If you’ve given any thought to living a healthy eating lifestyle, then you may have run into many of the same roadblocks we all encounter. For starters, the plaguing question is, “Where do I start?!” followed by, “How can I find meals that are practical and easy to prepare?!”
No worries, I gotcha covered! In this post I’m going to share 20 healthy winter meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack! I’ll also share a few tips that have helped me along my healthy eating – and meal planning – journey.
Where Do I Start?
After much trial and error, the simplest way I suggest a person to start is with choosing a health plan. I typically try to stay away from the word “diet” as its definition has changed over time.
When I use the word “diet,” I’m referring to a health plan. For some people, health concerns like high blood pressure, low/high cholesterol, and food allergies have to be taken into consideration. For others, it may just be a matter of choosing how you want to eat and to support what.
I’m a huge advocate for eating according to the Creator’s Health Plan which can be easily tweaked and modified to suit any help concerns. However, I’ve never experienced bad things happening from eating clean meat, fruit, and vegetables.
The biggest thing to watch for is the quality of the meat and produce you buy. Corn and scrap fed animals will not yield the healthiest kind of meat. Just like “hot house” (as my mom calls it) grown produce won’t have the fullest of nutrients. This is where it pays to picky!
Where are the Practical, Easy-to-Cook Meal Ideas?
I don’t want to sound like I’m bashing the chefs, recipe sites, and cookbook creators out there but truth be told… majority of the recipes floating around use 15+ steps with ingredients that are hard to find in your everyday grocery store.
No bueno.
If you’re a busy, work-from-home, homeschooling mama like me then you need two things – quick and simple. Something I’ve started doing is finding recipes that I can break down or minimalize and still come out with a great tasting dish.
Don’t get me wrong, there are simple and quick recipes floating around out there. You just gotta do some lookin’!
Winter Meal Planning Made Simple
Intimidated By Meal Planning?
Have NO IDEA Where to Start?
Feeding a Family with Picky Eaters?
These questions, and many others, can be the determining factors in whether you start meal planning – and actually stick with it. Trust me, I totally get it. I can the Que…
Now for the good stuff… I’ve compiled a list of quick and easy go-to meals that you can build a pretty yummy meal plan from. Mix-and-match and switch them up to create an entire month’s worth of meals. Substitute what you need, and add what you want! Enjoy!
If you’re planning to start your lifestyle of healthy eating, I’d like to leave you with a few tips that have helped me along the way:
KISS – keep it simple!
Start by choosing a health plan – a way of eating, such as: plant-based, vegetarian, Biblically-clean, etc.
Set a budget.
Plan your meals around your budget.
Grocery shop according to your meal plan.
I offer these tips – and more – in my FREE 3 Days to Better Meal Planning email series. Opt-in to start your journey to healthier eating and happier meal planning in as little as three days!
Ready to Meal Plan with Purpose?
If you said YES, then this is the series for you! In just 3 short days you’ll be on your way to healthy, happy meal planning!
2020 is upon us. We’re entering into a new decade now. It’s the time of year when many are setting new goals, resolutions and making their plans for the New Year.
Many of these will include health & wellness goals for the year of 2020. This is great! I believe we all need to be working towards becoming more of who we’re truly meant to be. This includes continually improving upon our health & wellness.
But! Before you set your 2020 health & wellness goals in stone, I implore you to consider setting your goals and intentions from a Biblical perspective.
Seek Our Creator First, Not Man
Unfortunately, many Believers don’t truly seek our heavenly Father’s wisdom when it comes to the area of health & wellness. We seek Him for many other things but tend to turn to the “experts” when it comes to our health. Many get caught up with all the fad diets, jumping from this diet to that diet to the next diet.
Many tend to forget true health & wellness is actually more than just diet. Also, many misunderstand what diet really means; this contributes to continually trying new “diets” far too often. Over time this damages the body in a variety of ways.
It’s unfortunate many Believers decide to go with the popular choice of the day rather than choosing the Father’s diet plan. He intelligently created this plan for us. And truthfully, for many, we don’t need another “diet” we need a lifestyle change.
