4 Seasonal Vegetables That’ll Make You Feel Amazing This January
A lot of people know all about the environmental benefits of eating seasonal vegetables and fruit, like reducing carbon emissions because seasonal local vegetables don’t have to travel around the world in a plane. But what about the nutritional side?
The Health Benefits of Seasonal Eating
I’ve noticed that sometimes we’re not quite as clear on the health benefits of seasonal eating as we are on the environmental ones. As part of our push to brighten up your January with our Daily Yay campaign, I thought I’d let you know what’s in season, so you can give seasonal eating a go.
Did you know that produce that’s grown in the right season not only tastes way more delicious, it’s also got a lot more nutrients, because it’s been grown in its ideal conditions. Additionally, seasonal vegetables often contain the nutrients we’re lacking most during that season. Clever stuff! Here are some of our favourite seasonal British fruit and vegetables this January. Find out just how they can boost your health in January 2017.
Beetroot
Beetroot is just off the charts when it comes to its nutritional value. Not only did a study in 2008 show that people who drank beetroot juice managed to lower their blood pressure — which leads to a healthier heart, it’s also seriously high in fibre, which is great for digestion. Not to go on and on about the amazingness that is beetroot, but it’s also got a mineral in it called Choline which helps you sleep soundly and is great for your brain and memory.
Get fit: Did you know, that beetroot juice improved performance by 2.8% (11 seconds) in a 4-km bicycle time trial and by 2.7% (45 seconds) in 16.1-km time trial? We didn’t until now! Beetroot juice has this effect because it allows your muscles to oxygenate more effectively during exercise, which in turn helps your stamina and exercise tolerance during long-term endurance exercises.
Our favourite beetroot recipes:
- Sri Lankan Prawn Pilaf with Beetroot and Herb Slaw (in next week’s Classic Box)
- Too Tasty Beetroot and Lentil Salad
- Mexican Chicken Wraps with Appley Beetroot Slawand Potato Wedges
Leeks
Leeks don’t often get a shout out when you think of superfoods, but as well as being delicious, they’re actually really good for your heart’s health. Leeks contain kaempferol which strengthens the lining of our blood vessels, meaning they’re less likely to get damaged.
Be good to your heart: It doesn’t stop there. Leeks are extremely rich in folate, which is a vitamin that maintains a good level of homocysteine which if allowed to increase too much can lead to heart disease.
Our favourite leek recipes:
- Bacon and Apple Pork Parcel with Appley Leek Couscous and Tenderstem
- Leek and Potato Gratin with Goat’s Cheese and Spinach
- Butterflied Chicken with Feta, Leek and Minted Potatoes
Kale
It’s January. If you’re doing a post Christmas detox, you should definitely be adding some kale into to the mix. Not only does it help remove toxins but also helps eliminate them from your body.
Healthy eyes
That lovely dark green colour that kale is well known for can be attributed to two key minerals, lutein and zeaxanthin. Those bad boys support healthy eyes and prevent conditions cataracts.
Our favourite kale recipes:
- Soy & Honey Baked Salmon with Green Bean Bulgur Wheat & Stir Fried Kale
- Oven Baked Chicken with an Orange, Kale and Sesame Quinoa Salad
- Sweet Potato & Aubergine Malaysian Laksa Curry with Brown Rice(v)
Blood Oranges
The whole citrus fruit family are very high in vitamin C, which is essential at this time of year because it helps keep away nasty coughs and colds. In fact, one medium blood orange will provide you with over 100 percent of your daily vitamin C needs.
Lower your cholesterol: The reason blood oranges stand out from the rest of the citrus fruit is because of their red pigment anthocyanin, which acts as an antioxidant and fights against heart disease. Anthocyanin also helps to lower bad cholesterol levels and keeps your blood vessels strong and healthy.
Our favourite Blood Orange recipe:
Join the Daily Yay
Enjoy seasonal eating and don’t forget to join the Daily Yay for more little tricks on making January awesome.
Join The Daily Yay
The Fresh Times brings you stories from our HelloFresh family all over the world. This story was originally published on our UK blog: blog.hellofresh.co.uk
