Healthy Swaps for Winter

During the colder months, we often start craving warming foods that are heavy and carb-laden. However, if you’re wanting to keep up a healthy lifestyle, making some healthy winter food swaps is key to enjoying nourishing food without the added carbs. Keep on reading for our top tips and swaps for enjoying classic dishes without compromising your health, as well as our top three low carb winter comfort food recipes to try for yourself.

Healthy winter food swaps

The temperatures might be dropping, but there’s no need to drop your favourite winter classics just because you want to put your health first this season. The key to living a sustainable healthy lifestyle is making switches in your meals that keep you on the path towards your goals in an enjoyable way.

• Breakfast swaps: Rather than a big fry-up in winter, which can be high in carbs and saturated fats, instead use up any non-starchy vegetables in a nutritious omelette, or as a weekend treat try stewed fruit protein pancakes using almond meal instead of white flour.
• Lunch swaps: Rather than reaching for a carb-loaded sandwich for lunch, opt for a hearty soup. Soups are perfect for busy winter days, as they are warming, nutritious and easy to prepare in advance for when you need a quick lunch.
• Dinner swaps: Switch out pastry-based pies for protein-rich stews, chillis or high-fibre shepherd’s pies using lean beef and winter root vegetables. For an even better healthy winter food swap, opt for butternut squash or cauliflower purée instead of mashed potato toppings to increase daily fibre and keep blood sugars steady.

• Dessert swaps: Instead of sugary fruit crumbles or chocolate puddings that spike your blood sugars, try an all-natural Dark Chocolate Protein Bar to quell your cravings, or a healthy crumble recipe that uses rolled oats and almonds as the crunchy topping alternative.
• Drinks swaps: Swap sugary hot chocolates and sweet lattes for all-natural alternatives like our high-protein Keto Hot Chocolate or a simple black coffee. Alternatively, if you’re looking for something more substantial, our Coffee flavoured Original Shake is a great source of protein, fibre and healthy fats to keep you full until your next meal.

Our top three low carb winter comfort food recipes

Mexican-style Shredded Chicken Chilli: It’s hearty, it’s warming and it’s easy to adapt for any family or friends dining with you. This chilli is the perfect low carb winter comfort food on any fasting or non-fasting day.

Beef Bourguignon: It doesn’t get more comforting than a beef bourguignon when the temperatures drop. It’s packed with protein and mood-boosting ingredients that are sure to combat any winter blues this season.

Spiced Mug Cake: If you’re looking for low carb winter comfort food and have a sweet tooth, this mug cake is for you. It’s packed full of indulgent spices and makes use of our versatile Vanilla Shakes Powder to create a deliciously sweet treat that is high in protein and fibre.

The key with all healthy winter food swaps is to focus on batch cooking and keeping convenient staples to hand, like making use of tinned legumes or frozen vegetables. For ultimate convenience when you don’t have time to prepare low carb winter comfort food, check out our range of Protein Shakes and Keto Hot Chocolate. They’re full of all the nutrients you need to keep you going on these winter days, and come in a range of delicious flavours like Chocolate, Salted Caramel and Vanilla.

For more healthy winter food swap recipes, sign up for your 7-day free trial of The Fast 800 Programme where you’ll find hundreds of tasty low carb winter comfort food recipes, as well as tailored meal plans and exercise videos to follow from home when you don’t feel like braving the cold!