Avocado, hot chocolate, oatmeal, pumpkin soup, chili and sweet potatoes are some of the superfoods to keep you warm during winters.

As the winter starts to roll in, getting warm and cozy with your comfort, sweaters and socks is not going to simply cut it. The food you consume too makes a  legit difference. Once again eating microwaved, and warm food is not sufficient.

This winter indulge in superfoods to keep you warm and fit. Superfoods are those healthy food stuff that are rich in nutrients, antioxidants and immune – boosting properties that your body requires for this cold weather.

Winter Superfood: 6 Superfoods to Keep you Warm During Winters

Here are six superfoods for you to indulge in on chilly days to acquire the ultimate nutrition.

Avocado

Avocado fruit is rich in omega – 6, omega – 3, potassium and vitamin B6.  According to the American Heart Association, it is noted that about half of the fat in avocado is monounsaturated fat which effectively lowers your bad cholesterol levels. It also helps you stay full thus avoiding unnecessary calories.

You can enjoy your avocado fruit by oven roasting it and making it even creamier. You can also chop it up warm and put it on top of another vegetable for a healthy snack.

Hot chocolate

Cocoa and its products are purely divine, especially for those with a sweet tooth. You can prepare your sugary delight by melting dark chocolate and stirring it in regular or even almond milk. You can even add on a few marshmallow bits to make it tastier.

Adding a little dark chocolate to your diet is beneficial. It contains flavonoids, which are antioxidants that fight against the effects of free radicals thus fighting against cancers, cardiovascular diseases and other chronic diseases.

Oatmeal

Oats are an essential part  for your diet, with it being a whole grain gives you the required fiber and plant based protein too. This can help in satisfying you and avoids the load of unnecessary calories caused by overeating. Oats also contain a powerful starch called beta – glucan. According to the Nutrition Reviews, it is noted that 3 grams of oats per day may help in reducing bad cholesterol levels up to 10%.

Add in some almond butter and chia seeds to get some healthy fat too.

Pumpkin soup

Reserving pumpkin only for Halloween festivities is not ideal.  Pumpkin is rich in Vitamin A which is essential for promoting vision. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for Vitamin A for adult female is 700 micrograms. Consuming one serving of soup, has one third to half a cup of pumpkin puree. Thus, you would be getting more than a day’s worth of vitamin in this.

Pumpkin is also rich in antioxidants owing to beta – carotene abundance. Pumpkin is believed to have cancer – fighting powers.  According to a study conducted by the Anti-cancer research, on treating human breast cells using carotenoids (beta – carotene and lycopene) can prevent the growth of the cancerous cells.

Chili

The peppers contains a compound called capsaicin, which gives you the spicy flavor. This compound capsaicin, is also thought to boost metabolism and fight the fat built up in the body.

According to an animal study conducted by the Korean researchers, it was found that when chili was paired with a high – fat diet, capsaicin was found to decrease body weight up to 8%.

The beans in chili also pack protein that would help build up muscle. Moreover, tomato paste is rich in lycopene, which has necessary antioxidants properties. The onions too provide you the necessary antioxidants.

Sweet potatoes

Similar to pumpkins, sweet potatoes too are rich in Vitamin A. Consuming a baked, medium – sized spud of sweet potato gives you 438% of your recommended daily allowance (RDA). You would also get around 4 grams of fiber (that is mostly present on the potato skin). This would help in filling you up and avoiding unnecessary calories. Sweet potatoes are also rich in Vitamin C, calcium, potassium and contains some amounts of iron too.

Eating plain sweet potatoes can be quite bland, it is however better if you avoid slathering margarine or fatty butter on top. You can however eat it with rosemary to enjoy an amazing flavor. Rosemary provides you with the B complex vitamins and also cancer – fighting phytochemicals. According to the American Cancer Society, the compounds provided by the rosemary are believed to block the actions of carcinogens on your body tissues.

Conclusion

With the winter setting in take appropriate dietary measures to include delicious yet healthy foods that are packed in vitamins, antioxidants and immune – boosting properties, thus keeping you warm and fit.

Some of these superfoods include – sweet potatoes, oatmeal, avocado, hot chocolate, pumpkin soup, chili are a few to name. Scroll on above to know more of the advantages of each.

References

https://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20858718,00.html

http://origin-www.readersdigest.ca/food/healthy-food/5-winter-superfoods-keep-you-healthy/