With winter upon us, it’s time to stock your pantry for all of those hearty, nourishing meals that warm us down to our toes. The holidays are here with all of their cookies, overindulgence, and busyness, and it’s helpful to balance that with simple, nourishing meals. With these five healthful staples, you’ll be ready to keep your family cozy and fed this winter season.
Hearty Soups
Soup is an undeniable winter standby. You can leave a pot simmering in a slow-cooker or toss your ingredients into a pressure cooker and have a warm, hearty supper on the table in minutes. It can be tweaked to fit any dietary needs and tastes or to use up odds and ends from the back of the fridge, and bone broth not only makes winter soups more nourishing and hearty but also adds a depth of flavor you can’t get from plain old broth.Â
Dried Beans
Another necessity for homemade soups is dried beans. They are nutritious, inexpensive, and simple to prepare, either with a low, slow simmer on the stovetop or under an hour in a pressure cooker. Aside from their starring role in chilis and other soups, beans are versatile players in burritos, refried beans with huevos rancheros for a warm breakfast, baked beans, and delicious, hearty side dishes.
Homemade Bread
What goes better with a dense, warming soup than a thick slice of freshly-baked bread? A nutrient-dense bread mix is essential for making it happen. While the sourdough craze may have cooled off with the weather, what better way to warm up your kitchen than baking a batch of sourdough rolls or a big, crusty loaf?Â
Eat Your Veggies!
Eating in season allows you to take advantage of lower prices, support local farmers, and ensure that you can get your produce fresh and at its peak, and during the winter months, root vegetables are the star of the show. Potatoes, onions, and carrots are classic standbys, but this winter, expand your palate and try parsnips, rutabagas, sweet potatoes or yams, and turnips. A little steamed and mashed turnip breathes new life into plain old mashed potatoes. Roasted parsnips, carrots, and sweet potatoes are sweetly caramelized and add a pop to often drab winter colors.
Sweets for the Sweet
No matter how health-conscious you are, there’s nothing wrong with a cozy mug of hot cocoa. And if you’re looking to boost your nutritional intake, making your hot chocolate mix with cacao powder allows you to do not only that but adjust the amount of sugar to your preference. Adding cacao powder to your baked goods gives them an extra kick of iron, magnesium, protein, fiber, potassium, and flavonoids so that you can nourish your body and soul at the same time.
Stocking up on these five staples will help you keep your family warm, cozy, and nourished this winter. Fresh bread and homemade soup loaded with beans and root vegetables are simple, inexpensive seasonal delights. And following up a warm bowl of thick soup with a nourishing chocolatey treat brings the winter hygge to your kitchen.