Wholesome Winter Food Trends
Winter is a time for celebration, with heavy, satisfying comfort food recipes at the forefront of most dinner menus. With holiday get-togethers, office parties, cookie exchanges, and more many tend to overindulge. While there’s a time and a place for comfort foods, we at Advanced Biotech are shifting our focus to wholesome winter food trends that are both delicious and balanced enough to keep you going all season long.
Healthy Food Pairings
This is the time of year in which many are looking to make positive lifestyle changes. Enhancing the natural flavor of dishes is an easy way to ensure satisfaction without excess calories and fat. Pairing lean proteins, nutritious vegetables, and complex grains with flavor elements like spices, sauces, and seasonings that pack a punch is an easy and healthy way to enjoy any meal while still maintaining lifestyle goals. Harissa is a Tunisian hot chili pepper paste made primarily from dried red chilis, garlic, citrus, extra virgin olive oil. Spicy, tangy, and flavorful, harissa is relatively low in calories but packs a punch, pairing well with everything from grilled chicken breast to lamb. Honey is a functional ingredient know for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that makes a great addition to marinades, salad dressings, and a glaze for roasted vegetables, adding a subtle sweetness that pairs well with many other flavor elements and naturally tenderizes protein. The juice and zest of citrus fruits like lemon and lime also work to boost the flavor of basic foods like chicken, salmon, and vegetables without added calories, fats, or artificial ingredients.
Low and No-Alcohol Cocktails
Cocktails with low or no alcohol content can help to preserve the flavorful fun of get-togethers without the extra calories and guilt. Mocktails made with high-quality ingredients like cold-pressed juices, fresh herbs, and other botanicals are popular choices among younger Gen Z consumers. One of our favorite mocktail recipes includes hibiscus tea, lime juice, and sparkling water combined and sweetened with honey to create a refreshing and naturally sweet drink. Fresh blackberries, grapefruit juice, chili smoked bitters, and freshly squeezed lime juice topped with club soda and garnished with rosemary make a tangy blackberry Paloma, free of hangovers or next-day grogginess. Older consumers like Millennials prefer low-ABV RTD mixed drink and seltzers with inventive and unconventional flavors like cucumber melon, jalapeno mango, and orange blossom rose.
Winter Produce
Local, seasonal produce is not only naturally delicious and packed with nutrients, it also helps to support local farmers and small businesses. Although the chilly winter months may seem inhospitable to life, there are many fruits and vegetables that are able to grow despite the harsh conditions. Beets are a vibrant, red root vegetable that provide some impressive health benefits. Rich in fiber, folate, and vitamin C, beets are thought to help lower blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease. Kale is another heavy hitter when it comes to naturally occurring vitamins and health benefits. This leafy green vegetable is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet and are rich in vitamin A, folate, calcium, and antioxidants. Roast beets and top kale massaged with olive oil, salt, and pepper for a quick, healthy lunch or side dish.
Although winter is indeed a time for celebrating with rich food and drinks, it can also be a time to make sustainable, healthy lifestyle changes. Fresh, natural ingredients are the perfect way to elevate the flavor and nutrition of most comfort foods as well as support local communities and businesses.