Want A Hearty & Nutritious Meal That’s Easy To Make? Stew Is Your Ultimate Winter Dinner!

Winter time in Ireland means darker and colder days. Cooking can start to seem like a dreaded chore after a long day. Both leaving and returning home in darkness can leave us feeling unmotivated. Often, people fall into a trap in the winter months and with all the occasions like Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s parties there’s always an excuse for more indulgent food. But let’s be honest, these foods aren’t always the healthiest, and by the time summer rolls round you’ve signed up for an unwanted gym membership in order to bounce back!

This winter, we’re here to make life a little easier when it comes to comfort food that will warm you and your family right down to your toes!

Advantages of Stew

It’s safe to say growing up in Ireland, stew was probably a staple in most people’s diets. It seems to have lost popularity in recent years, but stew has many advantages for both your health and your bank balance!

1) Stews are easy to prepare!

Stews don’t take a lot of looking after. It’s a simple case of combining all of your ingredients according to whatever recipe you’re following and leaving them to well, stew… If you have a slow cooker you can even pop it on in the morning and by the time you’re home you’re dinner will be ready! Super handy for long winter evenings!

2) Make a whole batch!

The great thing about stews is that you can cook them in batches and keep them refrigerated or freeze them as per the recipes advise! So on days when you really don’t feel like cooking you can leave a batch out to defrost, reheat and you and your family’s dinner is sorted!

3) Stews will warm the cockles of your heart

You come home to a freezing house in the dead of winter, and the heating takes a good 20 minutes to warm up the house. But, you have a lovely warm stew waiting for you in your slow cooker! The warmth from the bowl holding the stew won’t only warm your hands but the hearty meal itself will warm your whole body up in no time!

4) Cheap & cheery!

Stews use the “cheap” cuts of meat so you’re not spending a fortune on ingredients. They are also interchangeable to suit any vegetables so buying seasonal veggies will also reduce your grocery bill!

Photo by Светлана Хуснутдинова on Unsplash.

Health Benefits of Stew

1) Keeps the weight off…

In Winter we slow down a bit, summer is great for running around and keeping active but when temperatures plummet all we want to do is snuggle up with a blanket and the TV at home. Stews are a great hearty winter meal that are not only packed with nutrients but also aren’t as calorific as other comfort foods!

2) Get a nutrient boost!

Stews are packed full of veggies, and what do veggies contain? Nutrients! Stewing is a great way to harbour all of these nutrients. So, not only does stew offer a bit of warmth and comfort on a cold day, it’s also boosting your nutrient intake. Win/win!

3) Good for your immune system

With all those nutrients it only makes sense that stews would help to boost your immune system as well!