Oh, the Weather Outside Is Frightful...and So Is Your Diet: Why Wintry Comfort Foods Make Us Fat (and Why Going Vegan Is the Solution)
Our tendency to seek out meat- and dairy-rich dishes in the winter is making us unhealthy and overweight. The good news is you can overhaul your cold-weather favorites without feeling deprived—and Mary Wendt, MD, offers five helpful hints to get you started.
New York, NY (December 2015)—Winter is upon us now, and everybody is feeling the chill—and maybe the winter blues, too. Many of us cope with cold weather dreariness by turning to our favorite comfort foods. Think mac and cheese, hearty chicken soup, hot chocolate, creamy cheese-laden potato dishes, an extra pat of butter (or two) on our bread. It's only human to seek out foods that warm us up and make us feel cozy. The problem is they plump us up too.
It's no secret our favorite cold weather dishes lead to seasonal weight gain (and let's be honest: major health woes). But what most people don't realize, says Mary R. Wendt, MD, is that they can enjoy hearty, satisfying winter meals that fit into a much healthier diet—specifically, a plant-based one.
"The foods people are traditionally drawn to in the winter also happen to be loaded with meat, cheese, butter, and cream," says Dr. Wendt, founder of www.getwaisted.com and author of Waist Away: How to Joyfully Lose Weight and Supercharge Your Life (Doctor Doctor Press, 2014, ISBN: 978-1-49749246-2, $14.95). "Animal products, in other words. And that's a problem. But the good news is that you can go vegan—or at least move in that direction—without sacrificing the richness and flavor you crave." (NOTE: See attached tipsheet.)
The hard-to-swallow truth is that our favorite comfort foods (delicious as they may taste) are making us all fat and sick, mostly due to high levels of saturated fat and inflammatory protein found in animal products. Dr. Wendt asserts that the extreme focus on meat and dairy in our culture is leading many people down a path to health risks like obesity, heart attack, high cholesterol, and hypertension.
Still, Dr. Wendt insists that you can spare yourself that spare tire this winter by seeking out vegetables, fruits, and grains. And don't assume eating a plant-based diet means you have to shiver through the winter subsisting on icy smoothies and unsatisfying salads.
"It's a misconception that vegan foods have to be raw and lacking in substance," she insists. "They absolutely don't. This winter you can enjoy a lot of warming, substantial, and healing plant-based meals without missing the meat and dairy. The solution is to reinvent your favorite comfort foods to make them healthier than ever before."
To get you started, Dr. Wendt offers five easy tips to help you modify your favorite winter dishes—and maybe even be swimsuit-ready come spring. (And don't worry: If you're not ready to go full vegan, cutting out some animal products will benefit your health tremendously.)
· Savor Seasonal Carbs. "The seasons naturally guide us in the foods we should be eating throughout the year," Wendt comments. "In the fall and winter, there's a bounty of seasonal vegetables that will scratch your itch for carbohydrates." For example, winter squashes (butternut, acorn, etc.) are delicious, rich, and filling. Whereas you may have once gorged on mac and cheese, enjoy instead a "pasta" made from spaghetti squash topped with a veggie marinara and scrambled tofu. You can even try this with carrot noodles or other root vegetables!
· Beckon for Beans. Chili and other wintry stews don't need to contain chicken or beef to be hearty and satisfying! If you are in need of plant-based protein, look no further than the humble bean. Beans are actually very filling and nutritious. Furthermore, they taste great and blend well with other flavors found in soups and stews. Try substituting lentils, kidney beans, or pintos in place of the meat the next time you start a nourishing pot of stew.
· Remake Your Mashed Potatoes. Remember that you don't have to eat your mashed potatoes the way Mom made them. Swap out the butter and cream! There are lots of plant-based substitutes for dairy that can recreate this classic comfort food dish. A few substitutions are coconut milk, almond milk, and extra virgin olive oil. Even garlic, when roasted, becomes velvety and spreadable just like butter, and its savory flavor goes well with this dish! There are some great vegan butters on the market too. And if you want to go the extra mile, you can even swap out your white potatoes for more nutrient-dense veggies like cauliflower or sweet potato.
· Go Global for Inspiration. "Ethnic" foods are very easy to remake with a plant-based twist. If you have a soft spot for Mexican food, burritos and fajitas are delicious when prepared with beans, rice, peppers, and onions. Add in a whole wheat or non-GMO corn tortilla wrapper to add a burst of nutrients. Look to do the same sort of swaps with Indian and Asian dishes as well. Lentils and most veggies go hand in hand with rich Indian curries, while tofu marries perfectly with the umami of an Asian-influenced stir fry. Furthermore, exotic and comforting spices like turmeric, cumin, and chili powder can help warm you up when it's cold outside.
· Do Dessert Sans Dairy. No one is claiming dessert foods are "healthy," but with a little effort they can be made much less "bad" for you. The Internet has countless vegan dessert recipes developed by both brilliant dessert chefs and talented home cooks alike. Look around and find plant-based desserts that resonate with you. Once you taste a tray of piping hot vegan brownies or sip an almond milk-based hot cocoa by the fire, you may wonder why you didn't make the shift to a plant-based diet long ago.
"This winter is the perfect time to start swapping out meat and dairy for plant-based options," Dr. Wendt concludes. "Because we seek out heartier and more filling foods this time of year, you will spare yourself countless calories by choosing vegetables over meat now. By the time it warms up, you will be well on your way to a healthier lifestyle, and will have spared yourself typical seasonal weight gain to boot."
