Nutritious Food to Keep You Warm

During the cooler months, staying warm can be a challenge. We bundle up, set the thermostat to a higher temperature and drink warming teas to help fight off the cold. But what we eat can play a role in our body temperature, too! By eating the right foods, your body will have the energy you need to keep the winter chill at bay.

If you want to stay warm this winter without buying a new wardrobe or paying higher-than-necessary heating bills, consider adding more warming foods to your diet! Read on to learn why and how subtle dietary changes can help keep you toasty all winter long.

Diet and body heat

Before we dive into which foods will boost your body heat, it’s important to understand the relationship between food and body temperature so you can move beyond the foods listed below and find others you want to eat more of.

After eating, your body begins working to metabolize and digest your food. This is not a simple process—and because of the effort required, your body warms up. This is called thermogenesis. While consuming just about anything will result in some degree of thermogenesis, foods that take longer to digest are the ones you’re after: think complex foods rich in nutrients, healthy fats, protein and carbohydrates.

Using food to keep your body warm

If you’re looking for some examples of foods that fall into the complex and therefore warming category, here are five easy starting places:

• Bananas: Loaded with vitamin B and magnesium, bananas are a great way to support thyroid and adrenal gland function. Since these glands both work to regulate body temperature, incorporating bananas into your diet is a great way to warm up.
• Oats: Full of fiber, these whole grains digest slowly, keeping you feeling full and your body working to digest for hours.
• Lentils: Like whole grains, complex carbs also require lots of effort from your body to fully break down. This sustains the feeling of fullness and also keeps you warmer longer because your body is working hard to digest.
• Soups and stews: Not only are soups and stews warming because of their temperature, they also typically contain one or more nutrient-dense, complex ingredients like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, whole grains, legumes or root vegetables. These ingredients all slow down digestion and help heat your body up.
• Red meat: Meats like lamb, pork and beef are all excellent sources of iron, which helps to move oxygen throughout the body and prevent poor circulation—people with low iron levels often report cold hands and feet. Red meat is also rich in vitamin B12, a vitamin essential to support a strong immune system and nerve health.

If you’re looking for foods to help keep your body warm this winter, be sure to try out any of these options, but remember: you’re only limited by your imagination. If you want to incorporate some of these foods into your meal plan without spending hours in the kitchen, visit us at Tony’s Delicatessen & Fresh Meats. We offer a whole host of heat-and-serve meals, pre-made soups full of healthy ingredients and high-quality meat and produce. Call us today to see what we have!

Categorised in: Heat-and-Serve Meals

This post was written by Writer