It’s time to choose to trust & believe that the beginning of true health & wellness is following our Creator’s eating plan and His way of living.
Interestingly enough, our intelligent Creator has laid out very plainly a way of living. This way of living includes a diet plan, as well as blessings or curses depending on if we follow His ways or not.
The Blessings & Curses of Health & Wellness
One doesn’t need to look far to see the numerous health concerns out there today. There’s a plethora of autoimmune diseases, 3 types of diabetes, and numerous mental concerns. Obesity, heart disease, infertility, PMS, and cancer are on the rise. And sadly, there’s much more that could be added to this list of growing aliments.
And things are really only getting worse.
The thing is, for Believers, we’ve been warned about this at the beginning of our Bibles. Our Creator tells us plainly in His Word what will happen if we choose to follow or not follow His ways.
Below are 7 verses which share these blessings and curses:
Blessings & Curses in Scripture
{Emphasis mine}
See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing, if you listen to the mitzvot (commandments) of Yahweh your Elohim (God) that I am giving you today; and the curse, if you don’t listen to the mitzvot of Yahweh your Elohim, but turn aside from the way I am ordering you today and follow other gods that you have not known.”
Deuteronomy 11:26-28
IF you listen closely to what Yahweh your Elohim says, observing and obeying all this mitzvot which I am giving you today, Yahweh your Elohim will raise you high above all the nations on earth; and all the following blessing will be yours in abundance – if you will do what Yahweh your Elohim says:”
Deuteronomy 28:1-2
BUT if you refuse to pay attention to what Yahweh your Elohim says, and do not observe and obey all His mitzvot and regulations which I am giving you today, then all the following curses will be yours in abundance:”
Deuteronomy 28:15
IF you will not observe and obey all the words of this Torah that are written in this book, so that you will fear this glorious and awesome name, Yahweh your Elohim; then Yahweh will strike down you and your descendants with extraordinary plagues and severe sicknesses that go on and on. He will bring back upon you all the diseases the Egyptians had, which you were in dread of; and they will cling to you. Not only that, but Yahweh will bring upon you all the sicknesses and plagues that are not written in this book of the Torah – until you are destroyed. You will be left few in number, whereas you were once as numerous as the stars in the sky – because you did not pay attention to the voice of Yahweh your Elohim.”
Deuteronomy 28: 58-62
Therefore, observe the words of this covenant and obey them; so that you can make everything you do prosper.”
Deuteronomy 29:8
I call on heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have presented you with life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore, choose life, so that you will live, you and your descendants, loving Yahweh your Elohim, paying attention to what He says and clinging to Him – for that is the purpose of your life!”
Deuteronomy 30:19-20a
Intentional Self-Improvement Journal
Helping you THRIVE – not just survive from the INSIDE OUT!
This is a faith-based journal resource created for the sole purpose of helping you thrive in life through intentional self-improvement. The prompts, affirmations, and words of encouragement are all Scripture-based.
Take Him at His Word, Especially for your Health & Wellness
Unfortunately, far too many don’t take our Creator seriously when He shared with us if we choose not to follow His ways we will suffer curses, many of which are health-related. I highly encourage you to go and prayerfully read Deuteronomy 28-30; seeking His wisdom while you read it.
If we truly believe our heavenly Father is the Ultimate Source of wisdom, then we need to choose to take Him at His Word, trusting in His intelligent design.
When it comes to our health & wellness goals of 2020 may we all see the intelligent wisdom in our Creator’s dietary food laws and the value of following and obeying them.
Thankfully, eating Biblically clean isn’t actually hard to do. We’re told in Deuteronomy 30:11 following His ways aren’t too hard for us. Glory halleluYah! 🙌🏻
How to Follow a Biblically Clean Diet
As I just mentioned, following a Biblically clean diet isn’t actually hard. Sure we may have to give up a few things, but what’s a little diet clean-up compared to the joy of knowing we’re living a more pleasing life to our Creator?
