With New Year’s Resolutions fresh on the mind, everyone is focused on getting healthier this time of year. After all, summer beach bodies are made in gloomy winter workouts and eating habits!

Brighten up your winter and your plate with these seven winter superfoods!

Beets

Beets are hard to beat when it comes to superfoods—pun intended.

This root vegetable’s deep red color and natural sweetness bring not only flavor, but also beauty to the table!  They can be used in anything from salads, to a healthy red velvet cake, to pink pancakes!Not to mention, they are HIGHLY nutritious, containing vitamin B-6 and minerals such as iron and magnesium.

If you want to have this superfood without much fuss, toss some beats on your salads, simply bake them or even throw them on the grill! Beautiful. Delicious. Nutritious.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes contain a LARGE amount of vitamin A, typically even more than your body needs! Vitamin A is key for good vision and a healthy immune system.

Sweet potatoes are truly the perfect combination of starchy and sweet, especially when roasted. Roasting brings out the natural sugars and flavors of the sweet potato, making it a perfect salad topping, soup base, or side dish! And, if you haven’t had sweet potato pancakes, you are seriously missing out.

Brussels Sprouts

So, it turns out that your mom was right when she told you to eat your Brussels sprouts. They not only contain vitamin C, vitamin A and the mineral Manganese, but are also a great source of antioxidants.

You can steam, roast, or boil Brussels sprouts. My personal favorite, and how I convinced my little brother to eat them, is by roasting them with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, a dash of salt, pepper, and a little garlic. You won’t believe how right your mother was – these are delicious.

Squash

Squash is not only delicious, but also very easy to work with! Butternut, delicate, and spaghetti squash are the fall/winter harvest varieties. They are high in fiber and contain many other great nutrients such as potassium, vitamin B6 and folate. In just one cup, you can get almost half of your recommended daily dose of vitamin C, which can help strengthen your immune system!

Squash is high in beta carotene, an antioxidant that protects the body’s cells against chemicals and pollutants. Instead of regular pasta this week, give spaghetti squash a try. It is a lower calorie, higher nutrient choice for sure!

Avocado

Technically, California’s avocado growing season spans February-September, but Mexico’s avocado crop is consistent year-round making avocados an excellent, affordable choice any time of the year! 

Avocados are high in healthy (monounsaturated) fats and are a great source of folate, omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, and vitamin B6. They can help to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and even potentially aid in the fight against cancer!

A great new dish to try is avocado toast. Simply take a piece of whole grain toast, drizzle it with olive oil, place ripe avocado slices on top and sprinkle with some salt and pepper!

Garlic

For thousands of years, garlic has been used in the treatment of illness and disease because it is excellent for the immune system. Researchers have actually seen garlic work against bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

Some people say that just 1-2 cloves of garlic a day helps the body fight off a cold. I would say that it’s certainly worth a try this flu season!

Fennel

To give you a visual in case you don’t know what fennel is: it has a light green bulb, out of which grow superimposed stalks topped with feathery green leaves. Fennel is the perfect way to add a little licorice-like tang to your winter menu.

It is low in calories and excellent for the immune system—great for protecting against the nasty flu season! Fennel is sometimes compared to celery, but it contains a much greater amount of vitamin C.

The crisp and slightly sweet bulb of the fennel plant makes an excellent raw salad topping. If you cook the bulb by braising, sautéing, roasting, or grilling, it mellows and softens. Healthy sautéed fennel and onion make a wonderful side dish, braised fennel goes well with scallops or salmon, and you can even include raw fennel on your sandwich as a topping along with lettuce and tomato! Give it a try!

What are your favorite healthy recipes for winter? Share in the comments below!