Must have foods in winter

Similar to spring onions, green garlic is plucked from the ground before it matures and contains long green stems. This vegetable can be cooked like spring onions and has all the benefits of a fully mature garlic bulb except in the form of a spring onion. Allicin, which is found in fully mature bulbs of garlic, is present in equal amounts in green garlic as well. However, the advantage here is you can use this form of the herb as a vegetable and make it into curries and use it as a salad dressing as well.

One of the wonder fruits all year round, 'amla' has immense medicinal properties. This especially comes in handy if you tend to suffer from constipation during the winters. Not only does it provide a lot of vitamin C and help your body fight off colds and other infections, it also helps the digestive system by encouraging the secretion of many necessary enzymes. This will keep the system clear and also help clear out constipation.

Honey has been used since time immemorial to treat not only colds but many other types of infections. Honey is known to have antibacterial properties to fight off infections caused by a virus or bacteria. The best way is to have a table spoon of honey before going to bed. You can even mix it with milk and consume it as a warm beverage.

Jaggery or 'gur' is an often ignored variety of food which had been part of the Indian menu for many years. It is much healthier than sugar with many added benefits if consumed in moderation. 'Gur' or jaggery is especially readily available during the winter months. It keeps you warm from the inside and has much lesser calories than sugar as well. In fact, many sweets such as 'rasgulla' also come in a jaggery form instead of the normal sugar syrup form. You can have these due to the lower sugar content, the benefits of jaggery and of course the taste as well.