Eating for warmth: Making your meals work for you on cold days
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - When the weather is this cold, what you eat can make a difference when it comes to staying warm.
Cold cereal is fine to start your day, but if you're looking to get warmer, make like Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Most of us don't call it porridge anymore and today the bears would be reaching for some oatmeal.
"Choosing a whole grain rolled out for oatmeal is a great choice, and maybe adding protein powder or peanut butter or something with that to enhance the protein value is a great option in the morning," explained Allegheny Health Network dietitian Alianna Anselmi.
She said your digestive system needs to be active all day long.
"It makes you feel warmer since you're burning calories and your body's working on the inside, so it's kind of like a workout for your digestive system which traditionally warms us up," she explained.
Anselmi also stressed the importance of making sure you're eating about every four to five hours, but about the food sticking to your ribs? She reminded us that's a physical impossibility.
"I think that's just a term for when it's a heartier meal," she said. "It takes longer to digest is probably a more accurate description."
Of course, there's always the classic on a cold day - chili - but you should be creative.
"It's really customizable, versatile, and a great way to get different types of sources of protein and as well as vegetables," she said.
Plus, if you're a fan of spice, that could help with warmth. According to Anselmi, spicier foods can create the sensation of sweating, an increased heart rate, and that kind of reaction on a cold day.
Now, if soup is your thing, go for something thicker or make it a chicken noodle soup.
"Maybe, enhancing that with some whole grain rice instead of egg noodles to just increase the nutritional value is a great option as well," Anselmi said.
She also brought up pierogis as a good idea as well as cooked veggies.
As for snacks between meals, she recommends fruits like apples, oranges, mangos, and avocados.