Here are 6 simple and easy steps to start eating a Biblically clean diet:
Eat according to our Creators clean and unclean list found in Lev. 11 and Deut. 14
Avoid processed foods, added sugars, artificial sugars, flavours, and colourings
If you choose to eat grains only consume soaked and sprouted grains; avoid processed flours that are not soaked/sprouted, especially wheat
Eat a well-balanced diet: don’t over-consume one food group. Unless its veggies, eating lots of veggies is generally a pretty wise idea 😉
Avoid conventional dairy and meats. These aren’t just terrible for our health; they go against many of the Biblical guidelines of how to treat people, animals and our planet.
What about Real Health Ailments?
If you do feel you need to try out a new diet for health reasons, such as diabetes, an autoimmune disease, cancer, depression, etc., I highly recommend working with a qualified health coach/practitioner, naturopathic doctor or functional medicine practitioner before doing things yourself.
As one who studies nutrition & health-related subjects, I understand the necessity of bio-individuality when it comes to diet. I see there’s generally not one thing that truly works for every single person on earth today. And why is that? Because we’re choosing not to follow our intelligent Creator, as well as all of the toxicity and dis-ease we have here on planet earth.
I believe it is necessary for many to seek the guidance and counsel of professionals. Working with someone to help understand the root cause of the dis-ease is essential sometimes. But starting with seeking the wisdom of our heavenly Father and following Hisintelligently designed plan is the first and most important step in creating true and lasting health & wellness.
I also believe the one thing that truly does work for every person is following a Biblical diet. This doesn’t necessarily mean a “kosher” diet because while Pepsi is actually “kosher” it’s definitely not healthy or Biblically clean! A Biblically clean diet is following His dietary guidelines, eating as much fresh and organic whole foods as possible.
In Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 these guidelines are laid out for us. I encourage you to go and refamiliarize yourself with them if you’ve forgotten some.
Health & Wellness for 2020: Beyond Diet
As I mentioned earlier, true health & wellness isn’t just what diet we’re following, it’s so much more. Being holistic beings (spirit, soul, mind, and body) we need to approach ourselves as such.
Therefore, for your health & wellness goals of 2020 I also highly encourage you to remember to include things such as:
spending daily, quality time with our Creator
meditating upon His Word
practice speaking His truth throughout the day
truly believing our Heavenly Father and taking Him at His Word
moving your body regularly
eating more vegetables
seeking His wisdom daily
becoming who you are truly meant to be in Him
let go of what isn’t serving you, such as old habits, past hurts, unforgiveness, bitterness and the like
This year my hope and prayer for you is that you pray and seek our heavenly Father and His guidance for your 2020 health & wellness goals. May you choose to make this the year you take Him at His Word, live according to His intelligent design, and trust He is not only wise but knows best.
And always remember, “AllScripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting ofsin, correcting faults and training in right living.” {2 Timothy 3:16}}Dear friends, I am praying that everything in 2020 prospers with you and that you will be in good health, just as you prosper spiritually. {3 John 2}
Rebecca is a daughter of the Ultimate Creator, Whole Bible Believer, disciple of Yahshua, devoted wife to Ben, homeschooling momma to three, and dog-mom to one ori-pei (who’s pretty much just like another kid). She’s a reader, writer, creator and is definitely considered a “crunchy” momma but is unsure of how she feels about the term “crunchy”. She’s passionate about true Biblical Holistic Health through faith, psychology & nutrition and she writes, teaches and shares about it on her website, rebeccaschartner.com as well as on her Instagram account @rebeccaschartner. If you’re looking for more ways on how to live a more Biblically holistic life be sure to grab her free ebook, 6 Tips to Live a Biblically Holistic Life, and check out her 10 Day Biblically Holistic Reset Cleanse.
Consider the content and meaning of your past year.
What did you learn? What did you do? How did you live it?
Each year, at just this time, I sit with pen and journal, cup of tea and as much time as I can eke out, and answer the thought provoking questions found at the back of Sarah Susanka’s book “the not so big life: making room for what really matters.”
This annual process helps me to amalgamate my annual history and plan for my future year.
Take stock to determine that you are intentionally doing the things you want to do with your life. This is the time of year that you can spend time with your journal and consider the following questions.
