The arrival of the cold season puts a strain on our immune defenses. Winter brings with it ailments related to cold and sudden changes in temperature such as colds and sore throats, for this we must protect our body and, as always, attention begins at the table!
Fruits and vegetables, you know, are an excellent source of vitamins, fiber and minerals, but to get the most out of it, we have to choose seasonal products. There are many reasons for preferring seasonal vegetables or keeping an eye on fruit seasonality before going to the market: after harvesting, the vitamin content of vegetables and fruit tends to drop, which is why they should be chosen. fresh products.
In addition, many products that we find out of season are simply swollen with water and grown in greenhouses, lacking in flavor and not very nutritious.
So a lot of vegetables at the table, but for our recipes we use genuine winter vegetables that ward off ailments and delight the palate!
Winter: seasonal fruit and vegetables
The products that nature offers us are precious to keep us fit. Even if we eat only seasonal products, our diet can still be varied and tasty because there are so many fruits and vegetables in the cold season and just as many are the recipes for winter! Let's find out together how to enrich ours winter diet and rediscover well-being.
Fruit
- oranges: Tarocco, Sanguinella, Navel ... whatever variety you prefer, these fruits are a reserve of Vitamin C (very useful for fighting winter ailments such as colds) as well as powerful antioxidants. Great for juice, perfect for recipes from desserts and to accompany the plates of meat.
- Kiwi: rich in vitamin C they are very important for strengthening the immune defenses and act against free radicals. They favor the transformation of food into energy and the absorption of iron. Perfect for fruit salads and juices, they can also be enjoyed directly by cutting the fruit in half and eating the pulp with a teaspoon.
- Grapefruits: citrus fruits with disinfectant and stimulating properties for the digestive system, therefore recommended at the end of a meal. Rich in fiber, vitamins (A, B, and C) and flavonoids, powerful antioxidants that prevent the onset of cardiovascular diseases.
vegetable
- Cabbages: rich in vitamine (A, B1, B2, B9 e C) and precious minerals, such as phosphorus, calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. Excellent for combating different forms of anemia thanks to the high percentage of chlorophyll they contain.
- Carciofi: they favor diuresis, the digestion and bile secretion, have digestive properties and lower levels of cholesterol. A real panacea for our body, the artichoke is a great ally in the prevention of numerous diseases.
- Fennel: the digestive and diuretic properties of these vegetables are well known, fennel is in fact the prince of herbal teas: excellent for those suffering from irritable bowel, to facilitate digestion and for eliminate swelling. In winter, then, it is truly a natural medicine: it has expectorant properties and can be used against sore throats.
Winter: the seasonal recipe
Here is a perfect recipe to warm up and enjoy in an unusual combination of seasonal fruit and vegetable flavors: artichokes with oranges.
ingredients:
> 8 artichokes,
> 5 oranges (possibly organic),
> shallot,
> garlic,
> olive oil,
> the juice of half a lemon,
> salt and pepper.
Preparation: padd the artichokes and divide them into 4 wedges. Sprinkle them with lemon juice to keep them from blackening. Squeeze an orange and set the juice aside, divide the other four fruits into wedges. In a saucepan, heat the oil with chopped garlic and shallot, add the artichokes, half of the sliced ​​wedges, the orange juice and part of the zest cut into strips.
Add salt and pepper and cook over low heat for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. At the end of cooking, just before removing the saucepan from the heat, add the remaining wedges.
A dish with a sweet and sour flavor to be served warm to amaze even the most curious palates!
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