Top Five Winter Super Foods

Here are the top five winter super foods:

1. Tea:

I know, not strictly a food as such, however, hot teas are not only good for warming you over the cold autumn and winter months, but are full of compounds called bioflavonoids, one of most important is quercetin. In particular, green tea contains high levels of this anti-oxidant. Green tea also contains some caffeine which assists in mental stimulation without the side-effects of black tea or coffee. Tea also contains fluoride and manganese, both important in protecting the body. Fluoride protects teeth against decay and manganese is a vital component of various enzymes involved in energy production and helps to form connective tissue.

So put the kettle on!

2. Cranberries:

Cranberries are harvested in the autumn for winter stock. Although you can eat and drink cranberries all year round, they are a winter super food. You can eat cranberries as dried fruit snacks, drink as juice and eat as cranberry sauce/jelly with your winter roast dinner, a perfect accompaniment to poultry, stuffing and roast potatoes. Cranberry juice has been recommended for urinary tract problems for decades, but cranberries also contain high levels of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Manganese.

Cranberries are bright red and are known as bouncing berries because people used to test them by dropping them down steps to see if they bounced. The good berries bounced, while the bad berries remained. So put some bounce in your dark winter days.

3. Apples:

Another autumn crop, apples come in over 7500 varieties, in the UK we grow about 50 varieties, from this vast stock, including Lord Lambourne, Cox’s Orange Pipin, Bramley and Egremont Russet. Different apples are used in a variety of ways; tart apples tend to be used for cider production, Bramleys are ideal for apple sauce and apple pies, although they do require a lot of sugar to combat the tartness of the fruit. Apples are also turned into toffee-apples for autumn celebrations. However, the best way to eat apples is in its natural state. An apple is an ideal snack, full of nutrition and compact.

Apples contain high amounts of quercetin which helps to keep arteries healthy by reducing the effects of LDL cholesterol. Pectin in apples also binds with heavy metals found in the body and removes them through the gut. Apples also contain a variety of vitamins, including the B vitamins and Vitamin C; trace elements also contribute to its health properties. Remember, an apple a day keeps the doctor and fat away!

Image via Wikipedia

4. Pumpkin:

Orange faces will be gracing our windows once again as Halloween approaches, but don’t waste the pumpkin flesh which is extremely high in nutritional value and makes a great roast vegetable or soup ingredient. Beta carotene is responsible for the orange colour in pumpkins and is a form of Vitamin A, and pumpkins have a huge amount; 41% Vitamin A per 100 grammes and 29% of beta carotene per 100 grammes. Beta carotene, also found in carrots and tomatoes, is an anti-oxidant.  Vitamin A and E which are found in high levels are both oil-based vitamins and contribute to skin health and general well-being. Pumpkin is also easily digested so is an ideal food for young children and convalescents. Pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween.

5. Broccoli:

Broccoli is the mega food of the super foods and should be eaten frequently. Broccoli is an excellent source of Vitamin C and K and a useful source of beta carotene, iron, folic acid and potassium at high levels. But the main reason broccoli wins the super food title is because of phytochemicals. These compounds may offer protection against a variety of cancers because they help to prevent damage to cell DNA. Another compound, sulforaphane, destroys carcinogens and then creates enzymes which clear up remaining carcinogens.

On top of all this goodness, the phytochemicals in broccoli retain their effects through preparation and the cooking process; however, to preserve the vitamin content, steaming broccoli is the best way to cook it.