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Cold mornings and early dark evenings are a good time to gather around warm, slow-cooked food. Here is a gentle, family-friendly take on traditional Chinese winter eating.

Bringing everyone back to the table

In many families, winter is when the soup pot comes out and dinners stretch a little longer. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has always seen this season as a time to slow down and look after one another, and food sits right at the heart of that idea. For families in Lane Cove and Freshwater, here are some easy ways to bring a little of that tradition home.

What tradition says about winter

In TCM theory, winter is the resting season. The long nights are thought of as nature's way of letting the body recharge, a little like a bear settling in until spring. Traditionally, the kidney system is considered the body's deep store of energy, so winter meals are chosen to nourish it. The tradition also looks after the Shen, or spirit, which can feel a bit flat when the sun sets early.

Family favourites with warming ingredients

TCM describes certain foods as warming. Many of them are already family-friendly:

• Roast chicken with sweet potato wedges and fennel
• A big pot of leek soup finished with a little nutmeg
• Chestnuts roasted as an after-school treat
• Walnuts and pine nuts sprinkled over porridge or salads
• Mussels or anchovies for the adventurous eaters
• Mutton or chicken stews flavoured with bay leaves

Foods tradition calls kidney tonics

Eggs, millet, kidney beans, sesame seeds, lamb, beef, duck and goose, plus grains, seeds and nuts of all kinds, are listed in TCM as kidney tonics. Scrambled eggs with sesame seeds, a lamb and bean hotpot or a millet salad are simple ways to include them. A pot of homemade bone broth, a traditional winter food linked in TCM with the bones and kidneys, can be the base for the whole week's soups.

Gentle cooking, gentle flavours

Tradition recommends cooking winter meals slowly at a lower heat, which also suits busy parents who like to set the slow cooker in the morning. TCM suggests going easy on salt and adding some bitter tastes, which it links with the heart. For children, that might mean lettuce, celery, asparagus, kale chips, apricots or a little grapefruit; for adults, a cup of tea or coffee, or a glass of wine, in moderation.

Congee for breakfast

Congee is a soft, creamy grain porridge that families across Asia have eaten for generations. Start with brown rice, or mix in other grains and beans, add vegetables or mild herbs, and let it cook overnight in the slow cooker. Tradition says the longer it simmers, the more nourishing it becomes, and its soft texture makes it gentle on little tummies.

A note for parents

This is general wellbeing information based on traditional theory. If anyone in the family has allergies, a medical condition or special dietary needs, check with your GP or a dietitian before changing their meals.