Loving the BITE: 5 Tips for Staying Lean this Winter
One of the most frequent questions I receive is “How do I stay lean during the Winter months so I don’t have too lose too many pounds when Spring comes around next year?” I’d love to say it’s easy. But, the colder weather, Holiday eating, less daylight for training, and a natural tendency for our bodies to “hibernate” in the winter present real challenges.
During the next two months, I’m going to unpack some real-life solutions. I’ve got 5 Easy Tips to help you stay lean. Every other week, interspersed with Training Nutrition recipes, I’ll give you one of these strategies for staying lean this off-season.
Sound good?
Recipe of the Week: Delicious Roasted Garlic Broccoli
Ingredients:
- 2 heads of broccoli, separated into florets
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) or preheat grill (use grill if using foil-packet method or a grilling basket).
- In a large bowl, toss broccoli with olive oil, sea salt, pepper and garlic. Spread the broccoli out in an even layer on a baking sheet. If using grill, place broccoli in a foil packet, making sure to seal edges well or place in grilling basket.
- Bake in the preheated oven or preheated grill until florets are tender enough to pierce the stems with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and transfer to a serving platter. Squeeze lemon juice liberally over the broccoli before serving for a refreshing, tangy flavor.
Lean Winter Tip #1: Keep Vegetables the Stars of Dinner
Comments:
Although vegetables and salads may seem like the stuff of summer, a great way to stay lean in the Winter is to continue to load up your dinner plate with them year-round. I know it’s easy to gravitate toward warmer foods in the Winter. Although I recommend uncooked fresh vegetables at least 50% of dinners, you can definitely include cooked ones 50% of the time (or more, if it’s a deal-breaker) for you. In general, I recommend 2 cups of fresh vegetables or 1 cup cooked at dinners. There are a few reasons why:
1) Vegetables offer a huge variety of nutrients. We’re talking about nutrients that aren’t easily quantified or defined, like phytochemicals antioxidants and others that promote health and reduce risk of disease. In addition, there are nutrients we can quantify, like healthful fiber, vitamins, minerals, and more. All for very little calories.
2) Vegetables fill you up and help you control portions of the other foods. Vegetables add volume to your meal. Most people will eat a similar volume at meals, whether it’s of lower-calorie vegetables, high-carbohydrate foods, or calorie-laden, rich foods. So, if you’re trying to say lean, use this to your advantage and eat your veggies at dinner. Of course, this is not all you’ll eat. I recommend healthy protein sources, healthy fats, and vegetables at dinner for a balanced, satisfying meal while minimizing refined carbohydrates and grains.
3) If cooked right, they are delicious. This recipe is a great example. If you don’t enjoy vegetables, you’re probably not preparing them or dressing them right…keep trying!
Looking for other cold-weather vegetable ideas? Try:
Foil Packet Meals with Load of Vegetables
Delicious Stir-Fry with Green Beans
Vegetables in place of Starches such as Lettuce Wraps, Cauliflower Rice, Spaghetti Squash Pasta, and Zucchini Noodles
I get it. It can be easy to eat fresh, in-season vegetables during the summer. And, it can also be easy to crave rich, comfort foods during the Winter. It’s also easy to put on Winter pounds year after year that you regret Spring after Spring. The easy road is not always the best one. This off-season, you can stay strong, fit, and lean. And, you can do it without having to be too strict with eating. Start with this first tip, and keep meeting your fitness and health goals year round!
Fuel Your Ride. Nourish Your Body.
Almost nothing beats roasted broccoli! So tasty it’s almost sinful. We usually roast and devour an entire tray with ease.
For roasting at high temperatures, I prefer to use a fat that is more stable like coconut oil or ghee. I save the olive oil for post-cooking drizzling.
Don’t forget a good amount of quality protein!