Winter Whole-food Recipe Collection

Winter invites simmering pots, citrus-bright roasts, and meals that warm you from the inside out. These five cozy, nourishing recipes made with real ingredients will warm your winter season every time you serve them. Nourish your week instead of overthinking healthy eating with recipes featuring whole ingredients, skipping processed sugars, and avoiding ultra-processed shortcuts, favoring natural sweetness, healthy fats, mineral-rich broths, and fiber-packed produce.

If you are easing into whole-food cooking, start with a small win. Choose the one recipe that fits tonight, add the ingredients to your list, and bookmark a second for later. Use simple swaps you already have on hand, cook once and enjoy leftovers, or scale down for one. This is about steady, winter-ready nourishment that tastes good and fits real life.

Hearty Winter Vegetable & Lentil Soup  

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 cup dry lentils, rinsed

1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 tsp thyme

½ tsp smoked paprika

Salt & pepper to taste

2 cups chopped spinach

Instructions

Sauté onion, carrot, and celery for 5 minutes. Add lentils, tomatoes, broth, and spices; simmer 25–30 minutes. Stir in spinach during the last 5 minutes.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken & Root Veggies

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs or breasts

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 sweet potato, diced

2 carrots, chopped

1 onion, quartered

1 tsp rosemary

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt & pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss chicken and veggies with seasonings. Roast for 30–35 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F.

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Cranberries

Ingredients

1 acorn squash                                     

½ cup cooked quinoa

2 Tbsp walnuts or pecans

2 Tbsp dried cranberries

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp olive oil

Optional: drizzle maple syrup

Instructions

Bake squash 25 minutes at 400°F.  Mix stuffing ingredients, fill squash halves, and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Garlic Butter Cod with Spinach & Brown Rice

Ingredients

2 cod fillets

1 Tbsp butter or ghee

2 cloves garlic

2 cups spinach

1 cup brown rice

Instructions

Cook garlic and butter in a skillet. Add cod and sear 3–4 minutes per side. Add spinach until wilted. Serve over rice.

Warm Apple Cinnamon Oat Bake

Ingredients

2 cups oats

1½ cups almond milk

1 apple, diced

1 tsp cinnamon

1 egg

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp vanilla

Instructions

Mix everything, then bake for 30 minutes at 375°F until golden and set.

Mmmm, smells delicious! Let us know how everything tastes. Better yet, we'd love to see pictures of your finished dishes at office@drsusanmonias.com!

Stay warm, nourished, and energized this winter.