Consider your past year:
How have I spent my time?
What are the results of the actions I have taken?
What events, realizations, and understanding have come into being?
What has inspired me?
What makes me grateful?
What were my sorrows and disappointments, and how have they changed me?
What books have I read this year, and what impact have they had?
What movies and other entertainments have moved me, and in what ways?
What journeys have I taken?
What conditioned patterns have I recognized, and what experiences have allowed me to see them more clearly?
Then engage questions about your present:
How am I different now from the way I was last year at this time?
How can I integrate the critical lessons of the past year into my life?
Are there any strategies, phrases, or questions that have particular significance for me right now?
Are there any things I’m trying to force into existence right now? If so, what would happen if I stopped trying to make them happen?
To what part of myself am I giving birth?
What am I becoming?
Has my experience of time changed at all since last year?
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Specifically, what is it that I wish to focus on in the coming year?
If I could sum up all my desires and longings in a straightforward statement spoken from the highest aspect of myself, what would it be?
Then I choose three words to focus my days (thanks Brendon Burchard) for each day of the year. I write these intention words on each daily journal entry and slip them into my iPod as a daily reminder too.
Consider the past, plan for the future, be present in the present.
These questions help us to take stock of where we’ve been and help us plan where we’re going. When you’ve done this all, remember that living happens in the present. Practice being present.
Above all, we cannot afford not to live in the present.—Henry David Thoreau
May this be a useful jumping off point to a successful, satisfying 2020!
Teresa Wiedrick is eager to share the freedoms of the homeschool lifestyle with the skeptical, the intrigued, and the curious. Eleven years ago, she searched for arguments against homeschooling, and that search shifted her family’s next decade. She is a hearty advocate of home education, and encourages other homeschool families to live their charmed homeschool life, despite their challenges.
Yet, having homeschooled for more than eleven years, Teresa is very aware of the intensity and demandingness of this lifestyle. She has had much opportunity in honing her self-care practices and will soon release her book “Homeschool Mama Self-Care: Taking Care of Mama so she can Take Care of her Kids”.
Homeschool hygge: Nothing like an autumn day to entice me to the sofa with a few cozy blankets. Burnt orange candles lit, fireplace blazing toasty and a Pelecis piece playing on Spotify.
The first day of frost woke with us last week. The puppy’s water froze. The chickens hesitated leaving the coop. I hesitated walking the puppy in the morning.
Snow flurries competed with the next clear morning, and the blue sky was white by lunchtime. The kids found gloves and sleds, creating paths before the sun slipped down by mid-afternoon. Got to get me some homeschool hygge.
Homeschool hygge. Those two words go together like synonyms. And those two synonyms speak cozy all over. Yum.
What does hygge even mean? A quality of coziness, defined by Merriam Webster, that makes a person feel content and comfortable. See what I mean? Homeschool and hygge, synonyms.
My top twenty happy homeschool hygge practices:
Kitty cats. Even if it’s a hamster, cuddly furry things help kids focus: kitties in the kids’ bedrooms with math is a happy homeschool hygge practice.
Tea. A common homeschool beverage. In the fall and winter, it is a must. Have you tried yerba mate? That’ll wake you up. (My kids would add cookies too.)
Candles. Lots and lots of candles. It’s just cozy. Last week was World Candlelighting Day. (Yup, there is a day for that and many other odd things).
Fire and candles. Nothing says cozy like a warming fire, workbooks, textbooks, pencils and erasers in front of the fireplace.
PJs. Does it need to be said that pajamas scream homeschool hygge? But what homeschool family isn’t already using this practice?
Morning skincare routine. Perhaps you’ve been doing this for a coon’s age. I’m shamefully, relatively new to this skincare thing. Just.In.Time. for my 45 birthday. (Good thing I have teenage girls teaching me.)
Chocolate and Wine. Two ounces of dark chocolate after dinner. Wine for weekends. Practices that make homeschool mama happy. (Really, I think we should have a homeschool mama wine club. Anyone in?)
Morning cuddles with books and blankies.Afternoon cuddles with books and blankies. Evening cuddles with books, teddies and cute kids. (And yes, I have a blankie too).
