14 Winter Superfoods You Should Add to Your Menu Today

Winter superfoods pack a nutritious punch when you need it most during the cold and drab months, beating the weather with a hit of goodness and flavor.

Superfoods are super because they are rich in compounds like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. All this goodness can help you combat colds and see out winter feeling fit and healthy.

These 14 winter superfoods that I love offer nutrition and goodness and are packed with flavor, color, and deliciousness, perfect for your cold-weather menus.

1. Blueberries

Blueberries rank high on the winter superfood list because they contain a considerable number of health benefits. They are high in antioxidants, vitamins B6, C, and K, and the minerals phosphorous and manganese. As if that wasn't enough, blueberries are low in calories, high in fiber, and have almost no fat.

These benefits mean blueberries are excellent at satisfying your appetite and sweet tooth, helping to manage weight as part of a healthy diet, and maintaining your digestive and heart health. Blueberries are available fresh and frozen year-round, with both being equally beneficial.

2. Avodaco

A well-known superfood, avocados are packed with nutritious credentials. Folate, potassium, vitamin E, lutein, and magnesium start the list, followed by antioxidants that combat harmful free radicals in the body and high fiber and monounsaturated fats to help increase good cholesterol levels.

Avocados are also versatile, making them easy to consume as a smoothie, in a salad, as guacamole, or even on toast for breakfast.

According to HCA Houston Healthcare, regularly eating avocados can protect against heart disease, cancer, degenerative eye and brain diseases, and more.

3. Cabbage

Cabbage has a bit of a bad reputation, probably due to the dismal 80s cabbage soup diet! But cabbage is a powerhouse of goodness, with a half cup of shredded raw cabbage containing one-third of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C.

Cabbage is also way more versatile than you think. Try it in a rich soup with bacon, shredded to make a tasty slaw, as a sharp pickled cabbage salad, or add to mashed potato for colcannon, a traditional Irish dish.

4. Chia

The daddy of seeds, chia seeds, are tiny but mighty! Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which support heart health, flexible joints, and optimal brain function, they also provide protein, fiber, calcium, manganese, and phosphorus.

These powerful little seeds can be eaten raw, sprinkled on fruit, in smoothies, and over salads, or added to oatmeal or muffins and made into a creamy coffee-style drink with milk.

5. Pomegranates

A jewel in the colorful fruit world, pomegranates are known as the most potent antioxidant of all fruits. An ancient fruit originating in Persia, they are an excellent vitamin C and fiber source. Additionally, they provide vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium, and iron.

Pomegranate seeds are beautiful and can be used wherever a pop of glistening color, tart sweetness, and crunch is called for. Sprinkle them on curries, over salads, onto roasted meats, or add them to your breakfast smoothie or fruit bowl.

6. Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, pomelos, lemons, and limes are rich in vitamin C, which supports collagen production, necessary for developing, maintaining, and repairing strong and healthy body tissues.

Citrus fruits are the quintessential winter superfood as they come into season in December in the northern hemisphere, bringing color and flavor into the dark winter months. Eat them out of their skin, juice them, or add to salads for a bit of zing and zest!

7. Brussels Sprout

A love-it-or-hate-it vegetable, Brussels sprouts need tender loving care to bring out their best side. As a kid, I was force-fed these every Christmas dinner and found them bitter, watery, and tasteless (sorry, Mom, but it's true!).

I now know they are little balls of goodness that are rich in protein and fiber, provide 100% of the recommended daily intake of vitamins C and K, and are a good source of vitamin B6, folate, iron, and manganese.

For the best Brussels sprouts experience, roast or pan-fry them with pancetta and chestnuts.

8. Garlic

The smell of garlic gently sauteeing in a pan of butter is mouth-watering. It's that distinctive aroma from its sulfur compounds that makes garlic a superfood, packed with antioxidants that protect our cells from damage.

Garlic contains many bioactive molecules, but allicin is the one that is responsible not only for garlic's flavor but also for its fabled medicinal properties. To release the allicin, the garlic bulb must be damaged by chopping, mincing, or grating, which is serendipitous indeed!

9. Kale

Kale has rapidly become one of the world's favorite superfoods due to its extraordinary amount of vitamins A, B6, C, and K, folate, fiber, carotenoids, and manganese, and very low-calorie count; one cup of raw kale has just 36 calories.

Kale retains its shape and texture when cooked and can be stir-fried, steamed, or roasted. It's a popular smoothie ingredient and makes flavorsome kale chips when roasted. I like it made into a kale pesto in winter when basil is out of season.

10. Winter Squash

The term winter squash describes squash harvested and eaten when their seeds have fully matured and their skin has hardened to a rind. Familiar types of winter squash include butternut, white acorn, and sweet dumplings, recognizable by their beautiful colors and shapes.

Winter squash are a superfood because they have high amounts of vitamins A, B6, and C, antioxidants, and fiber. People often use squash (a fruit, not a vegetable) as a substitute for a sweet filling, with pumpkin pie being the most famous example.

11. Ginger

Ginger is a root vegetable treated as a spice because of its fragrant flavor. It's packed with antioxidants, whose molecules help manage free radicals, compounds that can damage cells when their numbers grow too high.

A natural component of ginger is gingerol, which encourages digestion and the rate at which food exits the stomach. This can offer nausea relief for pregnant women, those receiving chemotherapy, and anyone suffering from bloating and gas.

12. Cauliflower

A superstar amongst cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower is a versatile veggie whether eaten raw, cooked, roasted, grilled, or mashed. I like mine best with a cheesy sauce!

Cauliflower is high in vitamins C and K. It is also an excellent folate source, supporting cell growth, low in sodium, and fat- and cholesterol-free. A one-cup serving contains only 29 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of fiber.

13. Broccoli

Another cruciferous superfood, broccoli, is a low-calorie, nutrient-dense food that is a versatile ingredient. According to PubMed Central, broccoli is a rich source of fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, potassium, iron, and antioxidants. It has also been shown to contain bioactive compounds with significant health-promoting effects.

To bring out broccoli's tender texture and deep flavor, try roasting with steam or stir-frying or sautéeing in olive oil with a little lemon juice and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese before serving.

14. Oatmeal

Oats are the OG superfood and have been known as a human ingredient for over 30,000 years. Oats are loaded with fiber, including the fiber beta-glucan, high-quality protein, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant plant compounds.

Be careful which oats you buy, though, as they have recently been re-invented as a highly processed instant food. The most intact oats are called oat groats, but they take a long time to cook. Good options for your morning porridge include rolled, crushed, or steel-cut oats.