The parties are over, the baking is done and eaten, and most of the bits of wrapping paper and cardboard boxes are recycled. Welcome to January.
This first month of the year is famous for being a long, cold month. After the fun and frolic of December it can even seem gloomy and people are often tired of all the food preparation that comes with the holidays. For those managing food insecurity, January is also a very long month. Many people who are supported by government programs like Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program receive an early December payment, making the wait to the end of January seem endless.
Ensuring access to nutritious food in winter is important because winter brings different nutrition needs and some barriers. For instance, we know there is not enough sun hitting our skin in winter to produce adequate vitamin D. We need to eat more of it and people over the age of 50 need to supplement with vitamin D pills. Winter also brings financial challenges when it comes to accessing some produce.
Locally grown foods, like root vegetables, can be economical. Regrowing some of your produce at home can help too. Some foods, like fresh berries, are just hard to find at reasonable prices in the winter. This winter there may even be some shortages in staple foods like eggs that can impact our wallet and our nutrition.
Despite the challenges of food access and the January blahs we need to keep eating. Getting nutritious food into your diet in winter can even be delicious. For instance, Unlockfood.ca is a great resource for nutrition information and for recipes. Locally grown root vegetables can be the base for many great soups and stews. Combine them with lentils or beans and you’ve got a one-pot meal with great nutrition, protein and fibre and at a convenient price.
Consider buying frozen produce, like raspberries, instead of fresh. It is just as nutritious and you can get almost twice as many frozen raspberries for the same price. Add them to fruit salad or your favourite smoothie for a bit of joy on a grey day.
To offset the cost of buying greens you can start growing a few of your own things right on your own counter. Two or three green onions with their white bulb end in the water can keep growing to provide you with fresh green onions for months. Just let them grow a bit, snip off some green stalks and let them grow again. You can do the same for beet greens and celery. It saves some money, allows you to eat fresh produce and enjoy the success of growing in winter!
One recipe to try this winter is the Ontario Winter Vegetable Soup from Unlockfood.ca and Foodland Ontario:
Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 beets, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups broth
8 parsnips, peeled and diced
3 cups cabbage, sliced
½ teaspoon marjoram
½ teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a large saucepan, combine onion, carrots, beets, garlic and broth.
Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.
Add parsnips, cabbage, marjoram and thyme; cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 min.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley.
Are you looking to help ensure everyone eats this January? There are many food access agencies supporting people with food during the food insecurity crisis in Guelph. Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination maintains a list of our local food access resources in Guelph and in Wellington County. Check them out as places to pick up food as well as places to share your donations of money and food.
