Help keep well through winter with a healthy and balanced diet

Planning meals, staying hydrated and having your five a day are just some of the ways to help keep yourself well through winter.

In addition to keeping warm and active, there are multiple steps you can take when it comes to your diet to support your wellbeing through the colder months.

Having a healthy and balanced diet is important for supporting the immune system, which defends the body against infection.

With common viruses such as colds and flu more likely to circulate during the winter, it is important to maintain a good intake of fruit and vegetables.

Pictured: Members of the nutrition and dietetics team (full caption at the end).

Sioned Quirke, Swansea Bay’s Head of Nutrition and Dietetics, said: “It’s really important to keep up with your five a day through the winter.

“Fruit and vegetables have a range of vitamins and minerals which will support your immune system, because winter tends to be the season where colds and flu circulate.

“A lot of fruit and vegetables that people have been eating during the summer and autumn will be coming out of season. If people want to continue to have that variety, frozen fruit and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh ones and they are often much cheaper.

“We encourage people to eat the rainbow as fruit and vegetables have different colours based on their nutritional content.

“We advise people to eat a variety of coloured fruits and vegetables every day so they get a variety of nutrients.

“There is a huge connection between what you eat and your mental health so it’s really important to keep yourself well nourished.”

Pictured: Dietician Tanisha Davies providing advice.

Cooking as much as possible, rather than opting for alternatives such as processed food and ready meals can have long-term health benefits.

Sioned added: “Processed foods and ready meals have a lot of additives and preservatives that you wouldn’t have when you cook from scratch at home.

“Processed foods which are savoury will generally have a higher salt content too whereas when you cook something at home, you can control how much salt you add.

“We know that too much salt can directly affect your blood pressure, which can cause heart attacks and stroke, so we advise people to eat real food and cook as much as possible.

“Time can be an issue for some people so it’s not to say don’t ever eat processed foods but try and cook as much as possible. You could freeze vegetables that you’ve chopped to use in another meal to save time, for example.”

Planning meals, batch cooking and keeping an eye on portion sizes are all helpful tips that can help you during the winter.

Taking time to plan what you’re going to eat that week not only helps to keep you on track but can also benefit your bank balance too.

“Planning your meals can help to keep food waste to a minimum,” Sioned said.

“During the winter, energy costs can go up so planning your meals in advance is one way to save money and also help to avoid unnecessary extras.

“In supermarkets, it is often unhealthy foods that have promotions on them so we advise people to stick to a list.

“Batch cooking is also helpful as you can make a big meal in a slow cooker, for example, and freeze portions which helps to make the most of your ingredients and saves energy.

“We also advise people to be mindful of their portion sizes, comfort eating and snacking because a lot of people say they tend to be less active during the winter.”

While most people prioritise staying hydrated throughout the summer months, it is just as important during the winter too.

Sioned (pictured) added: “It is really important to keep hydrated during the summer because it’s hotter but actually it is just as important in the winter too.

“You still need to drink two litres of water a day.

“Dehydration can actually lead to a lot of health problems, especially for older people.

“So always keep a bottle of water nearby, have caffeine-free drinks as well as your tea and coffee.

“Soups also count towards your fluid intake as well.”

Full caption (from l-r): Dieticians Ellen Hanson-Bartholomew and Miranda Burdett-Joyce, clerical officer Hayley Jones, Head of Nutrition and Dietetics Sioned Quirke, and dieticians Isabelle Williams and Tanisha Davies.