Healthy eaters - what fresh food can you find in the winter, what do you eat? (ingredients, freeze)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I eat a LOT of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussell sprouts, spinach, and romaine, all of which are currently in my fridge. I make mashed cauliflower and riced cauliflower. Broccoli slaw mixed with mayo is delicious. Brussell sprout salad (shredded) and roasted sprouts (whole or halved), sprinkled with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spinach cooked in eggs. Romaine and spinach salads.
I do not eat root vegetables (potatoes, beets, turnips, rutabagas). Most I just plain do not like, and they also have too many carbs for my eating plan.
For fruit, I prefer berries. Good fresh ones are hard to come by this time of year, so I do get a bag of frozen mixed berries and keep that in my fridge to top my chia pudding, put in my smoothies, or mix in with my plain yogurt.
We love rutabagas so much that mashed rutabaga with salt and butter is part of our traditional Christmas meal. We eat it all winter but for that special meal we eat it in honor of our Scandinavian ancestors. They depended so much on this hearty, well-keeping vegetable that here in the Midwest people actually called them "swedes."
The last time I bought one the kid behind the cash register frowned and said, "What's this?"
Cabbage, also. I fix it au gratin in a cheese sauce.
A little food history here. I read in a book called "The History of Food" that during the plague the Dutch faired somewhat better than their European neighbors. It said the reason for this was their habit of eating root vegetables which the majority of Europeans scorned as hog food.
I agree on living in AZ/the produce here. We are so close to the source/are the source right down the road in the low desert, there's always a great variety of great fresh produce year round.
If I lived in cold/snow country far away from the source of decent fresh produce, besides canned or dried beans, rice, or things like fresh potatoes or romaine hearts which keep/are ok fresh in the winter, I'd buy most of my vegetables frozen. Frozen isn't my favorite but it's nutritious and often tastes better than many things sold as "fresh" in winter in most of the country based on my experience when visiting the "tundra" zones. You have my sympathies.
The same thing every winter. Squash, turnip, carrots, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, potatoes. I use frozen corn, peas, blueberries, strawberries. Good oranges are expensive so I skimp on them except for a treat. You can still get bananas in winter. We eat more stews and pot roasts. Just do the best you can until fresh food is available again.
I eat a LOT of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussell sprouts, spinach, and romaine, all of which are currently in my fridge. I make mashed cauliflower and riced cauliflower. Broccoli slaw mixed with mayo is delicious. Brussell sprout salad (shredded) and roasted sprouts (whole or halved), sprinkled with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spinach cooked in eggs. Romaine and spinach salads.
I do not eat root vegetables (potatoes, beets, turnips, rutabagas). Most I just plain do not like, and they also have too many carbs for my eating plan.
For fruit, I prefer berries. Good fresh ones are hard to come by this time of year, so I do get a bag of frozen mixed berries and keep that in my fridge to top my chia pudding, put in my smoothies, or mix in with my plain yogurt.
love all the veggies and yes, I mash cauliflower as well. Love it combined with mashed potatoes. I never thought about brussel sprout salad, we usually roast them or mashed them with lemon and butter. I even love those you say you do not like: beets are my favorite; prefer turnips raw. There are so many good veggies even in the winter. We are blessed to have many choices.
I have to say, we have lived in 7 states including northern VA where the winters were pretty cold, I have always found enough fresh produce winter and summer to satisfy us. A friend in VA said she had one phrase to describe me: the lady who served fresh veggies year around. I guess that was a compliment?
We love rutabagas so much that mashed rutabaga with salt and butter is part of our traditional Christmas meal. We eat it all winter but for that special meal we eat it in honor of our Scandinavian ancestors. They depended so much on this hearty, well-keeping vegetable that here in the Midwest people actually called them "swedes."
The last time I bought one the kid behind the cash register frowned and said, "What's this?"
Cabbage, also. I fix it au gratin in a cheese sauce.
A little food history here. I read in a book called "The History of Food" that during the plague the Dutch faired somewhat better than their European neighbors. It said the reason for this was their habit of eating root vegetables which the majority of Europeans scorned as hog food.
I agree on living in AZ/the produce here. We are so close to the source/are the source right down the road in the low desert, there's always a great variety of great fresh produce year round.
If I lived in cold/snow country far away from the source of decent fresh produce, besides canned or dried beans, rice, or things like fresh potatoes or romaine hearts which keep/are ok fresh in the winter, I'd buy most of my vegetables frozen. Frozen isn't my favorite but it's nutritious and often tastes better than many things sold as "fresh" in winter in most of the country based on my experience when visiting the "tundra" zones. You have my sympathies.
One of the more unique things about living in Arizona is that fresh produce of good quality is hard to find in July- September, a period where most of the country has loads of it. We are only now starting to see the trickle of Mexican produce coming north.
However, the situation in the rest of the country is no longer that dire. With produce sourced throughout the world, you can get MOST items for a good portion of the year if you are willing to pay a slightly higher price.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
