Winter Produce That Is Surprisingly High In Nutrients

The cold and dark weather winter brings make it much harder to get all the fresh fruits and vegetables you love. Many local farmers' markets close their doors in the winter, and grocery stores offer fewer exotic and locally sourced options. While finding healthy and fresh food at your local market is challenging when it’s cold, you can still find several varieties of healthy winter produce.

Some of the most nutritious winter produce options you can find in most grocery stores include kale, butternut squash, turnips, and leeks. Carrots, beets, parsnips, and sweet potatoes are healthy root vegetables you can find in abundance in cold months. Mushrooms are a protein-rich option, while swiss chard, broccoli, and cauliflower are loaded with fiber and vitamins.

Since winter is known for the flu, colds, and other ilnesses, it’s important to eat healthy foods packed with nutrients this season. It might be easier to find foods loaded with vitamins in the warmer months, but there are still plenty of nutritious fruits and vegetables that are available in the winter. The key is knowing which items to add to your grocery cart.

16 Nutritious And Healthy Winter Produce Options

1. Kale

Kale is hailed as a superfood, and for good reason. This dark, leafy green is not only cold-hardy, but it’s also packed with health benefits. It is a good source of vitamins A, C, K, and others nutrients and is also rich in fiber and folate.

This green is great raw in salad and also delicious when cooked in a stir-fry or added to soups. It also tends to stay fresh longer in the fridge than many other salad greens.

2. Cauliflower

Winter is when you’ll find cauliflower in abundance at your local markets. While you can find it throughout the year, it is often more affordable in the fall and winter months. This white cruciferous vegetable is packed with vitamin C and vitamin K and is also rich in antioxidants, making it great for your immune system. Cauliflower can also help reduce inflammation. This tasty vegetable is very low in calories but high in crunch, making it a great vegetable to keep stocked in your fridge throughout the winter. 

3. Broccoli 

Cauliflower’s green cousin, broccoli, is also loaded with nutrition. This vegetable is a good source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as antioxidants. Broccoli is known for its high fiber content as well, which makes it a great vegetable for digestive health, and it also has strong anti-inflammatory properties.

4. Parsnips

Parsnips are an often-overlooked root vegetable. While less common than carrots, these fall and winter vegetables are equally delicious and are also quite healthy. Parsnips are a good source of several vitamins, including C and K. 

They are also rich in folate and fiber, considered a fantastic vegetable to help prevent heart disease, and can also assist in regulating blood sugar. They are naturally sweet but low in calories.

5. Carrots

Carrots are plentiful and affordable throughout the year at grocery stores around the world. In the winter, when other veggies are scarce, you can still find this orange root vegetable in abundance. Carrots are famous for their high levels of beta-carotene, which helps support eye health and night vision. They are also a good source of fiber and B vitamins and can even promote skin health.

6. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a delicious and healthy starch. You can use them in everything from breakfast foods to French fries, and you can even make a delicious holiday pie with them. While these root vegetables aren’t as low in carbohydrates and calories as some other vegetables on this list, they are still very healthy. Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A, iron, and antioxidants, and support immune health. These potatoes also last a long time in the kitchen pantry, making them a great, nutritious winter staple.

7. Beets

Beets are famous for their sweet flavor and vibrant color, but these unique root vegetables are also very nutritious. Beets are known for their sweetness, but are surprisingly low in calories. They promote heart health and are high in nitrates, which support brain health. They are even linked to increased immunity and lower blood pressure.

8. Cranberries

Fresh cranberries are an autumn and winter staple. You can find them in food and beverages throughout this season, and while some of the foods made with this red berry aren’t all that healthy, fresh cranberries are very nutritious. They are rich in antioxidants and are also known for their antibacterial properties, often helping with urinary tract infections. They are also a good source of vitamin C and can help fight cell damage.

9. Turnips

Turnips are yet another highly nutritious root vegetable you can easily find in the winter months. These tasty roots are high in vitamins C and K, making them great for your immune health. They are also a good source of calcium and iron, which promote bone health. Turnips have a unique taste and are low in calories, making them an ideal healthy side dish for the winter.

10. Fennel

Fennel is known for its distinctive anise flavor and is used to enhance the flavor profiles of all sorts of dishes. While it’s famous for its taste and unique shape, fennel is also worth eating for its nutritional value. Not only is fennel rich in vitamins, but it is also known to promote digestive health, skin health, and can even help you feel more relaxed.

11. Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is the king of all fall squash, and it’s so resilient that you’ll find it in grocery stores throughout the winter as well. In addition to its versatility and delicious and creamy taste, butternut squash is also a healthy vegetable. Like other orange-flesh vegetables on this list, butternut squash is a good source of beta-carotene, which supports eye health. It is also rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, making it an overall great produce item to keep in stock in the winter.

12. Raddichio

Raddichio is an ornate and delicious winter vegetable. It’s the perfect hardy and leafy green to add to salads in the winter when other lettuces are sparse. It’s also filled with vitamins and antioxidants, including anthocyanins. It promotes heart and immune health, and adds a lovely pop of color to any dish you add it to.

13. Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is another resilient green that you can find in abundance in the late fall through early spring. It has beautiful red and green colors, making it a festive addition to any salad or soup. It is filled with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. This miracle green is great for your heart, immune system, and bone health.

14. Mushrooms

Mushrooms are available year-round, including in the winter. What makes this food unique is its shockingly high protein levels. Button, shitake, and oyster mushrooms are particularly high in protein, but most of these fungi are considered good sources of protein, making them a winter essential for vegans.

15. Leeks

Leeks are a fantastic and underrated vegetable that are widely available in stores starting in the fall, and through late spring. These stalky vegetables are members of the allium family, but don’t taste anything like an onion. Instead, they have a lovely, subtle flavor. They promote a healthy heart by lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure. They are also rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

16. Red Cabbage

If you’re looking for a beautiful, resilient, and long-lasting vegetable to add to your winter grocery list, look no further than red cabbage. A head of this type of cabbage can stay fresh for weeks, much longer than lettuce.  Red cabbage is also very nutritious. In addition to having hardly any calories, it is also packed with fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins A, C, and K. While all cabbage is healthy, red cabbage is filled with more nutrients than most green cabbage varieties.

Summing Up Nutritious Fresh Produce Items Available In Winter

Winter in the produce aisle might feel depressing compared to the cornucopia you experience in the spring and summer. While there is less variety, you’ll be surprised by how many nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables you can find when the weather is freezing. Some highly nutritious winter vegetables include parsnips, turnips, beets, carrots, leeks, fennel, and mushrooms. Amazingly healthy winter greens include kale, Swiss chard, radicchio, and red cabbage.

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