Ah, the feeling of wintertime brings many great thoughts to mind—warm drinks at night, snow angels, Christmas decorations, and so much shopping. The impending season also brings one desirable idea to mind: Healthy recipes to stay lean in winter.

If you’re a sucker for meals made from the heart, eggnog, and snickerdoodles, then gaining inches and pounds at the end of each year may be a familiar tune. And as much as you’d like to avoid having your year-round fitness goals head straight to the landfill, keeping things up during the most festive season is a task easier said than done.

But nobody said that it had to be impossible, especially when you have the right healthy winter recipes on deck to stay lean in winter. 

Healthy Recipes That Will Help You Stay Lean In Winter

The average winter meal isn’t very good for your heart. The ingredients can be heavy, chock-full of carbs, and laden with unhealthy fat. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize this and end up gorging on helpings of breakfast, lunch, and dinnertime favorites until they bust their buttons open and need to get new pairs of pants. 

Now that the winter season is in full swing and you are in a festive and eating mood, here are some top-notch recipes that Food Fire Knives’ chefs both recommend and can cook for you:

Healthy Wintertime Meal Idea #1: Chicken Stew with Vegetables

If there’s anything that can best pair a cold winter and keep you warm, it’s a chicken stew with vegetables. This recipe is as straightforward as it is hearty, with a serving of freshly-prepped veggies and chicken in a casserole dish along with broth and seasonings. Once everything’s added, you bake the casserole dish at a medium temperature for an easy, delicious, healthy, and no-stress dinner.
(Note: This easy chicken stew recipe can also be made in the slow cooker!)

Healthy Wintertime Meal Idea #2: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Taco Soup

Craving for tacos this wintertime but don’t want to cheat on your diet, macronutrient allocations, and calorie counting efforts? Get the best of both worlds with a slow cooker vegetarian taco soup! 

All you need is a pot with different kinds of beans, corn, Tex-Mex spices, and stewed tomatoes. With all your ingredients added to the pot, the next step is to put it all into your slow cooker for an eight to 12-hour cooking time!

(Note: The longer you slow cook your soup, the richer it gets—even a 24-hour slow boil is worth considering!)

Healthy Wintertime Meal Idea #3: Lentil Soup with Spinach and Spicy Sausage

So, you want to be healthy but aren’t keen on giving up your meat and good fats. You’re in luck because a lentil soup with spinach and spicy sausage can do the trick.

All you need to do is stir onions, celery, and leeks for about five minutes in a Dutch oven to help create the flavor base for your stew. After everything is nice and aromatic, add lentils, kale, potatoes, carrots, canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, water, and seasoning to the pot until the lentils themselves are fork-tender. 

Once your stew is ready, add in your turkey, chicken, or vegetarian sausage for a nice, hearty, and delicious dinner or even breakfast!

Conclusion-Keep You Lean In The Wintertime

When it comes to feasting during the wintertime, amazing meals don’t always have to be sinful. In fact, they can be healthy if you work with the right recipes to keep you lean in the wintertime.. You can make these meals yourself or, better yet, hire a personal chef to do all the dirty work while you sit back and relax with your family and friends.

If you’re looking for a private chef or in-home chef experience in Charleston, Food Fire + Knives has a full range of professionals that can win anyone over with our top-quality skills. Visit our website today to book a session and find a professional that best suits your needs!