There is nothing better than a family reunion. I will not want to remember the lonely COVID Christmas and New Years’ of the past two years. Even this year we meet one another with precautions. And maybe we begin by eating what we haven’t eaten yet from last year! After holidays, we usually eat a lot of leftovers. So, after that, it is good to look after our bodies by paying more attention to good nutrition. First things first – let’s start with soups in our daily meal plan.

A good winter vegetable soup has a lot of cabbage, carrots, celery, potatoes, onions, and whatever other veggie leftovers you have from the holidays. It is rich in antioxidants and it provides you with all the appropriate vitamins you need – and it ‘cleans’ your body. Also, if you add some Greek yogurt to your plate, it becomes a full meal with protein – but do not overdo it. A balanced diet is important. Claims like “eat this for a week and you will lose weight” are false – and bad for your system.

An alternative is good old school chicken soup. If you feel a little down, like an illness is about going to catch you, take a free range, organic, full fat, good quality chicken or rooster (in Greek we call it ‘xoriatiko – from the village,’ and put it in a pot with just some rice. The key to this soup is the quality of the chicken and the avgolemono sauce at the end. Avgolemono is eggs beaten with lemon juice. Use as much lemon as you can bear. It will reshape and rejuvenate your system. In your plate you can add some pepper or ground chili pepper. Hot spices help blood circulation – and helps your stuffy nose and cold.

Have a taste, and add some herbs that you like – and enjoy!

* The above is not medical advice but mere suggestions for improving your diet. Before reach herbal use you should consult your doctor, especially those who have health issues, are pregnant or are under the age of 6.

Evropi-Sofia Dalampira holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics and an MSc in Botany-Biology.