Its mid-January which, for most of us, means colder temperatures morning to night. And as the temperature drops, you may be more likely to grab a hot dish of something delicious as opposed to something served on the cooler side.
Although hot and cold foods both have an equal chance of being either healthy or unhealthy for you, its easy to choose those foods based on temperature instead of their nutritional profile.
To help you get the most out of your warm dish delights, members of thePlate community have shared a few of their favorite winter dishes. Hopefully, this list will give you renewed inspiration and keep you from feeling the chill of winter.
thePlate Community’s Favorite Winter Dishes
This is Nutrition Expert Alex Caspero, MA, RD, CLT’s favorite. Its a great source of fiber and a fabulous way to use up a few of your leftover vegetables laying around your kitchen.
Recipe Guru Athena Karalekas is another big fan of soup! Her favorite though is a Greek staple – Avgolemono soup. Its a robust soup that combines chicken, rice or orzo, eggs, lemon, salt and pepper.
Chai Spice Pumpkin Seed Almond Muesli
This is Nutrition Expert EA Stewart, RD’s favorite winter dish. Why? Because it works both as a cereal and as a chai tea drink! Plus, its loaded with good-for-you spices and gluten-free.
Chili
Kaylie Anderson, the Healthy Eating Champion, from Kalie’s Thoughts is a huge fan of chili. And why not? Chili can be quite a healthy dish when you use lean ground beef or ground turkey, load it up with veggies, and incorporate a few of your own favorite spices.
Tomato and Mushroom Thyme Stew
Recipe Guru Jessica Serdikoff relies on dishes like stews and chilis to keep her warm during the winter months. The one that tops her list though is her Tomato and Mushroom Thyme Stew. Word has it that it makes your kitchen and home smell like a warm, wintry heaven. Doesn’t that sound delightful?
Nutrition Experts Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RD and Kathleen A Seigel, RD, CDN (aka the Nutrition Babes) are all about powerhouse nutrients when it comes to their favorite winter dish. Their favorite cabbage soup is loaded with vitamin C, potassium, and fiber – all nutrients your body needs to stay strong and healthy during cold and flu season. Plus, it tastes delish!
Vegetable Soup
Another great winter dish option? Recipe Guru Dawn Yucius suggests a steaming bowl of vegetable soup. Again, this is a great way to incorporate some of your favorite veggies and maybe give a few new ones a try. Or why not spruce up an old soup favorite by adding in a few new veggies. It’ll keep your favorite soups new and fresh all winter long.
When it comes to winter cooking, for Recipe Guru Allison W, its got to be simple to make and affordable. She is in college afterall! Luckily, her favorite chili fits that bill with only six mandatory ingredients and 15 minutes needed to throw it all together. Even during the colder months of the year, eating well doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming.
Turkey Beef Chili
Liz Patton, MS, RD, LD, CDE is one of our nutrition experts – although you might think her a recipe guru after she shares her favorite winter dish recipe with you! Be sure to let us know what you think of this tasty recipe if you try it at home.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 yellow onion
½ green pepper
1 pound ground turkey breast
½ pound ground sirloin
3 cans low-sodium diced tomatoes
1 can rotelle (tomatoes and chilies)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cans low-sodium pinto beans
2 cans low-sodium kidney beans
1 can low-sodium beef broth
3 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 bay leaf
Directions:
1.In a large skillet, sauté onion and green pepper in olive oil over medium-high heat. Add turkey and beef
and cook until just browned. Drain fat before adding to crock pot.
2.Add meat mixture and all ingredients to crock pot. Stir and cook on low heat for about 8 hours.
3.Top with a sprinkle of sharp cheddar and a dollop of non-fat, plain Greek yogurt.
Makes approximately 17 cups at about 150 calories each.
What’s your favorite winter time dish?
The Girl Behind the Plate,
~Kati
I especially love the Avgolemono Soup by Athena Karalekas. Great healthy recipe
That does look pretty amazing! Although I’m pretty much a sucker for any warm winter dish that comes with a ‘bowl’ full of nutrients. ~Kati