Seasonal Nutrition: December
December is a time of celebration for many people, but it has more than just the holidays for you to look forward to! A lot of people don’t think of the winter months as a time of the year that yields great bounty nutritionally, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! Many incredibly healthy foods come into season in December. Here are a few your Los Angeles personal trainer thinks you should add to your shopping list!
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are an incredibly healthy food. Maybe you have bad memories of mushy spouts drenched in butter from your childhood dinner table, but you need to let that go – because sprouts can be made so much more delicious and healthy (no offense, Mom!).
They can be roasted and sautéed easily, providing you with a delicious way to enjoy these low –calorie miniature cabbages that also happen to be an excellent source of Vitamin C. Pro tip: Choose smaller sprouts for the biggest flavor!
Clementines
Clementines are candy in the form of a fruit! They are easily portable and usually seedless, making them a great snack to take with you when you’re on the go. You can add them to your morning smoothie or in a salad too. However you enjoy them, your Los Angeles personal trainer recommends that you take advantage of the Vitamin C in a clementine in order to support a healthy immune system and fuel your body right.
Pears
Perhaps the adage should be that a “pear a day keeps the doctor away,” because pears provide more nutritional punch than you might be aware of. “Nutritionally, pears are very similar to apples,” says Lalo Fuentes, CSCS, “but if I had to choose between a pear or an apple in a nutritional face-off, pears would win each time.”
Pears are full of fiber – one of the highest fiber fruits you can find. Plus, they’re juicy and delicious, but they have a much smaller seasonal window, so enjoy them while you can!
Kale
OK – so kale has become a nutritional cliché, but that’s for a good reason. Kale is very good for you and just so happens to be a vegetable that is at its best in winter. Personal trainers love kale because it’s full of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and even provides you with a good punch of protein in a low-calorie package.
Cherimoya
Cheri-what? Cherimoya is a fruit new to many people. It’s traditionally grown in South America but is also grown in California. You can easily find this sweet, large, green fruit at your local farmer’s market. They’re relatively low in calories but are high in Vitamin C and Vitamin B6, as well as potassium. If you’re sick of bananas, then you may want to try a cherimoya!
Los Angeles personal trainers like Lalo Fuentes, CSCS, will tell you that the cornerstone of any healthy eating plan is to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. That’s why eating seasonal produce is a good idea, because it provides you with tasty but nutrient-dense foods when they’re at their peak.