
Related Reading : Top Haldi Doodh Mix Brands in India
4. Milk-based Beverages
The consumption of milk during winters is generally questioned. The temperature at which milk is consumed is more significant. While chilled milk may give you a cold, warm milk is paired with certain winter warming spices that add to the already impressive nutrition profile of milk.
Cow’s milk specifically shows a balanced macronutrient composition with decent quantities of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
Recipe Suggestions:
- Haldi doodh or ‘golden latte’ is prepared with turmeric and black pepper as the combination of spices may help boost immunity. We recommend sweetening it with jaggery. Check out this post if you’re looking for an instant mix.
- Hot chocolate topped with marshmallows is every kid’s (and adult’s) dream come true. If not marshmallows, you can dunk a chunky chocolate chip cookie in your cuppa. Hot chocolate traditionally requires only two ingredients- milk and chocolate. If you want a thicker, richer hot chocolate, you can add cornflour. But if this seems troublesome, try our Top Pick- Hershey’s Hot Chocolate.
- Kheer or millet pudding is another nutritious and tasty way of consuming milk and millets. Flavored with cardamom, the natural vibrancy of saffron, and garnish your bowl with chopped nuts and some chewy raisins.
5. Jaggery
As jaggery naturally provides heat, consuming it in moderate quantities produces warmth in the body. Relief from digestive ailments, appetite regulation, and a boost of iron are certain benefits associated with its intake.
Derived from sugar cane, the darker your block of jaggery or jaggery powder is, the better. The deep hue signifies purity.
Recipe Suggestions:
- From your masala tea to kadha, jaggery paired with chana or peanuts as a mid-meal snack, poran poli, gud ki kheer or gud ka halwa, are few of the honored creations.
Related Reading : Dhampur Green Gur Chana Review
6. Soups
Way lighter on the palette but equally flavorful and nutritious, soups offer unique health benefits. When prepared at home, you can adjust the spice levels, the thickness, and most importantly add veggies you genuinely like.
Soups can be paired with soup sticks, buttered toast, fried noodles, a warm bowl of rice, etc to make them more filling.
We reviewed two instant soup variants by Ching’s a few weeks ago and loved them for how flavorful and thick they were. One variant contained oats and tasted heavenly!
Conclusion
Sail through the windy mornings and chilly nights with these warming foods during winters. In conclusion, with winter upon us, embracing warming foods is a delicious way to stay cozy and healthy. Moreover, these foods not only provide comfort but also boost immunity and energy during the chilly months.
From hearty soups to spiced beverages, incorporating these staples can make a significant difference in how you feel throughout the season.
