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With colds and flus on the rise during the winter season, it is essential to incorporate healthy foods into your diet. Not all healthy foods need to be disheartening and fill you with a feeling of woe. Most of the healthiest winter foods are rich in taste, color and nutrients to help you prevent your health from becoming as bleak as the landscape. Here are a few nutritious foods to add to your winter diet.

Oranges are great to eat during winter. They provide you with vitamin C and fiber. Make a mug of delicious orange juice, or add a few fleshy slices to your winter salad. Oranges will bring some sunshine to your health.

Cabbage can be used in soups, meat dishes, salads or stews. This vegetable is so low in calories, that quite often we use more calories to digest it than what we gain from it. It is an excellent source of fiber and serves as a great filling food if you are watching those winter pounds.

Sweet potatoes are rich in healthy complex carbohydrates and immune boosting compounds. High in vitamins A and C, this root vegetable will help your body fight infections. Whether it is served roasted, grilled, in vegetable bakes or even as fries, this nutritious winter food will hit the right spot.

Radishes are warm in taste and serve as an excellent addition to winter salads. Rich in vitamin C, this vegetable helps in overcoming depression which commonly occurs during the winter.

Green peas contain potassium, vitamin E, phosphorus and iron. They are low in calories and assist in keeping the cardiovascular system healthy.

Beetroot is naturally sweet and can be enjoyed either hot or cold. It is low in calories and helps to naturally detoxify your liver and bloodstream. Beetroot is often deemed as the most nutritious root vegetable.

Brussels sprouts are a delicious source of vitamin C if you do not boil all the nutritious content and taste away.

Leafy vegetables such as spinach, chard and kale will give you the much needed boost of iron, magnesium, folate and vitamins your body requires during those cold months. You can have it steamed, butter fried, in vegetarian dishes or with meat.

Garlic is rich in Allicin which wards off viruses, bacteria and fungi. Consuming garlic roasted, chopped, in whole cloves or as tablets will boost your immune system.

Ginger is a great detoxifying root with a warm and spicy taste. Added to tea, it can help combat indigestion and acid reflux.

Barley is a wonder winter food as it contains plant proteins, fiber and vitamin B. As a great energy enhancer, barley is often used in hot energy drinks for sportsmen during the winter season.

Cranberries can be used in delightful winter desserts. They are rich in anti-inflammatory and anti- bacterial properties.

If you yearn for hot, home-cooked meals packed with healthy foods to eat during the winter, start with leafy and root vegetables and berries. They will keep your eyes bright, your cheeks rosy and have you fortified.