How Ayurveda says you should eat for winter

Ahh, winter. The cold season conjures up imagery of cosy jumpers, hot choccie, roaring fireplaces, and art gallery days. However, winter also brings with it dry skin and dry sinuses, which cause our mucus membranes to produce more mucus, making the body vulnerable to colds, flus, and bacteria. Ayurveda provides a way to combat all this dryness, through the food we eat.

In Ayurveda, winter is considered a kapha and vata season, as it is characterized by cold weather, a sense of heaviness, and dryness.

Eating Ayurvedically for winter involves balancing and placating both of these doshas/energies – to help you thrive in the winter months.  

Spice up your life

Certain spices work to improve blood circulation and warm up the body, as well as reduce nausea and prevent acidity in the body. Try mixing half a teaspoon each of dried ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, with 300mL boiling water, and steep for five minutes before drinking. This tea boosts immunity, helps maintain clear respiratory passages (to ward off that horrible stuffy nose feeling), aids digestion, and heats up the body from within.

For an extra kick, add spices like garlic, ginger, black pepper, chili, turmeric, and cayenne pepper to your meals.

Replenish with root veggies

Root veggies like sweet potatoes, squash, potatoes, carrots, and beetroot are hearty, heavy, and nutrient dense, making them ideal for winter. They are also rich in vitamin A and C, fibre, and antioxidants, which support your body during the winter months.

Try slow cooking root veggies in vegetable stews, soups, and broths, and don’t forget to use plenty of spices…cinnamon-spiced sweet potato is the best!

Go for grains

Wholegrains are high in energy and help increase your body’s temperature, all while keeping you satiated for longer.

Ayurveda highly recommends eating warming foods during the cooler months, so try oats, barley, tapioca, or millet porridge (simmered with almond/coconut milk and cinnamon) for a warming and nourishing brekky, and opt for nutty brown rice or quinoa with your lunch and dinner.

Pick protein

Protein is an essential nutrient for the body’s structural strength, immunity, and skin health. During winter, there is an increased demand for protein – a time where it’s worth increasing your protein intake

Try adding one or more protein sources – like nuts, seeds, lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu, or tempeh – to each main meal and snack.

Don’t fear fat

During winter, healthy fat provides the body with insulation, heat production, and nourishes the skin and joints.

All the more reason to order that smashed avo, drizzle olive oil on your roast veggies, and to top your favourite Soulara meal with a spoon of almond butter (it goes with pretty much anything!).

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