A diet to desire – Eating to stay

An apple a day keeps the doctor away – it’s an old saying, but there is more than a hint of truth in it.

What you eat has a huge impact on your ability to fight off bugs and infections during the winter months.

Older people and children need to pay special attention to what they eat during the winter, as they are particularly vulnerable. However, quality, availability and variety of fresh food can be an issue in winter.

In cold weather, people can be less inclined to eat salads or raw fruit, but there are some cheap and simple steps you can take to make sure you keep your vitamin and mineral uptake up even during these months.

To get your energy levels up in the morning it is vital to have a good breakfast. Great ideas for warming winter breakfasts include baked beans or a poached egg on toast, a simple veggie omelette, or porridge with fresh, dried, stewed or canned fruit.

If using canned fruit, try to buy fruit in its own juice rather than syrup, and try to keep additional sugar to a minimum if you stew your own fruit.

The recommended intake for vegetables and fruit is five servings a day (three vegetables and two fruit).

These vital foods provide us with heaps of vitamins and fibre, as well as antioxidants and phytochemicals which have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

1 tsp oil

2 medium onions, peeled and chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp curry powder or red curry paste

2 medium orange kumara, peeled and chopped

4 cups chicken stock

2/3 cup evaporated milk

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and stir over a medium heat until the onion softens. Add curry powder or red curry paste and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.

Add kumara and chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes or until the kumara is soft. Puree the mixture, add evaporated milk and heat through without bringing to the boil. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Serving suggestion: serve sprinkled with chopped fresh coriander or parsley.

To keep your meals affordable, look for vegetables that are in season. Great winter vegetables include carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin, yams, kumara and broccoli.

Frozen and canned vegetables and fruit can also be great alternatives to fresh food during the winter, so keep plenty on hand. Look for those with no added sugar or salt where possible.

Casseroles are fantastic for keeping you warm during winter and are great for feeding a family on a budget.

Look to invest in a slow cooker – cheaper cuts of meat work well when cooked slowly and there is nothing to rival the smell of a home cooked casserole as you walk through the door at the end of the day.

You can put almost anything in a casserole, but try to add lots of root vegetables and tinned tomatoes and keep the extra fat used to a minimum.

Mustard and Worcestershire sauce can give a real flavour kick and canned kidney beans or chick peas added near the end of cooking add great texture and taste to a dish.

Soup is the ultimate ‘meal in a bowl’. Choose a favourite recipe and make a big batch over the weekend, then freeze individual portions for lunches during the week. Look to spice up traditional recipes by adding lentils, small pasta or pearl barley – they will give great texture and flavour to your dish, as well as making it go further. Pureed or textured, there is nothing more comforting than a steaming bowl of soup served with crusty bread, pita bread or toast.

¾ cup (135g) pasta spirals or shells

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

6 cups chicken stock

1 x 500ml jar tomato pasta sauce

½ tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp sugar

1 cup pumpkin, peeled and chopped

1 large potato, peeled and chopped

1 large carrot, scrubbed and chopped

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 x 425g 4 bean mix, or red kidney beans (drained)

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Combine pasta, onion, chicken stock, pasta sauce, oregano, sugar, pumpkin, potato and carrot in a saucepan. Boil uncovered for 15 minutes.

Add peas and 4 bean mix and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Add parsley, stir until hot.

Serving suggestion: serve sprinkled with parmesan or grated tasty cheese and bread.