Winter is fast approaching! I’m in Florida visiting my mother and it hardly seems possible that it could be winter. But it was in the teens when I left Iowa a couple of days ago and I’ll be heading back to the snow, ice, and cold all too soon.
It may seem like summer here in Florida but there are some changes in fresh produce available at the grocery store, compared with what was available earlier, that tells me otherwise. It’s time to slightly modify your strategy for choosing low calorie, high fiber fruits and vegetables for healthy eating, weight maintenance, and weight loss.
The good news is that some of the best choices from other seasons continue to be readily available at reasonable prices.(See Best Low Calorie, High Fiber Summer Fruits and Vegetables) Fresh broccoli is available pretty much year round. Winter squash, cabbage, and cauliflower, all good choices in the fall, should still be around. And sweet corn can be found in the frozen foods section. For fruit, continue to look for pears, apples, and bananas. (See Fall Fruits and Vegetables: Low Calorie and High Fiber)
So what’s new or different? Are you ready to be adventuresome? Some of the better vegetable choices for winter may be ones you have not tried.
Vegetables:
Artichokes: 1 medium cooked artichoke has only 60
calories with 6.5 grams of fiber!
(Artichokes are often eaten with a dipping sauce. Try a healthier low calorie dipping sauce other than the often recommended butter or mayonnaise. How about your favorite low calorie mustard mixed with a little olive oil?)
Turnips: 1 cup cubed cooked turnips has 3.1 grams of fiber with only 33 calories.
Bok Choy: 1 cup cooked bok choy has only 20 calories with 2.7 grams of dietary fiber.
Kale: 1 cup cooked kale has 2.6 grams of dietary fiber and 36 calories.
(Kale tends to be too bitter to be eaten raw. When cooked it has a spicy or peppery flavor. And it is chock full of nutrients! Try adding kale to soups or stir fries. Or braise in vegetable or chicken broth and serve with grilled meat.)
Fruit:
Clementines: 1 medium fruit has about 34 calories and 1.3 grams of dietary fiber
Tangerines: 1 small fruit provides approximately 31 calories and 1.6 grams of fiber.
Mandarin Oranges (canned) – Mandarin oranges are actually tangerines. 1/2 cup of mandarin oranges has about 46 calories and 1 gram of dietary fiber
Ugli fruit: 1 medium fruit (about 5 oz.) has approximately 36 calories and 2 grams of dietary fiber.
(Have you tried these? I understand that they are named ugli fruits because of their appearance. But looks can be deceiving. They are a cross between oranges and grapefruit and they can be discolored and odd-shaped. But they evidently have a sweet, citrus taste, are seedless, and easy to peel. This fruit can make a good snack or addition to salads. I will definitely give this fruit a try this winter! How about you?)
