Pandemic Winter Health Hacks

Make a Routine Around Soup

Good for your body, good for your stress levels

Perhaps now more than ever, healthy routines are powerful companions. Making batches of soup in the cold weather months is one routine I swear by. Because my winter self is most alert, willing, and creative (thanks in part to the boost from morning light) in the first part of the day, I like to cook then.

Soup making pairs particularly well with a body clock tuned this way. I can chop, sauté, and season during coffee hour and let things simmer and stew throughout the day. As I write this, a bean soup is on the stove — loaded with cannellinis, onions, carrots, celery, and kale. Tonight, I’ll serve it with fresh parmesan, olive oil, and hunks of homemade bread (will pandemic baking mode ever cease?).

In addition to the flexibility of prep time (pro tip: note when your energy is best and work then), there are a million reasons to lean into soups this winter. It’s clear from the science that nearly everyone can stand to eat more plants. And in a pandemic, it pays to dose your immune system with as much TLC as possible; nutrient-rich soups are a great way to do that. Plus, leftovers pretty much come with the territory — guaranteeing you more hours tomorrow to relax.

Illustration: Sophi Gullbrants