Our in-house Nutritionist, shares her favourite food to stay in shape this winter
Stephanie Malouf, our in-house nutritionist works with clients on weight loss and weight management and she reveals the food she recommends most to clients that want to keep the weight off during winter.
Winter is always a challenging time to keep in shape. Workouts can get interrupted as it’s harder to get outdoors or out of bed in the morning. We also opt for more comfortable loose fitting clothes, making it harder to tell if the kilos are creeping up and we crave comfort foods which are commonly very calorie dense.
However there is one food that I consistently recommend to my clients wanting to avoid the winter weight gain and that is warming low-starch veggie soups. They not only taste good, but they are nutrient packed and keep you looking and feeling great.
Low starchy veggies include broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, cauliflower, onion, leek, carrot, eggplant and tomato. These are low in carbohydrates and rich in fibre which means they keep you feeling full and satisfied without the calorie overload found in high starch veggies such as potato, pumpkin and sweet corn. Starch is a form of carbohydrates which when eaten in excess, can cause weight gain.
During the winter time we often crave warming comfort foods which can lean towards high starchy carbohydrate options such as pasta and mashed potato. Replacing these with low starch warming veggie soups is a great way to satisfy those comfort cravings.
Using bone broth as the base not only boosts the flavour but also the gut healing benefits along with the protein content which keeps you feeling full and your blood sugar levels stabilised.
Here are some of our favourite low-starchy veggie recipes over at Undivided Food Co.
Creamy Mushroom & Thyme Soup (Dairy Free)
Or try one of our 10 minute soup combos or create your own!
As a general rule, follow these steps…
01 Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil, butter or ghee.
Omit this step if pressed for time and/or there is no onion or garlic in the pantry ;)
02 Add chosen ingredients from list 2 and cover with bone broth. Simmer until soft.
03 Serve as is or blend for a creamy soup.
Our favourite combinations:
Broccoli/Zucchini: Add veggies at step 02. Blend if you like!
Cauliflower/Leek: Add veggies at step 02. Blend if you like!
Broccoli/Rocket: Add veggies at step 02. Blend if you like!
Beetroot/Beet Greens/Coconut Milk: Add veggies at step 02. Definitely blend.