VOA健康报道2024--Good Wintertime Meals Are Warm, Healthy and Tasty

Winter is settling in across much of the United States, with dropping temperatures, snowfall and icy roads.

But the cold season does not mean weeks of lifeless, colorless meals.

Diet and food experts say winter is a time to experiment. They suggest trying some of the season's vegetables to cook a healthy meal that tastes good.

"Embrace the cold, embrace the winter and appreciate the bounty¹," said Kristen Rasmussen. Rasmussen is a dietician and cook who teaches at the University of California Berkeley.

Here are some suggestions from nutrition experts on how to "winterize" your meals:

Fresh fruits and vegetables

Any produce is good. Only one in 10 Americans eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables each day, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Staple² fruits and vegetables are available all year in American food stores. But winter is also "high season" for a few special kinds.

Citrus fruits, including lemons, limes and oranges, are among the fresh fruit available in U.S. stores in the winter. Other produce we connect with the cold weather are pumpkins³ and root vegetables like sweet potatoes, parsnips, beets⁴ and radishes.

And do not overlook winter's leafy greens. Rasmussen suggests including more chicory into your winter diet, like radicchio, escarole and endive. You can also try different kales and the leafy tops of root vegetables, like radish greens.

If fresh choices are limited, experts say canned and frozen fruits and vegetables still have a lot of nutritional⁵ value. Just do not overcook them. Also make sure these foods do not have a lot of added salt or fat.

Dried fruits, including apricots, dates and raisins⁶, are good for winter meals. Nuts can also be tasty, nutritious⁷ and filling.

"Without a doubt, there's a lot of nutritional benefit, even in dried (fruits)," said Linda Van Horn, a clinical nutrition epidemiologist at Northwestern University in Illinois.

Liquid meals: stew⁸, soup or porridge

Soups, stews⁹ and porridges are foods that have a long history and are eaten in many cultures. They often are made using just one cooking pot which can ease the whole process. They all can be frozen easily for a later meal.

And you can put just about anything in them.

"The benefit of it is that it's all contained," Van Horn said. She noted¹⁰ that nutrients¹¹ from the ingredients stay in the cooking liquid, or broth¹².

These meals are also a way to try out different beans and legumes, which Rasmussen called a "nutritional powerhouse."

They are less costly¹³ than produce and provide an excellent source of protein and fiber¹⁴ said Alicia Henson. Henson is a dietician for children at the University of California San Francisco's Benioff Children's Hospital.

Porridges - in the morning or beyond - are a good way to try out different grains.

"You can make it savory¹⁵ or sweet, you can put leftovers¹⁶ on top...," Rasmussen said, "...or an egg."

Cook for others to nourish mind and body

Winter can be isolating¹⁷ for some people. So, join friends and family for meals even when it is not a holiday.

Eating foods that are "in season" can help people connect with the sources of their food and with their environment, experts say.

I'm Caty Weaver¹⁸.

Devi Shastri reported this story for the Associated Press. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

embrace -v. to take up especially readily or gladly

appreciate -n. to understand the nature, worth, quality, or significance of

bounty -n. a lot of or a surplus of something good

produce -n. fresh fruit or vegetable

recommend -v. suggest or advise

staple -n. something having widespread and constant use or appeal

canned -adj. put in a metal container called a can for long term storage

benefit -n. something that has value

pot -n. a container for cooking

ingredient -n. one of the things that is put into a food to make it taste as it does

savory -adj. having a spicy¹⁹ or salty quality without sweetness

fiber -n. the part of food that cannot be digested

isolate²⁰ -v. to set or keep apart from others

1 bounty   

n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与

参考例句：

• He is famous for his bounty to the poor.他因对穷人慷慨相助而出名。
• We received a bounty from the government.我们收到政府给予的一笔补助金。

2 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

3 pumpkins   

n.南瓜( pumpkin的名词复数 )；南瓜的果肉，南瓜囊

参考例句：

• I like white gourds, but not pumpkins. 我喜欢吃冬瓜，但不喜欢吃南瓜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put lights inside. 然后在南瓜上刻出一张脸，并把瓜挖空。 来自英语晨读30分（高三）

4 beets   

甜菜( beet的名词复数 )； 甜菜根； （因愤怒、难堪或觉得热而）脸红

参考例句：

• Beets are Hank's favorite vegetable. 甜菜根是汉克最爱吃的蔬菜。
• In this enlargement, barley, alfalfa, and sugar beets can be differentiated. 在这张放大的照片上，大麦，苜蓿和甜菜都能被区分开。

5 nutritional   

adj.营养的，滋养的

参考例句：

• A diet lacking in nutritional value will not keep a person healthy.缺乏营养价值的饮食不能维持人的健康。
• The labels on food products give a lot of information about their nutritional content.食品上的标签提供很多关于营养成分的信息。

6 raisins   

n.葡萄干( raisin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These raisins come from Xinjiang,they taste delicious. 这些葡萄干产自新疆，味道很甜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mother put some raisins in the cake. 母亲在糕饼中放了一些葡萄干。 来自辞典例句

7 nutritious   

adj.有营养的，营养价值高的

参考例句：

• Fresh vegetables are very nutritious.新鲜蔬菜富于营养。
• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。

8 stew   

n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑

参考例句：

• The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
• There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。

9 stews   

n.炖煮的菜肴( stew的名词复数 )；烦恼，焦虑v.炖( stew的第三人称单数 )；煨；思考；担忧

参考例句：

• Corn starch is used as a thickener in stews. 玉米淀粉在炖煮菜肴中被用作增稠剂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Most stews contain meat and vegetables. 炖的食物大多是肉类和蔬菜。 来自辞典例句

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 broth   

n.原(汁)汤(鱼汤、肉汤、菜汤等)

参考例句：

• Every cook praises his own broth.厨子总是称赞自己做的汤。
• Just a bit of a mouse's dropping will spoil a whole saucepan of broth.一粒老鼠屎败坏一锅汤。

13 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

14 fiber   

n.纤维，纤维质

参考例句：

• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
• The material must be free of fiber clumps.这种材料必须无纤维块。

15 savory   

adj.风味极佳的，可口的，味香的

参考例句：

• She placed a huge dish before him of savory steaming meat.她将一大盘热气腾腾、美味可口的肉放在他面前。
• He doesn't have a very savory reputation.他的名誉不太好。

16 leftovers   

n.剩余物，残留物，剩菜

参考例句：

• He can do miracles with a few kitchen leftovers.他能用厨房里几样剩饭做出一顿美餐。
• She made supper from leftovers she had thrown together.她用吃剩的食物拼凑成一顿晚饭。

17 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

18 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

19 spicy   

adj.加香料的；辛辣的，有风味的

参考例句：

• The soup tasted mildly spicy.汤尝起来略有点辣。
• Very spicy food doesn't suit her stomach.太辣的东西她吃了胃不舒服。

20 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。