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Save Money, Eat Better With This Winter Produce

  • January 17, 2017

For many people, ringing in the new year always comes with a vow to either lose weight or at the very least, to adopt healthier eating habits. But how do you do that in the dead of winter? CNN Health offers some ideas on finding healthy winter produce at the grocer’s, with turnips, Brussels sprouts, citrus fruits, pomegranate, fennel and dark leafy greens on their list.

These are great ideas but the trick, of course, is to know how to choose what produce to buy at the store. If you’re aiming for taste, there are several foods that actually taste better in winter, including kale, kohlrabi, mustard and collard greens, parsnips, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.

Alternatively, depending on where you live, you can have your own winter garden virtually year-round. Even in the northernmost areas of the U.S., a wide variety of vegetables can be grown during the winter, even in small spaces, especially with the assistance of a few simple temperature-shielding strategies, such as cold frames, cloches and row covers.

Other healthy eating strategies include adding more fish such as Alaskan salmon to your diet, eating more fiber, and opting for grass-fed and organically-raised meats when you shop. Also important is adding healthy fats to your diet, such as avocados, coconut and coconut oil, pastured butter and raw nuts such as pecans. Finally, adopting a healthy, high-fat, low-carbohydrate and low- to moderate-protein diet, with the intent of entering into what is known as nutritional ketosis —a state in which your body burns fat as its primary fuel rather than glucose (sugar) — will also help.