Neighborhood walks in the autumn morning frost or walks in the golden afternoon sun and crisp leaves: lots of walks, nature therapy, so I want to go inside and start a fire, grab a book, a cup of tea and my blankie.
Afternoon skis on the canal in winter flurries. A ski with the puppy who is also as eager as I am to get outside. Living in a picture perfect moment, breathing in the great outdoors.
Documentaries. Watching documentaries in the afternoon. Curiosity Stream, Knowledge Network and CBC are our present favourites.
Hot food. Freshly baked bread and savoury soup for lunch.
Fast food. Crockpot creations warming on the counter make dinner plans less complicated.
Spotify warming the sound waves. We build our own playlists for morning studies (classical), afternoon reading (movie soundtracks), or Friday night dance party (our favourite songs).
A hot tub dip at the end of the day (and because we don’t have that wood burning hot tub yet, I’ll also take a hot bath.)
Sleeping in. A total advantage to homeschooling. I am not a master of sleeping in, unless you think 7 am is sleeping in. But we definitely can let the kids sleep in while we get a few more quiet moments.
Coffee. Coffee belongs to every season, every single morning. Cappuccino with toast and homemade apricot jam in the garden for summer. Pumpkin spice latte for fall. Peppermint chocolate for winter. Two cappuccinos for dark days.
Choose your schedule. Finish writing and math studies by lunch. And read read read the afternoon away. Or the opposite of whatever you normally do.
Choose one subject a week and enjoy it thoroughly.
Delete a subject. Or write on a slip of paper every subject, throw it in a jar and let the kids pick one out and not do that subject that week. Definitely homeschool hygge for the kids.
The sunlight is low, the outdoors is cold, and the routines are predictable, so it’s time to harness the homeschool hygge.
Teresa Wiedrick is eager to share the freedoms of the homeschool lifestyle with the skeptical, the intrigued, and the curious. Eleven years ago, she searched for arguments against homeschooling, and that search shifted her family’s next decade. She is a hearty advocate of home education, and encourages other homeschool families to live their charmed homeschool life, despite their challenges.
Yet, having homeschooled for more than eleven years, Teresa is very aware of the intensity and demandingness of this lifestyle. She has had much opportunity in honing her self-care practices and will soon release her book “Homeschool Mama Self-Care: Taking Care of Mama so she can Take Care of her Kids”.
I’ve been on a steady healthy eating kick for quite some time. Recently, I began paying more attention to eating foods for their specific benefits. This also includes understanding what foods are “in season.”
At first glance, most grocery stores would have you believe that all produce is in season all the time – but this isn’t true. Each fruit and vegetable has a season in which you can get the best and most nutritious value from it.
Now that it’s officially winter, my meal plans will shift and accommodate the nutritious foods to help my family and I eat well through the season.
How to Eat Healthy
Before dropping the massive list of yumminess, I’d like to give you some tips of how to actually eat healthy. Incorporating these few ideas (and sticking with them) will have you on the way to eating nutritiously without having to think twice about it.
Know what foods are in season. I gotcha covered on this one for winter (deets below).
Understand nutritional value. Quick Google searches are always the route I take to get this info.
Meal plan with purpose. You know the saying, “Lack of planning is like planning to fail.” This is especially true with meal planning.
If you’re totally new to eating healthier, it can definitely seem overwhelming at first. I totally get it. It took me jumping on and off the bandwagon several times before I stayed on and started driving my own (LOL)! Try these tips to help ease into the process:
Start slow. And by slow I literally mean one meal at a time. Breakfast seems to be the easiest to start with.
Budget for the change. I say this because (1) most people think eating healthier is too expensive, and (2) folks are typically eating out A LOT and that money can be used for healthier grocery shopping. Simply put, set a budget and stick with it.
Start meal planning. Starting the meal plan is easy… keeping up with it is the challenge – but you got this! One meal at a time, one day at a time.
Grocery shop according to your meal plan. I tell people to give themselves wiggle room like write in a takeout meal and/or add an additional $20 for “snack.” Either way, stick with your plan.
