Winter’s shorter days can affect sleep and energy for some people, and more time indoors may mean less Vitamin D production in the skin. During colder months, it’s understandable to wonder what else you can do to take care of yourself. Your everyday meals are one place to start.
Winter nutrition should focus on finding foods you enjoy that also give your body the nutrients it needs to support energy and immune health.
Key Takeaways
Winter can change your eating habits and reduce the vitamin D your skin makes from sunlight. A varied diet helps you get the nutrients your body needs throughout the season.3,4
Vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc support normal immune function year-round. These nutrients play important roles in how your immune system works.3,4
Regular meals with carbohydrates and protein provide fuel. B vitamins help your body use energy from food, and iron helps your blood carry oxygen.6,7
Eating enough fiber from a variety of foods and drinking enough fluids supports bowel regularity.8,10
Get most of your nutrients from food. Supplements can help fill gaps, but food should be prioritized.
Most of your everyday nutrient needs stay much the same year-round. But in winter, your shopping habits may change before you really think much about nutrition. For instance, salads or grilled veggies may not seem as enticing in the colder months, so you buy less fresh produce, and vegetables may gradually disappear from many of your meals in favor of more indulgent comfort foods. And then, of course, there’s the holiday season, which can easily throw you off your typical nutrition routine.
Winter can also feel harder on your overall health. Flu activity usually peaks between December and February in the United States.1 Daylight helps set your body’s sleep-wake rhythm, so the gradually shorter days can affect sleep and mood for some people.2 These changes all give you good reasons to pay attention to your nutrition so you can make sure your body is getting what it needs to thrive through the winter while providing some backup for your immune system and energy levels.
Your body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight, but winter can make that harder. Shorter days and less time outside can reduce your sun exposure, and where you live also affects how much vitamin D your skin can produce at different times of year.3 Since vitamin D also helps support normal immune function, winter is a good time to pay closer attention to how much you’re getting from your diet or supplements.1,3
Because relatively few foods are rich in vitamin D, it helps to choose sources you’ll actually eat regularly. Salmon and trout are two of the best options. If seafood rarely makes it onto your plate, milk or plant-based milk fortified with vitamin D can help fill the gap. Check the nutrition label, since unfortified plant-based milk may contain very little.3
Your immune system needs vitamin C and zinc daily to function normally, so both belong in your everyday diet year-round.4 For vitamin C, you have options beyond oranges: broccoli and Brussels sprouts can fit right into the warm, comforting meals you’re probably already cooking.5 Beef and shellfish are good sources of zinc, and beans are always a solid plant-based option.4 Eating a variety of foods regularly helps to create a strong nutrition foundation to support your immune system. Change up your food choices during the week so you’re getting a variety of nutrients, even if you’re leaning on a few favorite recipes.
If you’re running on coffee until lunch, a more substantial breakfast is a good place to start. Try oats with yogurt, or eggs on whole-grain toast if you prefer the savory route. Both meals pair carbohydrates with protein and provide B vitamins that help your body turn food into usable energy.6 Stirring some nut butter into your oats adds unsaturated fat and makes them a little richer, too.
Your body also needs iron to carry oxygen, and low levels can leave you feeling tired.7 A hearty stew made with beef or lentils can be a good source of iron. Vitamin C helps to improve iron absorption, so try adding bell peppers for more flavor and vitamin C to help your body absorb the iron.7
Winter squash is a natural fit for the warm, comforting meals you’re probably already craving throughout the colder months. The nutrients in winter squash include potassium, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. Your body uses beta-carotene to make vitamin A, which supports your eyes and immune system.4,8,9
Kabocha has sweet, dense flesh that’s especially good in curry. Roasted kabocha wedges are another easy option, and you can add chicken or tofu to turn them into a fuller meal with more nutrients (and protein). It doesn’t stop there—kabocha also gives you carbohydrates for energy, plus fiber.8
Delicata squash is usually easiest to find in fall and early winter, and it provides plenty of fiber and vitamin A.9 It’s also easy to prep: the thin skin turns tender during cooking, so you can skip the peeling and save a step. After washing it and scooping out the seeds, slice it for roasting.
If you’re roasting a full tray anyway, go ahead and make enough for tomorrow’s lunch. Or, if you’re using the squash in soup, freeze a few portions for evenings when you don’t feel like cooking.
If vegetables have become an afterthought in your winter meals, you might also be getting less fiber. Too little fiber can lead to digestive discomfort. Eating enough fiber from a variety of foods and drinking enough fluids supports regular digestion.10 Beans and whole grains fit easily into lots of different soups and stews, so a comforting meal with any of these can help you get back on track. Fluids help fiber work, too: drinking enough water plays an important role in helping keep you regular.10
A supplement can help fill nutrient gaps year-round, but wintertime can be an especially useful time to supplement immune-supporting nutrients. You may get less vitamin D from sunlight during the colder months, so supplementing can be useful if you struggle to get enough from your diet.3 Your healthcare provider can help you decide what nutrients you may need to supplement and how much to take, including anything you already get from a daily multivitamin or other supplements.
Shorter days can affect sleep and mood for some people, which may explain why you feel more sluggish during winter.2 If you keep feeling worn out despite getting enough rest and eating regularly, talk with a healthcare professional about what might be behind it. Ongoing fatigue can have several causes and deserves attention from a healthcare professional.2,7
Let’s bring it all together: here’s your winter grocery list that will help support your cold-weather health.
Proteins | Fruits & Vegetables | Grains, Nuts & Oils | Dairy, Fortified alternatives & Soups |
|---|---|---|---|
Salmon Trout Beef Shellfish Chicken Eggs Tofu Beans Lentils | Oranges and other citrus fruits Broccoli Brussels sprouts Bell peppers Kabocha squash Delicata squash Leafy greens | Oats Whole-grain bread Whole grains Nuts Nut butter Olive oil | Vitamin D-fortified milk Vitamin D-fortified plant milk Yogurt Clear soups |
Eating a variety of nourishing foods is a good place to start in any season, though some nutrient needs can be greater to meet through meals alone. AG1 Next Gen’s clinically studied formula combines vitamins and minerals with prebiotics and probiotics to help fill common nutrient gaps and support gut health.* One scoop each morning offers daily nutrition support through winter and all year long.
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu season. Updated September 26, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season.html
2. National Institute of Mental Health. Seasonal affective disorder. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder
3. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D: fact sheet for health professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
4. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary supplements for immune function: fact sheet for consumers. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ImmuneFunction-Consumer/
5. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin C: fact sheet for health professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
6. National Library of Medicine. B vitamins. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/bvitamins.html
7. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Iron: fact sheet for consumers. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-Consumer/
8. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Winter squash. The Nutrition Source. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/food-features/winter-squash
9. Tang N, Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center staff. Delicata squash: the sweet secret to fall nutrition. Colorado State University. Published October 2025. https://www.chhs.colostate.edu/krnc/monthly-blog/delicata-squash-the-sweet-secret-to-fall-nutrition/
10. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Eating, diet, & nutrition for constipation. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/constipation/eating-diet-nutrition