It’s time to ditch common winter warmer meals and ingredients for healthier spring alternatives.
Get your health, vitality and energy levels back on track for spring and summer with these easy food swaps to spring clean your winter diet.
- Common winter option: Dairy milk chocolate
- Spring alternative: Raw cacao powder or nibs
Why: Everyone needs some comfort food in winter and there are few things as satisfying as enjoying a bar of milk chocolate while snuggled under a winter blanket. However, the milk chocolate is packed full of processed sugar and is devoid of any nutrients. Cacao, on the other hand, is packed full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. You will need to use the cacao in a recipe as it has a naturally bitter taste, but the options are endless. Try this amazing cacao chocolate mousse for instance…
TRY THIS: Chocolate Protein Hazelnut Truffles Recipe
- Common winter option: Latte
- Spring alternative: Green tea
Why: Green tea will still deliver the caffeine kick your body has become accustomed to, but without all the calories. The green tea is also packed full of healthy natural antioxidants, along with various other beneficial compounds that aid fat metabolism.
- Common winter option: Rolled oats with raisins and cinnamon.
- Spring alternative: Chia seed pudding.
Why: Chia offers are packed full of fibre, alpha-linolenic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, and calcium, magnesium, selenium and iron.
TRY THIS: Chocolate & Coconut Chia Pudding Recipe
- Winter food: Bacon, egg and sausage breakfast.
- Spring alternative: Greek yoghurt with nut granola and raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.
Why: While a hot breakfast is the perfect way to start a cold winter morning, the saturated fat content of the bacon, sausage and egg meal can leaving you feeling lethargic and full. The yoghurt, nut and berry option still offers a combination of healthy fats, good calories to support your daily activities, and a whole host of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to boost your health and vitality.
Author: Pedro van Gaalen
When he’s not writing about sport or health and fitness, Pedro is probably out training for his next marathon or ultra-marathon. He’s worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms expert. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.
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