Warm-up with Rootastes’ Winter Menu

Rootastes’ winter menu will help you bring healthy lunch to your office in Boston- and warm up your day! We’ve teamed up with Maura McCartney of Mind Over Matter Health to bring you delicious lunches that deliver flavor as well as the nutrients our bodies need to get us through the winter months.

Our quinoa base has been upgraded to a red and white variety that packs more fiber, which ideal for keeping you full and your blood pressure at healthy levels.

We’re excited to introduce citrusy flavors to our protein options, which deliver a hearty dose of Vitamin C, a nutrient that helps reduce the production of stress-inducing cortisol and improves the immunity. (We don’t want to get sick this season and are sure you don’t either.) Give citrus a try with our Lemon Garlic Tofu, Lemongrass Chicken, and Tangerine Beef with Garlic.

If you’re more into rich flavors and hearty dishes, try the other proteins we have on the menu. Our Balsa Salmon is baked with rosemary and a balsamic glaze. We also have Honey Butter Shrimp, Dijon Glazed Pork Loin (featuring Dijon mustard, parsley, garlic, pepper, brown sugar, and cumin) or Rosy Cod Lemon. This nod to Cape Cod is baked with rosemary, black pepper and garnished with lemon. All of our fish proteins are full of heart healthy, cognitive boosting omega-3s.

Our ever-popular Heart of the Roots sides have put on their winter outfits to warm up with the season. We’re excited about Ratatouille, a vegetable strew in our chef’s special sauce with herbes de provence. If you’re hoping to increase your antioxidant intake, Sweet Sunshine’s sweet potatoes are full of them. These antioxidants help reduce oxidative stress and cellular damage.

Image Credit: LoveLeafCo

One of our favorites has been Refreshing Double Beets, a beet, goat cheese, and walnut salad served with balsamic honey dressing. If you’re looking for a brighter tasting and more refreshing side, we recommend Chicky Chick. It’s a chickpea salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn tossed in a lemon dill cream sauce. As an added bonus, the magnesium found in chickpeas will help you fight stress and improve your sleep this season!

Hungry for more? Check out our full winter menu here, and learn more about the 10 key nutrients we included below:

10 Key Nutrients and Health Properties: Rootastes Winter Menu

• Lean proteins, fresh leafy greens and olive oil have anti-inflammatory properties, therefore strengthening the immune system Vitamin C found in celeriac, carrots and sweet potato have been known to help reduce the production of cortisol and improve immunity
• Grains and vegetables such as quinoa, broccoli and cauliflower provide fiber which is ideal for reducing blood pressure and contains cholesterol lowering properties
• Colorful produce such as collard greens, sweet potatoes and zucchini, supply antioxidants to the body which reduce oxidative stress and cellular damage
• Omega 3s found in fish sources, such as salmon and cod, and olive oil boost cognition and contain heart healthy properties
• Dates have been shown to reduce blood pressure (ideal for high stress individuals!)
• Chickpeas, dark leafy vegetables, tofu and whole grains are great sources of magnesium, a mineral that helps fight stress and improve sleep  
• Leafy greens such as chard, kale, and lettuce contain roughly 90% water by weight; therefore supplying water to the body to improve hydration
• Vitamin K protects against cardiovascular disease; broccoli, brussels sprouts, okra, leafy greens and celeriac all being great sources of this vitamin
• Vitamin D found in salmon is excellent at building bones, improving the cardiovascular system and boosting neurological functions

Meet Rootasters:

Meg is a dreamer, entrepreneur, and homesteader based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. She loves her cats, feasting, and road trips in her green VW Bug.