Gray weather, rain, chilly wind… as soon as the temperatures drop, we start the season of tartiflettes, raclettes and others friendly dishes that warm. Our arguments, to give in to gluttony: “it’s cold, so our body needs more energy to function, and that’s comforting!”. Of course, traditional winter dishes are comforting and convivial, but they are also high in calories! Fortunately, there are a few tricks to lighten them without neglecting the gluttony. History not to increase too much the figure of your BMI!
Above all, avoid soft foods
“It is common to gain a little weight in winter, analyzes Dr. Florence Solsona, nutritionist and author of 50 golden rules of slimming (ed. Larousse). Because we naturally crave rich foods during this period. A trend that normally reverses in the summer, when we lean more towards salads and fresh food. The problem is that we often don’t lose the weight gained during the winter.”
Hence the interest of not letting go so as not to accumulate, over the years, kilo after kilo. And to try to lighten up gratins, raclettes and other winter dishes as much as possible.
- We dare vegetables instead of potatoes. Some vegetables have a texture similar to potatoes and go very well with raclette cheese. Our favourite? Butternut squash. We cut it into cubes, we cook it in the oven with garlic. And hop, we serve. This has the advantage of leaving out starchy foods.
- Don’t forget the salad. In a small corner of the plate, next to potatoes and charcuterie, it brings a healthy dose of fiber and also satisfies you to prevent you from rushing on the cheese. We play the character salad card with arugula which goes very well with melted cheese (it’s not for nothing that it is often found on pizzas).
- We drink water… or tea! Deli meats and processed hard cheese have a strong tendency to dehydrate the body. We therefore remember to drink throughout the meal, and we can even imitate our Swiss friends by betting on black tea or herbal tea.
Please note: the weather can also affect the weight
The weather, especially the amount of light perceived by our retina, influences our mood. In the fall, the sky is overcast, we spend most of our time locked up, it gets dark early… Result: the retina no longer perceives enough light, which affects the production of serotonin and melatonin . Some people have the impression of slowing down, both physically and mentally.
This is called “seasonal depression” or “seasonal affective disorder”: we feel tired and we eat to compensate, preferably rich or sweet foods (if we consoled ourselves with steamed celery, it would be known). Not to mention the period from New Year’s Eve to the galette des Rois, formidable for the silhouette.
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