Eat well in winter: tips from a top PT

PT and nutrition expert Zanna Van Dijk explains how to keep your healthy diet on track throughout the frosty months – so you look great and feel even better.

Increase your iron intake

Iron is essential for the production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. This is intrinsically linked to your energy levels, and a low iron intake can cause you to feel lethargic. Red meat is a great source of easily-absorbed iron, so try to up your intake to around 500g a week. Other less efficiently absorbed sources also include bread, eggs, lentils and dried fruit.

Increase your Vitamin D intake

This is an essential vitamin and it’s super important for calcium absorption. We get it from sunlight as well as our diet, so in winter months when we get less sun we need to make sure we increase dietary sources like oily fish and whole eggs.

Make healthy comfort food

Make shepherd’s pie with lean mince and topped with sweet potato mash, or a lean turkey chilli with brown rice. Comfort food doesn’t have to be unhealthy, it can be cram-packed full of veggies, nutritionally-balanced and still make you feel all warm and fuzzy on cold days.