It is natural that the human body asks for different foods during different seasons. This is mainly because the body’s requirements for vitamins, minerals and nutrients vary. During the winter, the cold, the lack of sunshine or the shorter days also have an impact on diet. How to keep fit during the winter period, advises the nutritional therapist of the AGEL Zvolen Hospital Ľubomíra Fraňová.

Unlike the summer months, when we take in a lot of beneficial vitamins from seasonal fruit and vegetables without thinking twice about it, we need to be more judicious during the winter. “We should include more filling foods and foods that give us vitamins in our diet. Warm vegetable or meat soups are suitable, but also soups and soups made from legumes. Legumes contain vitamin B, are nutritious, high in protein, fibre, minerals and effectively satiate,” explains Ľubomíra Fraňová from the hospital in Volen. B vitamins are very important during the winter because they provide energy, which we consume more quickly due to the cold weather and shorter days. They also have an invaluable benefit for the nervous system. A phenomenon that many experts address during the winter is the lack of vitamin D, which we cannot get naturally from the sun during this period. This vitamin is important for the proper functioning of immunity, but also for the absorption of calcium, thus actively contributing to the strengthening of bones. It can also be taken from the diet, but it should be remembered that vitamin D is only soluble in fats. “Fish, such as salmon, but also sardines in oil are suitable for vitamin D supplementation,” says the nutritional therapist. You can also reach for avocados, mushrooms or eggs. Vitamin C is also important, as it helps the immune system function properly and fights infections. You can get it by eating citrus fruits, sauerkraut and rose hips, for example. Due to the colder temperatures and freezing temperatures, many people also lose the feeling of thirst during the winter, which can be very dangerous. Clear still water is suitable at all times of the year, but during the winter you can also enjoy a warm fruit or herbal tea, which should be flavoured with honey and lemon or ginger. The diet also changes during the winter for some patients at the hospital in Volen. ”

In summer we always try to use fresh vegetables in our cooking, in winter we replace them with frozen ones. Throughout the year, patients on the diet are given carrot salad with apples or apricots for lunch. In winter, we serve citrus fruit to patients who are allowed to do so,” says the nutritionist. At AGEL Zvolen Hospital, Fraňová prepares 22 different types of diets in cooperation with the hospital’s kitchen according to the diagnoses. “Overall, however, menus are adjusted minimally for the season, mainly because foods preferred in winter, such as legumes and sauerkraut, are often not available to patients on thrifty diets. However, for example, for the 3-ration diet, we also include foods such as Szeged goulash or Kolozsvár cabbage,” adds Ľubomíra Fraňová.