Vegetables and fruit are the basis of a healthy and balanced diet. As well as tasting good, they provide essential ingredients, protect the body and preserve immunity. Although shop shelves are full of them all year round, some of them must be eliminated from the menu at the end of the season. Do we know which of Nature's gifts we should give up during the colder seasons?
Which vegetables don't serve us in winter?
To the delight of many children, our winter ally is definitely not spinach . When we see its beautiful green leaves in December, it should be a warning signal to us - it certainly wasn't grown in the wild. This is because the harvest of this vegetable ends in autumn. If we have an irresistible craving for it, let's choose one from the shop's freezer.
Also, our sandwich classic is not the best choice. Winter tomatoes probably came to us from the Netherlands, where they were hastily ripened on rockwool, generously and artificially fertilized. Their taste is very different from those ripened in a sunny bed.
Cucumbers then have a similar adventure. Although they have little nutritional value by nature, at this time they are additionally a source of harmful pesticides and heavy metals. In addition, they are watery and unpalatable.
Winter and fruit - which ones to avoid?
Although we constantly associate the smell of oranges with Christmas, it is definitely better to eat them in summer, in winter they can be used to make Christmas decorations. They do not provide us with valuable ingredients, but only cool our bodies down - we get unnecessarily cold and risk catching a cold.
In supermarkets, plastic containers full of huge and shiny strawberries smile at us. They tempt us incessantly, making us think of sunny days. However, when they are grown in plastic tunnels, they don't get much sun, but they do get plenty of artificial fertilisers. This, together with a heavy dose of chemicals, allows them to grow to a sizeable size. What they don't have is taste and nutritional value.
A banana is a great snack - for work, school and between meals. It allows you to satisfy your hunger quickly and at any time. But should we also reach for it in winter? Unfortunately, like citrus fruit, it has a cooling effect. The potassium contained in it causes the pores of the skin to open up and we lose valuable heat. In addition, it contains a large amount of sugar, which is certainly not conducive to our reduced activity during this period.
Winter vitamins
Garlic is the clear leader among winter vegetables - it inhibits the growth of bacteria, fights infections and supports immunity. It is very healthy and equally controversial, mainly due to its intense smell. If you are unable to convince yourself, use the small steps method: grate a small part of a clove and add it to your meal. Increase the dose regularly and you won't catch a cold.
Let's love root vegetables . Carrots, parsley and celery can be used to make a salad full of vitamins, and if you put them in the juicer , you will get a delicious juice - a real vitamin bomb. We can replace carrots with beetroot - a tasty and equally healthy substitution.
The real queen of winter is cabbage . White, red, Italian or Chinese cabbage - each of them will provide us with valuable minerals and plenty of immunity-strengthening vitamin C.
When choosing fruit, lean towards seasonal fruits above all. Polish apples and pears are a pleasure to munch. With the help of a baking kit , they can be turned into a delicious dessert in no time at all - melt-in-the-mouth, honey- and cinnamon-scented, perfect for long, cold evenings.