Stay consistent. The biggest hurdle is staying consistent. However, this is totally doable once you’re used to meal planning and shopping according to your plan.
Seeing 2020 Clearly Resource Bundle
Don’t wait for the new year!
Start making one choice at a time to create the life you desire! With the Seeing 2020 Clearly Resource Bundle, you’ll have the help you need in three key areas:
Now for the good stuff! This list of foods are easy to incorporate in any meal, any time. They are also reasonably priced and can be found at most grocery stores, farmer’s markets, etc. They are also conveniently listed by category!
Veggies
With the major benefit of helping reduce some chronic illnesses, vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body. Most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories, and offer many nutrients like potassium, fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
During the winter months, add these to your grocery list:
artichokes
avocadoes
beets
brussels sprouts
cabbage
carrots
cauliflower
egg plant
kale
leeks
pumpkins
winter squash
sweet potatoes
tomatoes
Fruit
Working much like vegetables, fruit helps give our body natural nutrients and vitamins that aid in growth and repair of all body tissues, helps heal cuts and wounds, and keeps teeth and gums healthy.
You can’t go wrong with adding these fibrous, vitamin packed fruits to your meal plan:
apples
bananas
blueberries
cherries
dates
figs
grapefruit
grapes
lemons
limes
oranges
peaches
pomegranates
tangerines
Meat/Fish
Being a clean-meat eater (according to Leviticus 11), I only recommend eating meat and fish that are truly healthy for you to eat. Although meat and fish such as pork and shellfish are listed as having nutrients, these kind are not healthy for consumption.
When incorporating meat and fish into your healthy eating habits we then get into nutrients such as protein, B vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Gotta have some kind of meat or fish on your plate? These make some amazing winter meals:
beef
chicken
lamb
salmon
tuna
turkey
Nuts/Seeds
Nuts and seeds are known to have similar nutrients to meat and fish, but what makes these little snackers unique are their benefits to helping with weight regulation, reducing risk of heart disease, and reducing risk for diabetes.
Consider adding these nuts and seeds in snacks, salads, and side dishes:
almonds
cashews
chia
flax
pecans
pistachios
sunflower
walnuts
Oils
Although oils are not considered a food group, adding oil when you cook certain foods can add essential fatty acids. All oils are not created equal so consider the following with cooking and/or making your own dressings:
almond
avocado
coconut
(extra virgin) olive
sunflower
Spices
Spices have a long history of helping with various ailments. From lowering blood sugar and fighting inflammation to relieving nausea and boosting heart health, spices are a great way to add a boost of health and nutrition to your meals.
Keep these handy:
basil
bay leaf
cardamon
cinnamon
clove
cumin
garlic
ginger
oregano
sage
thyme
turmeric
Dairy
With a rise in food allergies, dairy is often among the top that some people (especially children) have to stay away from. I will always recommend that people try to get to the root of their allergy instead of scratching the surface.
If dairy is part of your “diet”, these are good to incorporate for calcium, potassium, and vitamin D:
(real) butter
buttermilk
cheese
cottage cheese
kefir
sour cream
(Greek) yogurt
Healthy Substitutes to Consider
There are other healthy substitutes that you can make with every day foods to help with an overall nutritious eating habit.
Sweeteners
honey (raw)
maple syrup
molasses
sugar (raw)
Whole Grains
oats
quinoa
rice (brown)
wheat
Herbal Teas
cardamon
chamomile
cinnamon
clove
ginger
orange peel
Using the season to help with eating healthy meals has proven to increase the health and wellness of my family and I – and in a natural way. We rarely have sickness hit our home to begin with; however, if/when it does strike, it doesn’t last as long because of healthier immune systems.
When we feel our bodies lacking something – be it energy, tiredness, aches, and/or pains – I choose nutritious foods that naturally cater to that system! It’s a win-win!
Free Nutritious Winter Foods List Printable!!!
To help make your journey to eating healthy this winter much easier, I’ve created a simple (but powerful) printable that you can hang on your refrigerator and refer to as you meal plan this season! Snag it below!
