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Winter Nutrition

The winter season often brings changes to our daily habits.

We tend to crave more comfort foods, become less active, and may not hydrate as well.

These seasonal shifts can impact our energy levels, immune function and overall wellbeing.

With winter bringing cold and flu season, it becomes even more important to support our immune health.

Focus on nutrient dense quality wholefoods foods that provide vitamins A, C, D & E, zinc, and iron.

Gut health also plays a key role in immunity. Incorporating fibre-rich foods, whole grains, legumes, and an array of colourful vegetables, as well as trying to include new fermented foods in your diet such as yoghurt, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut can do wonders to support a healthy gut microbiome.

Eating seasonal produce is another simple way to maximise nutrition, flavour, and value. Winter favourites like root vegetables; parsnips, beetroot, turnips & pumpkins, leafy greens as well as broccoli & cauliflower are packed with key nutrients.

Finally, as with all good nutrition plans, organising weekly shops and meal planning is key. Creating a new exercise plan that fits with the winter weather can be a good idea. Prioritising exercise and finding motivation to stay active can help maintain healthy habits all season long.

Make the best of winter produce with this delicious winter warmer recipe.

This recipe has been compiled by Elaine, our Nutritionist based in our Belmont pharmacy.

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Root Vegetable Bake with Dukkah Salmon and Greens

Ingredients:

  • 4 salmon fillets
  • 1 bunch of kale
  • 4 x red skin potatoes
  • 1 x large sweet potato
  • ½ butternut pumpkin
  • 1 large fresh beetroot
  • 2 x parsnips
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • 1 cup light cream
  • 2tbs olive oil
  • 2tbs garlic infused olive oil
  • ½ block danish feta cheese
  • 4tsp dukkah
  • Dried herbs – chives and thyme work well
  • Salt and pepper

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 180C
  • Lightly oil a large Pyrex or deep ceramic baking dish with olive oil.
  • Prepare the kale by washing it well, slicing it and removing any very course sections of the stalks. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Drizzle with garlic infused olive oil, add salt and paper and toss well to coat. Set aside to be added to the oven later.
  • Using a mandolin slicer on thin – slice the potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potato, beetroot and parsnips. (A mandolin or slicer tool works best here to achieve nice thin slices.)
  • In a jug add the stock, cream, minced/grated garlic, salt and pepper and herbs – stir until well combined.
  • To prepare the bake for the oven – spread a layer of the root vegetables (about a 1/3 of them) on the base of the baking dish, pour a third of the stock mix over the layer and repeat 2 more times. Add a small amount of additional seasoning on the top of each layer.
  • Next cover the dish with foil and place in oven for 60mins or until it feels soft when you test with a knife. Take the foil off half way through the cooking to get a nice golden top.
  • Next prepare your salmon. In a smaller baking dish, line with baking paper and lay out salmon fillets. Drizzle each fillet with olive oil. Season with salt and paper and then add a teaspoon of dukkah on to each fillet, smooth over and press in. Add the salmon in to the oven when the bake has about 15-20 minutes to go. Cooking time for the salmon will depend on your preference as well as the thickness of the fillets. At the same time add your tray of kale into the oven also.
  • Once all the components are ready, crumble some Danish feta over the top of the bake.
  • Serve up each plate with a portion of the bake, a salmon fillet and a large helping of the kale.
Enjoy!

Tips/edits:

  • If you prefer you can section the vegetables in the bake rather than spread them out in a random fashion.
  • If you don’t like kale, broccolini prepared in the same way works very well too
  • Add a helping of kimchi or sauerkraut when you serve up to accompany the salmon and boost your gut health!
  • The bake can be easily reheated the next day.
This recipe has been compiled by Elaine, our Nutritionist based in our Belmont pharmacy.

Elaine is an Associate Nutritionist (ANutr.) with the Nutrition Society of Australia.

Elaine is passionate about evidence-based advice to improve your overall health and wellbeing. Working one-on-one in partnership with you, Elaine will guide your journey to better health, ensuring you have goals and check-ins along the way.

Begin your journey today!

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